A scratchbuilt 'ore' carrier

peterbunce

1880's Colorado Narrow gauge on 45mm track
Amongst other things I have been building a horsedrawn ore carrier; this is basically a variant of the large American Freight Wagon, (have a look on the Web for the Ketchum freight wagons, the ‘Images’ are best). My layout is supposedly set in Colorado in the 1880s, so one was needed) being slightly lower in height than those, and without the canvas top.

It is made from plasticard 2mm thick, with some 5mm thick PVC foam for the chassis: the size of the box is 7” long x 2.5” wide and 3” high. The wheels are from Hobby’s – really the front ones are too small but they are not made in any larger size. The ‘load’ is made from polystyrene packaging, with some garden grit for the ‘ore’ glued on with Aleene’s thick PVA glue; the ends of the block are stepped or cut at a slope to make it easier to load or remove.

The strapping is strips of thick writing paper coloured and then glued in position, and when dry varnished to keep it down; the outsides have some .8mm wire as stiffeners. The seat sits on 2mm wide 4 thou thick ‘lager can metal’ 3 leaf springs.

The chassis is somewhat ‘generic’ primarily die to the front wheels being too small, which needed some alterations to it but the general effect is there – the front bar for the horses is not yet made. Strapping is the same as box.

The colour is not yet complete it needs to be darker, and have some dust/dirt added. I think the same comment could be used as was said to be used for the newly completed ‘private owner’ wagons here in the UK – we finish them off to look good, and what do the owners/colliery/mine owners do – fill up it with dirty old coal! (but substitute ore for coal).


Here are some photos of the work so far

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The body still needing some extra weathering - burnt umber and Games Workshop brown ink I think

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The chassis - somewhat generic, no front pole shown - its cut and half painted though.

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Well it must have a load - and it needs to be removable so it was out with some old polystyrene packing pieces, cut and glue a couple together (and clean up the mess!) and the paint the top and add the coarse garden grit with some thick PVA to hold it on, then add some darkish paint to add some more colour.

More to follow when complete.

Yours Peter.
 
Fantastic work Peter:)
 
Very nice Peter. Bet they'd have to use a good team to haul one of those full up!
 
Hi,

Thank you for the kind comments; the last one from Mick - I have a couple of shire horses earmarked for this vehicle, it could otherwise be a pair of Schliech horses or though as they would be very slow a couple of modified Texas Longhorns (reduce the width on the horns) acting as oxen.

Mules would be another thought but Safari seem to have stopped making them!!!

A final thought - a big shovel ( extended blade knife) can always remove some of the load!

Yours Peter
 
hi Peter
at first glance my wife thought your load looked like a piece of cake so I guess it must be nearly lunch time . this wagon is great and I think two shire horse would look in keeping with the wagon . can not wait to see finished photos .
Graham Shrewsbury
 
Re:A scratchbuilt 'ore' carrier - now finished

Hi,


The ore wagon is now finished; I weathered it with several thin layers of paint;’ some are acrylic, but the first was oil based’ this stops the later acrylic layers softening the original colour.

The oil paint is a Rembrandt (artists oil colours) called @ashphaltum, ref number 414; it sounds like it should a blackish colour – its not it is a deep brown, (rather like Burnt Umber) let it down with turps or white spirit, and apply it, plank by plank so they can all be different colours; if done in the late evening it can dry overnight, as it does take some time to dry.

The inside is also given a coat and then more, and darker coats than the outside. The outside can be given acrylic washes to suit your choice.

All the colour washes will look darker when wet and applied than when they are dry.

3 signs from the computer were added and also weathered down.

To the rear door I added two small bits of chain, and another pair were added to hold the crossbar fro tyhe large brake shoes - both are twisted 10 amp fuse wire.

The figure is the ‘lad’ from the Chinese via EvilBay, he is a scale five feet tall; he has had some serious surgery – both arm were adjusted, and a hand replaced as I lost it!. A jacket has been fitted (from heavy paper, with new cuffs, tiny bits of rod for buttons, and a new collar fill the little circles on the arms (I think they are meant to indicate a jumper), and a paper strip belt and buckle The shoes were made into boots, and a hat made from the metal tube from Voltarol (though Tomato Puree is almost as good!) for the brim – it is easier to bend the edges and some thin lead foil (from the Military Modellers shops, it is about 7 thou thick for the hat, when dry fill the void with filler and shape to suit when drying. When painted add a hatband from heavy paper. He has a cushion to sit on with a second one both from plasticard with creases added via a burr in a minidrill.

The Schliech Shire horses have been fully harnessed – they come without any. Aldi ‘French (chocolate, or Vanilla) filled Brioche bread provides the basic material for the harness is the aluminum tray that the bread sits in; this is very thin and much easier to cut that the chicken trays (that are also saved for other purposes) the strips are 3, 2 and 1.5mm wide, plus paper for the lower belly band; colour it to suit; the rest after flattening the edges of the strips by drawing them against the edge of a scalpel blade handle, are coloured with a permanent felt tip marker pen. The edges will need to be re-coloured as it will rub off when being fitted – this was an experiment; it needs some more thought, paint is almost as bad for coming off the edges!

The curved silver pieces are hames, and made from 1mm diameter copper wire (from scrap single conductor style electric wire, with the brass spheres on the ends being layers of glue. They are fixed to the collars which are a base of plasticard and 4 x 3mm strips of PVC solid foam bent on the 3mm dimension – that way it will bend otherwise it will snap, shaped where required, and glued down; to make them larger a thin 1.5 mm strip is glued underneath and shaped to a smooth shape. Four (10 amp fuse wire) hooks per side are fitted with one pair having some small discs added as well, all shaped with a pair of (well used) round nose pliers.

The horses are fixed to the centre shaft at the front , with a couple of whipple trees (4mm strip with 3 fuse wire hooks each, for the rear fixings and a couple of straps at the front. both whipple trees have 3 hooks each - fuse wire as before with round nose pliers.

All is fixed (and it weighs close to a couple of pounds (mainly the Shires make the weight)), to a base, and then the 1.5mm reins added which are joined together so there are only a couple of reins for the driver to get hold of, and fed up to him (having fixed him in position) they are glued inside his left hand; the right hand has a horse whip – that is a bit of .050 rod, with a paper strip for the leather handle, and some thin wire for the strip and a ‘clacker’ on the end from glue.

I have reduced slightly the height of the load so the upper plank can now be seen when it is loaded up.

Finally here are some photos taken inside of the finished article.

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two side views, the light was a bit suspect there is a bit too much red in it really!
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A couple of 'higher up' views with the load in position,
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the photographer has left his ladder and now is 'low down'
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And finally the 'mucky' interior of it!

Enjoy.
Yours Peter
 
Re:A scratchbuilt 'ore' carrier - now finished

Marvellous creation, Peter. Was the driver modelled on Wild Bill Hickok by any chance? On second thoughts, he'd need longer hair!

Rik
 
Re:A scratchbuilt 'ore' carrier - now finished

Hi Rik,
Don't know he was entered into the surgery (if space could be found on my desk!) given the new hand, a very tiny bit of plasticard, and then moved to the tailors for more clothes, and the shoe shop for his boots, then to the paint shops - he just 'grew' really like a male version of 'Topsy'.

I don't think that Wild Bill would approve - yes he has a hefty horse whip, with that clacker on the end it would be capable of a nasty wound, but he does not have any sixguns/rifle for extra protection. The horses will however do a nice line in trampling all underfoot I am quite sure!


Thank You for the kind comment.

Yours Peter.
 
Re:A scratchbuilt 'ore' carrier - now finished

Hi Peter
your attention to detail is brilliant and I do like the way you use scrap for the more delicate parts . your harnessing for the horses is spot on thanks for sharing
Graham Shrewsbury
 
Re:A scratchbuilt 'ore' carrier - now finished

Lovely job Peter. Nice to see it completed. :thumbup:
 
Re:A scratchbuilt 'ore' carrier - now finished

Incredibly realistic... The whole ensemble looks brilliant!
 
Re:A scratchbuilt 'ore' carrier - now finished

Outstanding Model. :love:
 
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