peterbunce
1880's Colorado Narrow gauge on 45mm track
Hi,
I have been making a ?very simple vehicle? ? a buckboard, which is the simplest vehicle is basically a set of planks, with unsprung axles and a seat ? in my case the base is 5 planks wide. The plank bed flexes for the ?suspension?.
Other things managed to get in the way of the building so it was a somewhat extended time being built than I thought, but here we are ? the vehicle bed is 4.5 inches by 1.75 inches, and made from 1.5mm plasticard sheet. The plan came off the web for the body, and the web also produced a side view; I added a set of Northeast Narrow gauge wheels.
The axles are from 3mm square hollow Plastruct tube with some of their coated steel wire through the middle to add some stiffness and to fix the wheels to; they keep the very wide radius arc shape that the axles have. This is an early vehicle as I wanted it so there are no springs for the vehicle, though as can be seen there are a pair for the seat. Later ones could have solid seats and springs at each end.
To ensure that over time is does not assume a downward curve (a sign of old age for the se vehicles!) I cheated and in the centre underneath it has some 1mm brass strip glued there!
The bed has a couple of 0.8mm wire side rails to ?tie down? any loads: the timber is fixed, the crates etc., are built for this and the other vehicle I have (& expect to build) so are loose. The seat is basically 1mm thick plasticard, with 0.004 aluminum for the center leaf and top and bottom are added two .5mm plasticard strips. The base cushion is 3mm PVC solid foam board; the upper seat back is held on with paper clip wire, and has a 1.5mm PVC solid foam cushion, under the seat is a small locker and at the rear is a cross piece to hold any load still and to stop it moving forwards. The ?dash?is ?pre-curved? 1mm plasticard and the grooved for painting in two colors. The 0.8mm wire is again used this time for the handrails and top loop for the reins ? ?fun to glue on! To make a start I used contact cement and to stiffen that there was then a coat or two of superglue; the ?dash? itself, after painting and varnishing was glued against a 1mm square strip in front, and there are 3 (aluminum strip) brackets added at the rear.
The shafts are Plastruct 4mm tube, with scrap copper wire stiffening at the bends, the scrap wire also make the loops for the rear ends of the shafts.
The horse is a Schliech one repainted to a deeper, and richer red brown, fitted with my own (0.003 thou aluminum strip, from the trays that ?French chocolate marbled Brioches? come in !) harness with 3 widths of the strips (1.5, 2, and 3mm) which are pre-painted before use.
I have finished it as varnished natural wood finish ? a base color, and then overlaid with ?chestnut? colored ink to add some variation for the entire vehicle; the seats are (after dimpling) painted a slightly darker color. The crates etc are from scrap PVC solid foam, board and plasticard, after painting the planks are lined out and then painted and weathered to all sorts of shades for some variation, the barrel is a bought one and is actually plaster!. All have been varnished with Johnsons?s Klear?.
The vehicle, for safety and easy of carrying/placing, has been glued to a stiff 5mm thick base, that is 12?long x 3.5?wide. It was taken outside for some photos (the almost continuous rain we have here has stopped for a while, and here are some of the results.
The other vehicles are a buggy, which was one if the first horse drawn vehicles that I built, and the ?First Pickup? which was just before this one. They are all basically the same size.
A low down view of the vehicle
moving off the ground - a top view
photo showing the vehicle with a load
with some other vehicles I have built.
a final one with the 'buggy' in the foreground
Enjoy!
I have been making a ?very simple vehicle? ? a buckboard, which is the simplest vehicle is basically a set of planks, with unsprung axles and a seat ? in my case the base is 5 planks wide. The plank bed flexes for the ?suspension?.
Other things managed to get in the way of the building so it was a somewhat extended time being built than I thought, but here we are ? the vehicle bed is 4.5 inches by 1.75 inches, and made from 1.5mm plasticard sheet. The plan came off the web for the body, and the web also produced a side view; I added a set of Northeast Narrow gauge wheels.
The axles are from 3mm square hollow Plastruct tube with some of their coated steel wire through the middle to add some stiffness and to fix the wheels to; they keep the very wide radius arc shape that the axles have. This is an early vehicle as I wanted it so there are no springs for the vehicle, though as can be seen there are a pair for the seat. Later ones could have solid seats and springs at each end.
To ensure that over time is does not assume a downward curve (a sign of old age for the se vehicles!) I cheated and in the centre underneath it has some 1mm brass strip glued there!
The bed has a couple of 0.8mm wire side rails to ?tie down? any loads: the timber is fixed, the crates etc., are built for this and the other vehicle I have (& expect to build) so are loose. The seat is basically 1mm thick plasticard, with 0.004 aluminum for the center leaf and top and bottom are added two .5mm plasticard strips. The base cushion is 3mm PVC solid foam board; the upper seat back is held on with paper clip wire, and has a 1.5mm PVC solid foam cushion, under the seat is a small locker and at the rear is a cross piece to hold any load still and to stop it moving forwards. The ?dash?is ?pre-curved? 1mm plasticard and the grooved for painting in two colors. The 0.8mm wire is again used this time for the handrails and top loop for the reins ? ?fun to glue on! To make a start I used contact cement and to stiffen that there was then a coat or two of superglue; the ?dash? itself, after painting and varnishing was glued against a 1mm square strip in front, and there are 3 (aluminum strip) brackets added at the rear.
The shafts are Plastruct 4mm tube, with scrap copper wire stiffening at the bends, the scrap wire also make the loops for the rear ends of the shafts.
The horse is a Schliech one repainted to a deeper, and richer red brown, fitted with my own (0.003 thou aluminum strip, from the trays that ?French chocolate marbled Brioches? come in !) harness with 3 widths of the strips (1.5, 2, and 3mm) which are pre-painted before use.
I have finished it as varnished natural wood finish ? a base color, and then overlaid with ?chestnut? colored ink to add some variation for the entire vehicle; the seats are (after dimpling) painted a slightly darker color. The crates etc are from scrap PVC solid foam, board and plasticard, after painting the planks are lined out and then painted and weathered to all sorts of shades for some variation, the barrel is a bought one and is actually plaster!. All have been varnished with Johnsons?s Klear?.
The vehicle, for safety and easy of carrying/placing, has been glued to a stiff 5mm thick base, that is 12?long x 3.5?wide. It was taken outside for some photos (the almost continuous rain we have here has stopped for a while, and here are some of the results.
The other vehicles are a buggy, which was one if the first horse drawn vehicles that I built, and the ?First Pickup? which was just before this one. They are all basically the same size.
A low down view of the vehicle
moving off the ground - a top view
photo showing the vehicle with a load
with some other vehicles I have built.
a final one with the 'buggy' in the foreground
Enjoy!
