Saturday, November 22, 2008

Baggage Trayne

The women in my life always said I had too much baggage...But!..., ye army needs a baggage trayne to plunder! I was stumped as to how to get a bunch of wagons in 40mm without a lot of time, cash, and energy until I found just the the solution at my local craft outlet (Michael's). They have a line of plastic parts for schoolkids to do history projects and the like (called "Dr. Brain" :)... and I found pairs of wagon wheels the right size for 99 cents a pair (as well as some indian canoes for my F&I war collection...more anon)...but anyway with that and a couple of bags of strip wood and matchsticks I had the beginnings of a 40mm baggage train underway for just a few bucks.


I looked at a few period images of carts and worked up a quick model that would scale with the 40s. The entire wagon took only 30 minutes to construct. Basically the matchsticks made a frame and the strip material made the bottom and sides. The plastic wheels are already drilled for an axle and I just trimmed a matchstick to fit but next wagon I think I will get some brass wire the correct size to make the axle a bit sturdier.


The model was entirely glued together with my favorite whiteglue (Weldbond), and a quick stain with a mix of brown and black "Didi's Magic Ink". I "wetbrushed" a little bit lighter brown overall to get the black plastic wheels colored. I then added some tissue soaked in white glue to make a load, glued it to a cavalry base and I'm letting the whole thing dry overnight.


Tomorrow I'll paint the load and drybrush everything to weather it and it should work out ok. No horse teams yet but I'm on the lookout for a set of kids farm horses that might scale about right. For now these wagons will work to mark out a baggage train perimeter or work as bridge barricades (like the one defended by the dragoons at Cropredy Bridge).

4 comments:

Bluebear Jeff said...

Keep plastic cattle in mind as well . . . the cart could be an oxcart after all. It certainly looks good.


-- Jeff

old-tidders said...

That cart looks really good; looking forward to seeing the finished article.

-- Allan

littlejohn said...

I had forgotten about the possibility of oxen as draft for the carts...thanks Jeff... Though my little one is going to miss his cows from his farm animal collection.. ;)

Bluebear Jeff said...

Ah . . . but if you paint the cattle, he'll not recognize them.

An do not bother yourself about taking them . . . 'tis a rather gentler form of conscription than he might have been subject to in another time.


-- Jeff

PS, Or you could just buy new ones for yourself . . . your choice, sir.