Perrys Union American Civil War 28mm Supply Wagon

Hello There! After a Hiatus, as I have been ill recently and had an operation, I have a few projects that have either been completed and awaiting photographing or been near completion and just needed a small amount of time to complete them.

This item has taken the longest due to its small intricacies. I have never liked guns or wagons with horses or mules standing infront of their charge and with nothing to connect the two.

Most gamers are put off by the amount of work and how fiddly it can be to portray the reins, chains and bridelry that is required. The wagon shaft, single tree and double trees and connections also had to be made to fit the model. I was lucky to have a selection of chains and threads from another planned project, (to add metal masts and rigging to some 28mm resin ship hulls), so could easily include these.

Even to find out what all the connecting items were took a while and also needed an appeal on facebook. Thankfully people were very helpful and I was able to complete this. model.

If you look closely you will see some plasticard additions of a break lever, break blocks and the rope to the driver. One problem I had was that this style of wagon could also be easily confused with the so call 'chuck' wagon seen in Western films as they had the driver on the front board of the wagon whereas here he is on the rear left horse.

Here is a better view of the front four of the mule team with the single and double trees with the connecting chains and reins.

Here is the wagon. I added the brake lever and the break block made from plasticard. The Canvas hoops are from the Perrys model and the canvas was made from tissues soaked in PVA thinned with water.

After making this model I am left wondering how the driver controlled all these mules at the same time and held the brake rope as well! There mush have been a way of doing it though. My limit of sitting on a 'horse' is limited to riding on a pony along Great Yarmouth sea front when I was 8 years old so I know next to nothing of controlling such animals. I have always felt with horses that one end bites and the other end kicks which is why people sit in the middle!

Here is the rear two pairs of mules including the rider.This clearer view of the single and double trees are better illustrated here. These were again made of plasticard. The holes were drilled using a pinvice and the end links in the chain could be parted and squeezed back together using fine nosed pliers, (and a little bit of swearing).

I have plans to do a Napoleonic Brish RHA limber and an Spanish Ox drawn limber as well.