Since I have been tidying unfinished bits and pieces of my Volley and Bayonet AWI project, I thought I might do a quick post about some of the wagons that I am doing up for use as logistics elements. V&B doesn't require logistics elements on the tabletop, but I like having logistics elements available for my toy armies.
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| My drivers are mounted on the wrong horse! they should be on the left rear horse! |
The two big Conestoga wagons come from the Imex Conestoga Wagon set (PSR link
here), which is currently available bundled with the Imex American Pioneers set (PSR review
here) as the Billy V toys American Western Settlers set that retails at around US$10. The Billy V sets are very good value and seem to be the cheapest way of getting Imex sets.
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| It is a very long model! |
The Conestoga wagons were first used in the early part of the 18th Century in Pennsylvania, so I might even be able to use them for Braddock's campaign during the French and Indian Wars. The other wagon I have painted up is one from the BUM Far West Town sets I purchased earlier this year (for more details see
this post) I have removed the driver of the wagon, and added a running Airfix soldier to try and catch up with the horse!
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| Another logistics element completed. |
The final picture for this post is my set of eight completed Esci Gabions. These come two at a time from the Esci Battlefield Accessory kit (PSR review here). While I don't have four of these sets, I do have enough bits and bobs from them to make using parts of them a serious proposition.
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| Not the easiest item to assemble. |
I have been slowly acquiring these items, so when I found I had accrued a reasonable number I assembled them, and mounted them on 5 cent coins then filled them up with artists medium.These should prove useful in denoting that a stand is in a prepared position.
That reminds me; I should paint up my own Conestoga wagons. Although they seem to be associated with western expansion of the USA, my attitude is that a wagon is a wagon is a wagon, so they have been added, 1 each to my ACW armies (which already have 3 Airfix Wagon Train wagons each).
ReplyDeleteI have several ESCI gabion sets myself that I think I filled with white sand. One of them broke - very brittle. Actually, I have quite a few bits and bobs along these lines that I don't reckon I'll be using any time soon. Any use to you?
Cheers,
Ion
Ion,
DeleteI am somewhat of a fan of the Conestoga wagon as it falls nicely into my strong interest in PA history :)
The history of the Conestoga wagon is actually quite different than what is normally thought. For starters they weren't used at all in the great westward migrations to Oregon or California. Their main role was as a heavy freight hauler in the Eastern states.
The coming of the railroads killed them and Conestoga wagons were not longer manufactured by the outbreak of the ACW as its heavy freight hauling role had been supplanted by the railroads. I gather that railroads were to prove quite useful in the ACW :)
That all being said, they are a nice wagon, and I'd be bloody surprised if someone pinged on using the wrong type of wagon in your armies - and given the number of them that were made (and have survived into the present day) it is not impossible that some were pressed into service as transport.
Of course you could do AWI or FIW and they would be perfect transport elements for those armies :)
It is a very nice kit (?) as well, made up. Very shiny plastic, though. Does it take paint well? Your example seems to suggest it might.
DeleteI sprayed it with black spray paint first so that the paint would have something to key to. Part of that is due to my style of painting, but also because like you I was worried about how well the paint would adhere to the kit.
DeleteOh, by the way, I would be interested in looking at those spare Esci bits! Thank you for the offer of useful bits!
Really nice. I was pondering wether to paint up the Conestoga wagons last week ..but I did´nt like the colour scheme but now seeing your colour scheme I´ll persevere. The BUM wagon has turned out well..I wouldn´t have recognised it.
ReplyDeleteThe houses in the last post look great.
Thank's Paul - I just decided I couldn't go too far wrong with painting it light blue grey, as I like the colour and it is less garish than some of the colour schemes I have seen on actual wagons online.
DeleteThe BUM Far West stuff has proved to be quite useful so far - certainly the least useful stuff were the scaled down knock off Aiifx figures that came with them! The buildings are perfect for making V&B BUAs - I only wish I had an easy way of getting more in NZ!
Agreed. The colour schemes of real ones (or re-constructed ones) is way too garish. I hadn´t thought of just doing a "natural" colour scheme so I´ve followed your lead and painted one up in my usual Wood effect. Painting all the traces etc on the nags nearly got me pulling my hair out at one Point :-D The Thing when finished is HUGE!!!!!
DeleteVery nice looking logistic figures, I really like the wagon...
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil! I just have to see if I can put the Conestoga drivers in the right position before I finish painting them up. On the plus side, I won't be making the same mistake on the next two!
DeleteNice post Brian. I am most impressed to see the ESCI gabion in use. Well done. Send me your address and I will send you some more!
ReplyDeleteThanks Paul! Getting some more would be very handy! I will flick off an email now.
DeleteGreat looking wagons Brian! I have a set of the ESCI stuff too if you want! Are you going to Conquest?
ReplyDeleteThanks Rodger! - both for your kind words and for the offer of more gabions!
DeleteI wasn't planning to - I sometimes pop in to have a look or buy something (vendors willing!). Conquest is a good event, but i don't play any of the systems used, so it is more a pop in and be nosy event for me!
That being said, I will happily pop in to pick up a set of Esci battlefield accessories from you. What day suits you best?
I will only be there on the Saturday, either doing a bolt action jap battle or a 7YW battle. Might have something else of interest for you too!
DeleteSounds good - I will pop in on the Saturday then!
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