Dixon Stage Coach WIP

[Verderer]

This little model looks pretty nice once assembled, but the assembly part isn't really that straightforward. You have to estimate the place of some parts, as there are no tabs for them. The driver supplied with the model wasn't really suited for it at all: his feet don't reach the floor when the fig is placed on the driver's seat, and his pose is wrong (really stooped and looking at his feet). So I need to modify it a bit. I wonder if it's the right fig for this?

Anyways, one other thing I found disturbing is that the horses aren't really connected to the coach in any way. I decided to build some extensions to the harness, so it would look more like the coach and horses properly form a unit. Here's where I am at the moment, almost ready for priming:



Close shot with the additional pieces dry fitted to two horses. Dunno how realistic this is, but I examined some photos, and then came up with a structure that was pretty easy to make, and looks plausible.

[Regulator]

looks good. Hope we'll se the painted minature soon as soon.

[twrchtrwyth]

Those wooden bits are great. Did you make the metal bits on the wood bits yourself? Don't know what these bits of horse tack are called.

[archangel1]

Well done, Verderer! A man after my own heart! I think you're the first person I know to take the time to extend the horse traces on any wagon model to approximate the actual length of the real harness.  I intend to do the same, when I finally buckle down to build my coach(es) and wagons.  My first one has six horses, too! At the moment, I have two of the Dixon stages - the 'Noon Stage' set, for which I'm in the process of constructing some backdrop buildings (see my gallery here http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?action=gallery;su=user;cat=65;u=1266) and the one with four galloping horses.  I intend to get a couple more, including one where I'm going to give it a mule team.

I think the problem with the driver is common to many of the Dixon sculpts - the legs are too short.  I messed around with a photo of one of their Gunslingers by giving him longer legs.  They may actually still be a fraction short, but it definitely looks better, to me anyway.  (See thumbs below.)

I've collected some shots of stagecoaches, including closeups, from a couple of Westerns and stuck them in a gallery.  Here's the quick link.
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?action=gallery;su=user;cat=94;u=1266

@Dafydd - Those 'bits of horse tack' are called 'singletrees'!

[Verderer]

Thanks for the encouragement, people! I am pretty happy with how it looks now, so I can move on to painting. The only thing really irritates me is that there is no room for the 'Wells Fargo & Co' text on the upper sides, just below the roof. The space is simply too narrow. I was too lazy to raise the roof a bit to make room for it.

Annoyingly, I ordered a shotgun rider for the stagecoach, and it would be otherwise nice (the feet are long enough), but there's only really one way to fix it to the coach, and that way it would be aiming the shotgun to the side. Looks somehow funny, I think it would be more appropriate to shoot backwards. Oh, well.

twrchtrwyth (what's that, Welsh? ), I made the the metal bit from thin metal sheet you get by cutting an empty toothpaste tube. The toruble nowadays is, of course, that most tubes are plastic, but I found a mayo tube that's in metal. The other metal loops etc. are bits of brass rod.

Archangel1, I have a prairie wagon to do as well, so maybe I will apply the same conversions to it, although it has six mules, I recall. I also think I am going to replace the metal canvas and spines, they look wrong somehow.

[twrchtrwyth]

The only thing really irritates me is that there is no room for the 'Wells Fargo & Co' text on the upper sides, just below the roof.

twrchtrwyth (what's that, Welsh? ), I made the the metal bit from thin metal sheet you get by cutting an empty toothpaste tube. The toruble nowadays is, of course, that most tubes are plastic, but I found a mayo tube that's in metal. The other metal loops etc. are bits of brass rod.

Cheers for the rundown. I think puree tubes might be more common over here. Yes Welsh, as is the Wells from Wells Fargo & co I believe.

[archangel1]

Thanks for the encouragement, people! I am pretty happy with how it looks now, so I can move on to painting. The only thing really irritates me is that there is no room for the 'Wells Fargo & Co' text on the upper sides, just below the roof. The space is simply too narrow. I was too lazy to raise the roof a bit to make room for it.

You noticed that, too? I was thinking about doing a roof-lift as well, particularly as the sleeping gent for the stage won't fit inside the body, as it is now.
Watch it with the prairie/chuck wagon.  The wheelbrake mount is nowhere near the wheels! The brakes would have to travel ar least a foot before they even reached the wheel rims, let alone applied! I carefully sawed off the mount (Fun?  ) so I could move it back closer to where it belongs.
I got blueprints for a prairie schooner and a chuckwagon, just so I could do things up right.  The chuckwagon even has the colours listed for the original.  Going to order blueprints for the stagecoach soon.

[archangel1]

...Yes Welsh, as is the Wells from Wells Fargo & co I believe.

Oh, so it should be Welsh, Fargo & Co., then! 

[twrchtrwyth]

...Yes Welsh, as is the Wells from Wells Fargo & co I believe.

Oh, so it should be Welsh, Fargo & Co., then! 

Could be. Especially as America itself was possibly named after a Welshman. Richard Amerike apparently, married a Lucy Wells to!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/features/2002/04/29/amerike.shtml

http://gorddcymru.org/atlanta/realms/wales/americanamedforwelshman.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Amerike

[archangel1]

Well, now, that is interesting! Does make more sense than Amerigo becoming America.

[Verderer]

What are the odds of two men going separately on a discovery of America, and one is named Amerike and the other Amerigo? Sounds fantastic.

Good thing the Welsh bloke's first name was so easy on the tongue, United Stated of Twrchtrwyth would be too difficult!

[Admiral Benbow]

Hey, Verderer, I really know what you mean about that damn Dixon coach: have a look here ...

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=7443.45

... and read my comment ... 

[Verderer]

Oh yes, Admiral, I read your post with great interest. Should be able to post some pics tomorrow, painting well on its way.

[Verderer]

Ok, a few pics of the coach itself. It's almost done, just a few details to add. Funny thing with the glossy varnish, it makes the coach really red in the pictures, doesn't it? (Red 'unz go fasta?) In real life it's not quite that bad, and there is even some highlighting on the coach. But varnishing with gloss does tend to hide it, unless you really overdo it. I will weather it more properly later, so it will hopefully help to bring the sheen down some.







Oh yeah, one thing I am not so sure about is the metal colour surfaces of the wheels. I suppose they should be in bare metal colour? Would it perhaps be a good idea to tone it down a bit with black or something?

[twrchtrwyth]

Looks great.