Paint your wagon - French army logistic solutions

 I have been wanting to get some French wagons scratch built for a couple of years, but the project has kept getting shelved.  At the end of 2024 I bought a set of Bacchus Ox wagons (EQ 11 in the catalogue), but the wagons seem to be those from Baccus Waggons (EQ 1).  

This gave me a slightly longer wagon than I wanted, with no tilt, but the detail on the limber is really nice and I now have a herd of oxen (24) for other projects.  I'm building armies for the Peninsular war, a bit of research indicates that the Spanish use Ox Carts and the British mainly used mules.  So the Oxen will be pulling carts - more of this here.

I also currently have surplus French gun and ammunition wagon horse teams, so that's the motive power for the wagons sorted.  I decided to make 4 wagons in total, using 2 x horse teams for 3 smaller wagons and a 4 x horse team for the larger wagon.

Of the 4 wagons, 3 got the front box/locker sawn off ready for a new front to be added.  For the tilts I decided to use 2 x 1.5 mm plastic strips glued side by side, topped with 2 x strips of quarter round plastic strip also at 1.5mm wide.  The strip was, of course, bought for something else.  Here's the start of the project - the two wagons at lower left have been shortened.  

Here's the three shortened wagons and the original wagon with the plastic tilt formers added.  They needed filing at the ends to get the tilts levelled up and the tops and sides needed any slight ridges from the joints between the plastic strips removing by a bit more sanding. 

Here's what they look like when the paper tilt cover is added:

The next step is to add fine paper strips on top of the tilt for the hoops - the hoops are under the tilt but creating a ridge.  I also added paper strips to represent the canvas doors at either end of the wagon.

Here's a quick recap of the changes so far:

The fun bit is adding the loads at the rear.  I added stowage on the three 2 horse wagons.  The stowage is various bits of square plastic rod cut to ammo box or travel trunk size, with some round bits as well.  One of the wagons had half a cover from the carts set added as a tarpaulin.

Here's the dry run for one of the wagons.  I really like the detail on the front axle casting.  Note the little side box on the left hand side - not sure what this box is for, but adding it gives that French wagon outline.

Front shot showing the front tilt flaps and bench seat.

Right hand side - random stowage at the back.

Here's what they look like painted up - I've painted one wagon to start with.

The rear of the wagon with the tarpaulin cover.

The source materials I have seen show wagons with drivers on the horses and wagons with the driver on the wagon front seat - so having the driver on the horse seemed an easy solution.  As the drivers are logistics, not artillery, the uniforms are light blue with dark brown lapels, collar and cuffs. 

I decided to push on with one wagon and here it is:

It's a tad dusty from the road.  Finished in time for Bash Day North in Sheffield in late June, one of my OWS friends asked "you wouldn't happen to have a wagon? for the game he was hosting - happy to oblige!

In the last couple of weeks I got the next bases prepped - I build up the road with bits of card - ready for the groundwork and varnish coats.  I varnish the wagons separately and attach them once I have made the groundwork.

Here's the first three wagons finished.  Coming to a table near you soon!  One horse team rider has a tall plume, as convoy leader, apart from that they are the same uniform.  I slightly changed canvas the tilts on the wagons to reflect dirt and sun fading from use. 

So, a neat little project that will sort out your wagon needs for the French army.  The next instalment will look at the 4 horse heavy supply wagon.

As ever, I hope this encourages you to have a go at making these!

Ox Carts for the Peninsular

 I have been building French wagons for the BBB Napoleonic Scenario books and, as I had a wagon spare, I thought I would make a British wagon (for the peninsular).  According to the internet the lack of horses in Spain and poor roads meant that Wellington's armies used pack mules for logistics, so the utility of a British wagon model was negligible.

The same research indicated that the British (and Spanish and Portuguese) used ox carts.  As I had bought a pack of Tumbrils (EQU02 in the Baccus catalogue) I decided to make some Ox carts.  The Tumbrils are modelled by Baccus as 1 x horse wagons.  My previous purchase of Ox wagons, in order to use the wagons, meant I had already got a herd of Oxen.

I made three adjustments to the wagons:

1 - Balance - my first wagon (Mk1) was very finely balanced, so at the last minute I drilled holes into the wagon and inserted fine staples inside the wheels to provide a bit of extra fixing.  The Mk2 wagons got this mod from the start.

2 - Change the shafts - the tumbril comes with two shafts as it's a 1 x horse wagon.  These were removed and a single pole inserted at the front.

3 - Harness the oxen - the oxen got neck collars to make them look like they were harnessed to the cart.

I also lengthened the base to 1 and 1/4 inch, as I felt the Mk1 only just fit on the base and I was concerned that the wagon was too near the edge.

Here's the base models:

Here's the based oxen and painted carts with loads:

Two carts have covered loads, one has round plastic strip cut in 4 mm lengths to represent barrels of olives, or perhaps Spanish red!

Here's the finished carts:

I have not based drivers with the carts - my plan is to make single figures of the 4 main armies to show which nationality currently owns the carts.

A fairly simple bash to give some attractive logistic units.  I hope that this encourages you to have a go!