Pendraken Miniatures Forum

Wider Wargaming => Painting & Modelling => Scenics => Topic started by: Westmarcher on 08 June 2017, 05:58:37 PM

Title: Wagons Ho! (painting American wagons, etc.)
Post by: Westmarcher on 08 June 2017, 05:58:37 PM
I came across these two websites which some of you may find useful if looking for colour schemes for horse drawn transport.

Why am I posting this? Well, some time back I acquired two 15mm Plains War wagons and teams to paint them up as supply wagons for my ACW armies.*  Knowing that U.S. artillery pieces were painted a shade of olive-green (I use Olive Drab), my thinking was that this must be a common colour for the U.S. military, therefore supply wagons must be the same. Unfortunately, after painting my wagons accordingly, I have now discovered Union supply wagons were painted 'powder blue' (btw, what 'powder' do they mean - talcum or gun? - because one is very white and the other, very black) with red(dish) wheels. D'oh!  #-o

The links:-

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/wagon-colors.127964/ (https://civilwartalk.com/threads/wagon-colors.127964/)

http://www.hansenwheel.com/store/wagons-carriages/cannons-military-wagons.html (http://www.hansenwheel.com/store/wagons-carriages/cannons-military-wagons.html)

The Confederate wagon will stay as it is but the Union one is now back on the painting table!  ~X(

*at this juncture, I would like to say I really like Pendraken's 10mm ACW range but, alas, their new ACW range hadn't been released when I first started my ACW collection. The Pendraken code is ACW62, by the way.  :)
Title: Re: Wagons Ho! (painting American wagons, etc.)
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 08 June 2017, 06:11:47 PM
Powder blue,
It's this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powder_blue
Not this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powder_Blue_(film)
Title: Re: Wagons Ho! (painting American wagons, etc.)
Post by: Ithoriel on 08 June 2017, 07:10:25 PM
Quote from: mad lemmey on 08 June 2017, 06:11:47 PM
Powder blue,
It's this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powder_blue
Not this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powder_Blue_(film)

"Powder Blue (2009)
Four Los Angelenos -- a mortician, an ex-con, a suicidal ex-priest, and a stripper -- are brought together on Christmas Eve by a mixture of circumstances."

Not sure I'd have confused the two :)
Title: Re: Wagons Ho! (painting American wagons, etc.)
Post by: Westmarcher on 08 June 2017, 08:19:42 PM
Thanks, Lemmey. Wouldn't it be great if this image could be "colorised?"
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/four-mule-army-team-and-wagon.88886/ (https://civilwartalk.com/threads/four-mule-army-team-and-wagon.88886/)

However, some further research has revealed the following.

Four Mule Escort Wagon: Introduced 1878, originally was painted similar to the Conestoga Wagon of the Revolutionary War. The exterior of the box was painted 'leaden blue' and the interior 'Venetian red.'  The gearing was "Venetian red mixed with vermillion.'  All irons and chains were painted black, and the "U.S." on the body was red. [source: U.S. Army Transportation Museum website]

Conestoga Wagon image:
https://www.hansenwheel.com/custom-showcase/custom-vehicle-showcase/conestoga (https://www.hansenwheel.com/custom-showcase/custom-vehicle-showcase/conestoga)

M1878 Army Escort Wagon image:
https://www.hansenwheel.com/m1878-army-escort-wagon (https://www.hansenwheel.com/m1878-army-escort-wagon)
This is the colour scheme I think I'll try but perhaps more muted as per the Prairie Wagon image in the Hansen website.

Quote from: Ithoriel on 08 June 2017, 07:10:25 PM
"Powder Blue (2009)
Four Los Angelenos -- a mortician, an ex-con, a suicidal ex-priest, and a stripper -- are brought together on Christmas Eve by a mixture of circumstances."

Not sure I'd have confused the two :)

:D Looks like a good cast but ratings are not great.  :-\ 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1032819/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1032819/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)
Title: Re: Wagons Ho! (painting American wagons, etc.)
Post by: Westmarcher on 08 June 2017, 11:03:57 PM
Would you believe it! If only I had just asked Andy (Womble67) at the outset, I could have saved myself all of this trouble!

(see Andy's post of 13 October 2015 in his blog, 10mm Wargaming)

http://www.10mm-wargaming.com/2015/01/10mm-american-civil-war-project.html (http://www.10mm-wargaming.com/2015/01/10mm-american-civil-war-project.html)

???
Title: Re: Wagons Ho! (painting American wagons, etc.)
Post by: Womble67 on 08 June 2017, 11:12:21 PM
Quote from: Westmarcher on 08 June 2017, 11:03:57 PM
Would you believe it! If only I had just asked Andy (Womble67) at the outset, I could have saved myself all of this trouble!

(see Andy's post of 13 October 2015 in his blog, 10mm Wargaming)

http://www.10mm-wargaming.com/2015/01/10mm-american-civil-war-project.html (http://www.10mm-wargaming.com/2015/01/10mm-american-civil-war-project.html)

???

Thanks for the nice comments its much appreciated

Take care

Andy
Title: Re: Wagons Ho! (painting American wagons, etc.)
Post by: Leman on 09 June 2017, 08:31:32 AM
Still having some 15mm ACW wagons to paint up (and at least two scenarios featuring wagons), I am very appreciative of this information.
Title: Re: Wagons Ho! (painting American wagons, etc.)
Post by: Ace of Spades on 01 July 2019, 11:19:52 AM
To be honest... I've made the same mistake I realised a while ago. Luckily it was on the one for Pendraken; not my private collection! :d

Cheers,
Rob