Carriages and coaches

Rob Gronovius

Life-Like Hobby Kits did a series of reboxing of old Revell (I think) kits. One of them was the State Coach of England and came complete with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. It was around 1/48 scale, maybe 1/40 scale. I listed it on eBay a couple years ago, but I do not believe it sold. I think it went back into the basement stash.

Here is a photo of one I found on eBay, not mine, but mine was just like it.

Edit: yes, I looked it up in my Remembering Revell book, released first in 1953 and several times in the 1950s (with and without horses) and is listed as 1/48 scale. It was originally a Revell kit.

 

Just picked one up at the MMSI show .........still haven't had time to thoroughly check dimensions but appears to be 1/48 scale

Yo,DON. I thought of you the other day when I was at a yard sale .There was a clock , yep, a clock .It was a very fine brass and wood carriage and the clock sat inside the open bodywork. I never got a real chance to examine it as someone snatched it up as I was approachin it . OH WELL ! Just thought I would pass this along as the coach appeared to be 1/12 to 1/16.            tankerbuilder

tankerbuilder

HEY , DON , I just had to give you a comeback on this . I too placed in the attention getting category with the FISHER BODY CRAFTSMANS GUILD .  Gee , how time flies when you are living life , don,t it ?. I still have my old guide book on the models size and the curb clearances as well as the drawing with an outline of passengers . Now , I got to thinking as to your idea of a " ROYAL " coach . You could get the wheels from a "BARBIE" NEW YORK set that has the carriage . Theres the wheels and a good basis for your coach . Use doll house trim items and old costume jewelry for the decorations ! I did a fancy "ROYAL"  yacht? (the date was 1736) And that,s what I used for the fancywork . The client loved it ! I will try to help any way I can so here,s another idea ,Get a piece of craft plywood and using a scroll saw cut out the two frame sides . make sure they drop well in the center Use the same material for the cross braces and these need to be directly behind and in front of the coach body , far enough on the front to allow the front wheels to swivel. The swivel would be similar to a fifth-wheel , except you cannot disengage it without lifting the coach completely off of it . Darn , a sleigh is so much simpler .            tankerbuilder

Thanks- I'll look for that set.  I think the coach sides would be better in sheet basswood since there is contouring and I don't like contouring plywood.  I am also going to keep checking eBay for one of the Fisher carriage kits.

HEY , DON , I just had to give you a comeback on this . I too placed in the attention getting category with the FISHER BODY CRAFTSMANS GUILD .  Gee , how time flies when you are living life , don,t it ?. I still have my old guide book on the models size and the curb clearances as well as the drawing with an outline of passengers . Now , I got to thinking as to your idea of a " ROYAL " coach . You could get the wheels from a "BARBIE" NEW YORK set that has the carriage . Theres the wheels and a good basis for your coach . Use doll house trim items and old costume jewelry for the decorations ! I did a fancy "ROYAL"  yacht? (the date was 1736) And that,s what I used for the fancywork . The client loved it ! I will try to help any way I can so here,s another idea ,Get a piece of craft plywood and using a scroll saw cut out the two frame sides . make sure they drop well in the center Use the same material for the cross braces and these need to be directly behind and in front of the coach body , far enough on the front to allow the front wheels to swivel. The swivel would be similar to a fifth-wheel , except you cannot disengage it without lifting the coach completely off of it . Darn , a sleigh is so much simpler .            tankerbuilder

I got Honorable Mentions three times — never made it into the big money.

The old carriage kits appear to be available if one looks:

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/gm-fisher-body-craftsmans-guild-132227272

I suspect that the PLANS from these old kits are even more available.

TomZ2

Back shortly after the Earth cooled (1930), the Fisher Body Craftman’s Guild (their logo was an old style carriage) ran a yearly contest.

Originally the goal was to build the best 1:12 scale carriage. Later they phased in designing 1:12 model cars. Still later, the carriage models were phased out, 1948 I think. The car model contest was terminated in 1968. Old carriage models show up on eBay from time to time.

Yeah, I entered the Fisher body contest in 1957 (car, of course).  Got an honorable mention.  Always considered the coaches absolutely awesome! Wouldn't have entered a coach then- my modeling skills were not up to it, but with several decades more modeling, I am ready to try a scratchbuilt coach if I could get the scale drawings.

Back shortly after the Earth cooled (1930), the Fisher Body Craftman’s Guild (their logo was an old style carriage) ran a yearly contest.

Originally the goal was to build the best 1:12 scale carriage. Later they phased in designing 1:12 model cars. Still later, the carriage models were phased out, 1948 I think. The car model contest was terminated in 1968. Old carriage models show up on eBay from time to time.

DON-- HI ! Listen. you could make a COACH of STATE using the concord coach (WELLS FARGO ?) You could refine the wheels , shorten the wheelbase , (or lengthen it) drop the coach lower in it suspension . Which on a concord (WELLS FARGO and OTHERS ) was a layered longitudal set of leather straps that the coach body was suspended on . Now you could rig the coach with the coiled springs similar to what was on the sleigh I drove in the 4H CHRISTMAS parade when I was twelve. I rebuilt (with grandfathers help) a sleigh rated for nice events and pulled by four very decorated  dappled grey PERCHERON horses I raised from mere babes .AH, those were the days ! The brougham type is sprung on steel similar to a model"T" and that,s no joke ! There are other rigs out there and I would suggest trying to find the info from a museum possibly in AMISH country . INDIANA. Hope this helps.                   tankerbuilder     P.S. The brougham rides on swing couplers suspended from the head of the springs similar to a shackle on the back springs of a 57 FORD

Rob Gronovius

Life-Like Hobby Kits did a series of reboxing of old Revell (I think) kits. One of them was the State Coach of England and came complete with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. It was around 1/48 scale, maybe 1/40 scale. I listed it on eBay a couple years ago, but I do not believe it sold. I think it went back into the basement stash.

Here is a photo of one I found on eBay, not mine, but mine was just like it.

Edit: yes, I looked it up in my Remembering Revell book, released first in 1953 and several times in the 1950s (with and without horses) and is listed as 1/48 scale. It was originally a Revell kit.

I have the Lindberg stage coach for those that suggested it. It is pretty utilitarian, however.  The above kit, so ornate, is the kind of thing I was looking for.  Lifelike, huh?  I'll have to look for something like that.  That Landau that the couple rode in back to the palace was beautiful.  Maybe there will be enough photos of that in the weeks ahead I can do some scale drawings (still need at least one measurement) and do a scratch project.

I suppose the wheel tread is standard, but still would need one dimension in the side/profile view.

Life-Like Hobby Kits did a series of reboxing of old Revell (I think) kits. One of them was the State Coach of England and came complete with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. It was around 1/48 scale, maybe 1/40 scale. I listed it on eBay a couple years ago, but I do not believe it sold. I think it went back into the basement stash.

Here is a photo of one I found on eBay, not mine, but mine was just like it.

Edit: yes, I looked it up in my Remembering Revell book, released first in 1953 and several times in the 1950s (with and without horses) and is listed as 1/48 scale. It was originally a Revell kit.

Manstein's revenge

Yeah, I had the same feeling after watching the wedding, except I was thinking of doing a vignette based on the wedding night...

Would it involve a motorized rocking action?

Here's one http://www.squadron.com/ItemDetails.asp?item=LI70351

Yeah, I had the same feeling after watching the wedding, except I was thinking of doing a vignette based on the wedding night...

I know there's one or two avaliable(stagecoach). I did one a long time ago. It was tiny!  Found it in the railroad section(HO).