Andy Keane

Just for completeness here is my attempt to use the Dart castings model.

The management and I have been doing further research on traces for horses and carts. It seems some rigs with a single horse have very short traces that DO pull via the shafts:

https://shop.wadworth.co.uk/page/what-is-a-dray
Not that the rigs she drives are like that. On this photo there is an large staple in the top of the shaft that the chains fix to. This looks to be what the Dart casting shafts are modelled on and this will be simpler to represent so I shall attempt that solution!

1 hour ago, Mikkel said:

Hi Andy, your wife is fortunate, it must be very satisfying to have the skills to drive them. 

 

On my first model of a horse-drawn vehicle I did add the chains (rather heavy ones, see below), but it soon became clear that it just isn't practical for me to have them - or even reins - as I have to disassemble my layouts after use (often several times a week). 

 

I look forward to seeing your horsedrawn wagon, we can never get enough of them!

 

 

 

There's more about that build here:

 

 

 

Those chains look very good (my local expert much approves!) - how did you fix the mounting loop to the horse? Is it on a pin, or soldered perhaps?

I plan to fix my horse and cart down permanently so will see if I can manage the chains but agree the reigns are impossible in 4mm.

Currently painting the castings up - I have decided to go for a farmer's cart rather than a GWR variant and to load it with old fashioned conical milk churns.

I am also waiting on parts for my stable block so will post about that in due course.

What a useful short thread this is. I am just assembling the Dart casting so it’s really helpful.

My wife drives such things and notes that the carts are not pulled by the two shafts but rather by traces attached to the chest strap on the horse. These are modelled on the castings of the horse but rarely do we see the two chains continue behind the horse to the cart itself.

I am modelling Helston and the image below is my photo of an old black and white photo held by Helston Museum.

In the background are two Nissan huts and the stable block. This appears to be a type "B" block with a roof vent. It also seems to have doors at both ends (though much later on I have a photo showing that the far door was turned into a window). Its very blurry but it does seem that we have a horse's head poking out of one window which suggests it must have been possible to fully open it. This is not in accord with the notes recorded at the start of this article.

Any thoughts much appreciated

Andy

If you are interested there is a 1944 aerial photo of the station taken as part of the RAF survey. It is not very high res but is useful alongside the 1908 OS map.

Andy