IMEX PRAIRIE-SCHOONER...

[Pieter]

A short introduction to the IMEX 1/72 PRAIRIE-schooner...

Straight out of the box this actually looks somewhat more like a toy than a real scalemodel..
Being a snap-together kit consistant of semi-soft plastic it will need superglue to hold everything in place and the detail on both the hood and the wagon is kept rather simple...
On the other hand construction of the undercarriage and detail on the wheels and spokes are amongst the best in 1/72 softplastic kits I have seen..!



I thought the two mule team looked rather sad and since wagons like these were normally pulled by at least four or even six animals I extended the tongue using a tonkin rod that I cut and than sanded to shape.
I scribed some wood grain into the sides of the wagon and the driver's seat making them a little more convincing and adjusted the rear using a piece of cardboard and some balsa strips.



Main exercise was resculpting the hood using yellow and grey milliput to give it some more detail and hide the seems between the hood and the wagon.
I added some accesoires like the barrels, chests, pickaxe and greasebucket.
Finally I painted the lot with Vallejo acrylics using simple washes and drybrushing techniques.



Still thinking about addding support-chains for the planking at the rear and the left side of the wagon.
I also plan to do some ropes on the barrels and chests as well as some reins in the future.
I have painted up the drivers that come with the set but since I am not decided in what kind of setting I will use this they will have to wait for now...



Scalewise this kit is relatively small compared to your average IMEX or ITALERI figures.
It goes reasonably well with the REVELL/ACCURATE ones and makes a wonderfull match with all of the ATLANTIC and AIRFIX(1/76) sets..!



All in all this kit is quiet rewarding if you choose to simply snap it together and it has got a lot of potential if you put your mind to it..!

Greetz, Pieter

[Kekso]

Very good, realistic paint job. I like that almost colorless painting style.

[vellek]

Your additions to the canopy are excellent.

[Wiking]

At PSR we can see this snap together kit.
I am impressed with the way you have improved this.
And how you paint the wood and the top of the schooner as the animales.

The only thing which prepares worry to me is:
There is NO driver.

[Zed1]

That's a great piece. I like it very much.

[Cryns]

The effect of your sepia colored picture works very good.
Like a glass print from 1880.
I love the conversions and details on wagon and hood.

I can not see the proper shape of the tongue.
Is it one long beam? How can both mule teams change direction that way?
No wagons had such long beam. Only for the first team.
Second and third team should have ropes, belts or chains only.
The mules are looking sad, you are right.
But also very poor with those short legs.
Mules have pretty long legs, not like donkey's.
That harms the credibility of this model.

I have painted up the drivers that come with the set but since I am not decided in what kind of setting I will use this they will have to wait for now...

Why do you post this one in the gallery if it is not finished yet?

[Pieter]

Thanxz for commenting everyone...!

For the tongue I stuck to the same concept this kind of sets normally use; one long beam with a number of sidepegs...

The animals are really the weak point in this kit and I Think the oxen team thats comes with it even looks worse than the mules/donkeys/ponies that come with comparable Imex sets...

I have the same problem with the rather little driver they provide so for this schooner I decided to leave him out and I 'll probably put a walking figure next to the team once I use it in a diorama...

Greetz Pieter...

[Peter]

Excellent and very realistic work Pieter!