# Buffalo Bill's Stagecoach.



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)

Here is a model I build recently in 1:10 scale.Hope you guys like it.


----------



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)




----------



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)

There is a lot of Old West history that goes along with this stage.


----------



## ddrum31 (Aug 30, 2017)

Looks great! I love anything old west. Nice piece!

Jason


----------



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)




----------



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)

Buffalo bill discovered this stage in a river out west.It had survived the run out of Deadwood, the Indian wars and many other adventures.It was rescued from the river and served in the Buffalo Bill's shows throughout America and in Europe for many years in his Wild West Show.He eventually returned it home to where it was made, thus the sign.The Smithsonian in their wisdom re-built it and turned into just another re-built stage.The only thing that they left original was the undercarriage.What a shame!


----------



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)




----------



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)

This is the other side of the stage with a better view of the interior.Can you imagine riding in this coach with only those leather straps to soften the ride?


----------



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)




----------



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)

The luggage(or maybe gold) was stowed on the roof or on the platform in the back.When things got really crowded the extra passengers rode on top too!Just imagine if you had a bad back !


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Nice model John, when I first glanced at it, I thought it was a 1:1 antique!

Greg


----------



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)

Thanks, Greg ! I only wish that it was 1:1.Wouldnt' it look wonderful in a museum.What you see here was mostly scrapped only part of the undercarriage is original.


----------



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)

Sorry to hear that you are leaving Greg. I will try to catch up with you on other forums.Cheers! John.


----------



## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks great John!! 

Perhaps you can do me a huge favor. For years (literally), I've been looking for an illustration or photo that shows, in detail, the operation of the brake lever, and how pressing on it with a foot actually engages the shoes... i.e. how it operates mechanically. I suspect that when the brake lever is depressed, it rotates the rod connected at the bottom of it. I further suspect that there's a downward-facing "U" - either molded in or attached to the rod - that pushes on a central beam mortised into the center of the brake beam holding the shoes, sending it rearward and pressing the attached shoes against the rear wheels. 

I looked through your photos, and especially the plans, but the section that would have given clarity was absent. 

If you could post something like that section of the plans which clarifies what the brake lever and attached rod (with the "U"?) looks like, and anything else that would clarify the lever/shoe connection, I would be most grateful.

For whatever reason, this has bugged me for years!! Heck, I've even thought of purchasing the Micro-Mark kit, not because I necessarily want to build it, but just to answer for myself this years-old nagging question. LOL.


----------



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)

Hi Dwight ! I'll take look and get back to you this PM.I just have to a look for the plans.Cheers! John.


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Greg - 20


----------



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)

Greg beat me to it I guess.Thanks Greg.


----------



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)




----------



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)

Kings and heads of state road around in this coach even taking part in the show.Not the type of luxury they were used to.


----------



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)




----------



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)

I had only three pics to work with this being one of them.Even the Buffalo Bill museum didn't know about this pic.I have heard that the older folks in the carriage may have been the folks that built it.


----------



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)




----------



## JohnReid (Aug 31, 2010)

Here is a pic of the other side of the stage.


----------



## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg Elmassian said:


> Greg - 20


I have found, and seen, the first illustration. Makes the whole thing clear as mud. I see the brake push bar, but it's not clear (to me at least) how the brake lever "pushes" it.

The second illustration is for some kind of wagon brake and is a whole different animal, and as such, non-applicable to stagecoach brakes.


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yeah, not the clearest, and precious few drawings on the Internet.










So the main brake lever (the part you grab) pivots on that shaft you see. (Actually, it looks like this might be a continuous piece of metal, notice the curved corner where the brake lever curves into the shaft?)

Looking carefully at that shaft, you can see an arm coming off the shaft pointing somewhat forwards and down... there are 3 frame rails that run the length of the chassis, longways. This arm on the shaft is between the middle frame rail and the far one.

This arm then connects to the part labelled "brake push bar" which pushes on the part labelled "brake beam".... the "brake beam" has the shoes that rub on the wheel rims and stop the wagon.

I've seen other mechanisms, but this is how this one works.

Regards, Greg - *10 
*


----------



## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Yeah, that's pretty much what I figured out a while back. As I said, I've seen this image before... too bad it isn't clearer (I even saved it and zoomed in - didn't help much). Somewhere out there there's a web site for a company that restores wagons and stagecoaches, and they make and sell replacement parts. There's an image or two of replacement brake levers.

Ultimately I was looking for clearer, more definite information, but I guess this will have to do. Back where I started when I made my first post on this a few days back. LOL. Thank you for your efforts buddy. I appreciate them.


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yeah, at least I'm helping somewhat as I fade into the sunset ha ha! (Western theme!)

Greg - *9*


----------



## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

Dwight did you see there are 2 brake push bars? Driver must of had one hack of a rt. leg always see drivers rt. foot on on the bar.
Dick


----------



## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

Dwight there is also this place that might help you out. http://westernstagecoaches.com/ Look at there photos there is one that gives a good shot of that cross bar with the brackets going down to the brake push bars. Ther are 2 photos that tell it all.

Dick


----------



## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Great find Dick!! Thanks so much!!

http://westernstagecoaches.com/?page_id=88

See photos 11 & 12


----------



## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Apologies to John Reid - I didn't mean to hijack your thread.


----------

