Ambulance conversion

I forgot to post this back in 2019.  I turned this Processed Plastics goods wagon into a downsized 54mm Civil War ambulance.

The comparison of the orginal horse (yellow) with a painted Marx 54mm horse.

The wagon was 70mm scale, so right away it went to the bandsaw to lose an inch and a half from the back.

The height of the top was reduced by scoring the plastic and snapping it off with an antique bending-break pliers  - which I finally got to use.

Clem, the Marx driver was dragooned into service with the U.S. Sanitary Commission.

These are Union ambulance drivers at City Point Virginia in 1864.

The ambulance top was temporarlly screwed to the wagon-box to keep it in place.

The back and tailgate were set aside for later installation.

All traces of the molded rear axle were removed by the belt-sander.

Little axle supports were fashioned from pine scraps and hotglued to the bottom of the wagon-box.

Four wheels from the spareparts box replaced the original oversize wheels.

The top was hotglued to the wagon-box and the screws were removed and filled.  Priming and painting were next.

A side-by-side with the Marx Blue and Gray ambulance on the right.  My new ambulance is now two stretchers in width.  On your next trip to Maryland, you can find the real thing here: https://www.civilwarmed.org/nmcwm/plan/

Shown with removed parts and a replacement 54mm team of horses.

On the way to the battle brewing at Greenbrier Maryland...

and the inevitable sad return.

Happy holidays from just down the road from the Greenbrier battlefield.

Soldier on!

Mannie