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DateOriginal Topic
18th February 2005Well-illustrated books of 19th Century wagons
By Coll
I've never really liked modern vehicles, but the wagons of the 19th Century have always appealed to me, various makes and models, different uses in both military and civilian life.

However, I am having some difficulty obtaining well-illustrated titles about this particular subject, as I am searching for books which contain detailed drawings of wagons rather than old photographs which may not be very clear with regards to the finer points of this kind of transport.

Wagons of all types, Victorian, Old West, etc., are of great interest and their functions, military, civilian employment, leisure, etc., including those of other countries.

Encyclopedia-type of books containing highly-detailed illustrations and specifications, would be ideal.

Coll
DateReplies
18th February 2005Paul Cubbin
Coll - try Aamazon, a must for seekers of knowledge (especially if they want it cheap). 'Wagons for the Santa Fe Trade : Wheeld Vehicles and their Makers, 1822 - 1880.' by Mark Gardner, 'John Deere Buggies and Wagons.' by Ralph Hughes, 'Horse Drawn Commercial Vehicles.' by Don Berkebile, the 'Bristol Wagon and Carriage' illiustrated catalogue of 1900, 'Discovering Carts and Wagons.' by John Vince, 'Garret Wagons: Pioneers and Overtypes.' by R. Whitehead, - these are obviously just a couple of titles thrown up from memory that may serve. No, honest...
18th February 2005Derrick Axon
This might amuse you.
http://www.legallanguage.com/poems/onehossshay.htm
18th February 2005Coll
Paul

Thanks. I've found a few titles so far. It seems I should be trying for the makers' catalogues more than books, as the catalogues do indeed have detailed line drawings and specifications.

I really will have to try and use the internet more, I tend just to stick to the same sites.

Coll
18th February 2005Coll
Further to the above.

I checked other sites on present-day wagons makers and wondered if an attempt to had been made to replicate the wagons used during the AZW, like the Colonial Ox Wagon, General Service Wagon or even the Ambulance Wagon of the type used at Isandlwana ?.

Coll
18th February 2005AMB
A different tack:

When they stopped using wagons in SA, what happened to all the oxen?

AMB
18th February 2005Paul Cubbin
Desperate Dan.
19th February 2005Coll
I don't know. I go away for a short while and all of a sudden we get from AZW wagons - Desperate Dan. No wonder I'm drawn to this site, things change pretty damn quick.
19th February 2005Chris Tapster
The traditional Ossewa (Boer ox-wagon) has been made until recently at a site next to the Voortrekker Monument near Pretoria. If you contact the Monument they might be able to put you in touch with the maker who has a park of these and cape wagons -the flatbed transport wagons used also by the British. If you can get to the Monument, which I recommend, they have an original Kakebeenwa (literally "Jaw Bone wagon") used on the Great Trek.

As for the oxen, they were used as draught animals for many years into the 20th century. Today they provide high-quality meat and leather.
20th February 2005Michael Boyle
Coll,

Don't know if you've seen it but try:

http://www.firstshotphoto.com/catbuggy%20books.htm

Seems pretty much what you may be looking for.Also see Barthorp's "The Zulu War-A Pictorial History" for some rather good scale sketches of various types of wagons used in the AZW.

Best

Michael
20th February 2005Coll
Chris and Michael

Thanks for your replies.

Coll
20th February 2005Keith Smith
Coll

Perhaps the most helpful work is the re-print of 'Treatise on Military Carriages ... 1876" now in publication by D P & G Military Publishers. They have received some mention on this site before and at £25 + p & p, sounds like a good buy.
21st February 2005Coll
Keith

Thankyou very much.

The titles that I have discovered so far are mostly civilian, apart from the diagrams of wagons in my AZW books, so this new military carriages publication is a great addition.

Coll
21st February 2005Coll
The diagrams in the AZW books of wagons used by the military, rather than military wagons, as I know they were mostly civilian types.