It's a Wagon!

On July 24 each year, the state of Utah celebrates Pioneer Day. This holiday commemorates the arrival of the first settlers in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. In Utah, this holiday is a pretty big deal (hence fireworks are legal). For my own celebration of this occasion, I decided to try to build a covered wagon. (This because I didn't have my own; the only one ever produced by Lego was the Covered Weapons Wagon [6716], which is fairly rare nowadays and likewise very expensive.)
I didn't have a massive infrastructure for Western-type models, so I used parts from an array of Castle sets plus anything else I could find. It is drawn by a pair of cows (they look remarkably like oxen) from the Medieval Market Village [10193-1]. The front wheels are mounted on a pivot to allow steering, while the rear wheels are stationary. I think the hardest part was sewing the cover, which is made of actual fabric. The cover is supported by three flexible rods, which feed through sleeves in the fabric and into sockets in the wagon's bed.

The bed of the wagon contains supplies like cups, knives, various food
items, a lantern, a letter, and a book.

The design I used for attaching the flexible rods did not afford much extra
room, but it was sufficient for what I put inside.

Finally, I found a spot of empty dirt out in the garden to do some environment shots, which include other Lego scenery like shrubs, snakes, scorpions, a cow skull and a forgotten wagon wheel. These pictures were the most fun part of the whole model.

I really couldn't resist putting one in black and white. It makes it seem much more historically accurate.

This model, while fairly simple, presented its own challenges and gave me a chance to incorporate fabrics and natural scenery into a project. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Happy Building!