Limbering up. Doing SYW limbers on the cheap + model conversion notes.

Limbers and wagons are very much a non-essential nice to have. If anything, I have found wagons more useful over the years as they allow a wide variety of scenarios to be played; I have happily done without limbers for most of my gaming life, coming up with various ways of showing guns 'in train' without models of limbers and teams.

One thing that has put me off buying limbers is the price of the models, which has only increased with the size of my collections. However, when I started my Napoleonic collection I made a conscious decision to include them, if not one per battery at least enough to get by, and I discovered just how 'nice' it is to have them.

Consequently, I decided to retrospectively buy limbers for my SYW collection (Prussians, Russians and Austrians). I have six two gun batteries of artillery for each army so, initially, I thought this would cost me more than I really wanted to spend: In metal, with a four horse team, I priced each limber at £14.80. For one limber per gun (total 36) this would cost £543.60 - passion killer.

I thought about how to cut costs. I looked to War Bases (MDF) for a solution. They make various carts, perhaps they make limbers. They do, they make a Napoleonic French limber. They are not ideal but, they had potential for conversion and at only £1.50 each they had to be worth a punt. At this point I also decided to cut cut down the teams to just two horses each. Limber and teams would now only cost £5.90 each.

Warbases Gribeauval limber. A neat little MDF model.

I took out the bits then cut bits off (as shown) before assembling it as a simple 18 C limber.
Note: I cut the MDF tow spike off (piece on far left ) so that it could be replaced with a more durable wire one 

Assembled before being drilled for the wire towing spike.

To cut costs further, I decided on one limber per two gun battery and to paint the limbers natural, neutral wood so that they could be used for any army. Furthermore, it was hard to imagine a scenario where I would have six batteries on the move at the same time, so three or four limbers per army would be enough. I bought six limbers from War Bases and twelve draught horses from Front Rank. Total cost: £35.40.

However, I had made a serious mistake. As soon as I had painted them, and added a gun, I realised just how ridiculous they looked. I should have painted the limbers in national colours. I would need to buy more. I decided on four limbers per army, potentially doubling the cost to £70.80. With my ardour receding I decided to do the limber bases in two parts - one with the limber and one with the team. This would mean I only needed four more horses, rather than twelve, reducing the total price to £50.20.

Limber and team based as two pieces.
The limbers painted in national colours - Austrian yellow; Prussian blue; Russian red.

This weekend, with all the bits in place, and having a couple of afternoons to spare, I repainted the limbers, painted the horses, and based them up. I also painted up another Warbases wagon and team that I've had hanging around for a while (its load is teddy bear fur painted up as hay): Note that I have changed it two a single shafted model to allow a two horse team to be harnessed side by side rather than in tandem.

I will only need horses for two armies, so I split limbers and teams, thus reducing the cost of horses by one third.
Another benefit of basing the teams separately is the possibility of having four horse teams when not many limbers
 are in play at the same time.

I now have SYW limbers. Huzzah!