johnnybach
Major General
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2010
- Messages
- 13,663
The Ivory Phaeton was built for Queen Victoria in 1842 by Barker & Company at a cost of £300. It gets it's name from the Ivory ornamental fittings, which were usually made in brass. It is still used today by the current Queen Elizabeth II. It has a high "splasher" - said being made to hide the horses' rear from the view of the passenger, and no doors for ease of access. It has been used at the World famous Trooping of the Colour by QEII - and this ease of access is one reason for it's continuing popularity with the present and previous monarch.
I found the model - along with either Queen as passenger at RP World Models, in it's Steadfast range. It comes with either Queen ( the owner Bob Pratti, kindly let me have both Queens ), but I show it here, now almost completed - with Queen Victoria, as an elderly lady as a passenger. It comes as either a ready painted model - or castings kit - and I chose the latter, of course.
I built the model up from the kit of parts - and found that I needed to "beef up" the undercarriage a bit - using brass rods across the sub-frame. This was because during handling, I found that the mudguards were flexing alarmingly, and I thought that they may get broken. I also put my pair of horses on a single base - which also helps keep things stable. I also beefed up the draw bar - as this was rather flimsy when the horses were connected to it originally. My small modifications ( which are now mostly unseen) helped make the model more rigid - so helping me handle and paint it. There are still a few touches to do before I will be satisfied - but it's mostly completed now. I have made Victoria to be de-mountable - and will do the same modification for QEII later today - and show how it looks with new occupant later. Here are three views below. jb
I found the model - along with either Queen as passenger at RP World Models, in it's Steadfast range. It comes with either Queen ( the owner Bob Pratti, kindly let me have both Queens ), but I show it here, now almost completed - with Queen Victoria, as an elderly lady as a passenger. It comes as either a ready painted model - or castings kit - and I chose the latter, of course.
I built the model up from the kit of parts - and found that I needed to "beef up" the undercarriage a bit - using brass rods across the sub-frame. This was because during handling, I found that the mudguards were flexing alarmingly, and I thought that they may get broken. I also put my pair of horses on a single base - which also helps keep things stable. I also beefed up the draw bar - as this was rather flimsy when the horses were connected to it originally. My small modifications ( which are now mostly unseen) helped make the model more rigid - so helping me handle and paint it. There are still a few touches to do before I will be satisfied - but it's mostly completed now. I have made Victoria to be de-mountable - and will do the same modification for QEII later today - and show how it looks with new occupant later. Here are three views below. jb
