Hansen Wheel & Wagon Shop

From Kansas to Kentucky

2010-10-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

On September 16th Doug and Holly Hansen loaded up their trailer with a Prairie Schooner, a Freight Wagon, a Mud Wagon, and a Chuck Wagon. They headed south and their first stop was the Santa Fe Trail Rendezvous in Ft. Larned, Kansas. This event was very informative with speakers from all over the country providing knowledge on the theme “Communication on the Santa Fe Trail”. On September 18th we showcased our lynch pin 1840's Prairie Schooner and Doug's personal Mud Wagon at the Fort. Doug even had the change to hitch his Mud Wagon to a team of Ken Wasserman's mules and deliver mail with Dr. Leo Oliva portraying Private Robert Morris Peck. Doug gave a talk on the construction and history of the Schooner, Mud Wagon and early Escort Wagon. Greg and Joann Van Covern gave a lecture about their spring wagon and John Deere farm wagon. The event participants ended the day with a delicious dinner served in the quartermasters store house. http://www.santafetrail.org/symposium.php

Ft. Larned - Doug and another speaker, Greg Van Covern

Ft. Larned - Doug Explaining the Construction of a Mud Wagon

Ft. Larned -Taking the Mud Wagon for a Test Drive

Ft. Larned -Doug Joined the Ride and Helped Deliver the Mail

Next the Hansen's headed East to the Museum of Westward Expansion in St. Louis, MO. They had the opportunity to study and research an original Schooner equipped with a steel skein and lynch pin. This wagon is a great example of the early American West's vehicles (circa 1850's). There was also a great reproduction Concord stagecoach and an early ox cart. http://www.nps.gov/jeff/planyourvisit/museum-of-westward-expansion.htm

Museum of Westward Expansion - Original Prairie Schooner with Steel Skein and Lynch Pin

Museum of Westward Expansion - Replica Concord Stagecoach

Early Ox Cart

The final leg of their journey was the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky. Hansen Wheel and Wagon Shop was was chosen to provide historic horse drawn vehicles to represent early western American history. The vehicles we provided were a Freight Wagon, a Mud Wagon, a Chuck Wagon and a Prairie Schooner. The vehicles are going to be incorporated into the obstacle course for the the 4 in hand driving competition. After the setup we toured the grounds and were astonished by the substantial size of the complex. http://www.alltechfeigames.com/

World Equestrian Games - World Equestrian Games Grandstands

World Equestrian Games - Doug and Holly Moving the Chuck Wagon into Position

World Equestrian Games - Doug Placing the Bows on the Freight Wagon

World Equestrian Games - Setting up Doug's Mud Wagon

World Equestrian Games - Restored 1840's Lynch Pin Prairie Schooner

August News

2010-08-03T07:15:00.000-07:00

We have just completed restoring this original Newton chuck wagon for Grether Land and Cattle of Pagosa Springs, Colorado. This wagon is equipped with everything but the cookie! It is set up like a traditional cowboy camp and is ready for some Dutch oven cooking. We are proud to have our wagon showcased on the beautiful setting of Grether Ranch. Hansen Wheel & Wagon Shop would like to thank Grether Land and Cattle for choosing Hansen Wheel to build their chuck wagon.

This beautiful Concord buggy belongs to Bear Ranch of Colorado. This buggy is a perfect fit for the mountainous terrain of Colorado with its three-reach side suspension. The body of this buggy is more elegant than the typical piano box buggy. This is the fourth project we have completed for Bear Ranch. We would like to thank them for being great repeat customers.

This is a new Concord stagecoach being assembled for Tom Ungurean. It is a replica of an original coach in the Los Angeles Wells Fargo Museum. This 9-passenger coach would have been similar to those that carried mail across the continent prior to the expansion of railroads into the West. Jerome and Joel are currently ironing the running gear while Ivan is assembling the side rails of the body.

Trichter's stagecoach is nearly finished and is now undergoing the upholstery process. Both boots are constructed out of a reddish brown leather and accented with brass. The inside of the coach is currently being installed by Seth and Andrew. In a few days this coach will be on its running gear and ready to hitch.

The shop is currently strewn with parts from an original Studebaker Sprinkler Wagon. With a restoration this precise, it becomes necessary to rebuild the wagon in different segments. During the first segment the 5th wheel platform assembly was reconstructed (shown in top photo). This was a huge task because of the many components, angles, and depths. The wheels are also currently being assembled. The next step is going to be restoring the wooden tank (shown directly above).

We were happy to be able to finish this Concord coach in time for Cheyenne's 2010 Frontier Days! If you were fortunate enough to take in Frontier Days, then you would have seen this coach driven in the parades and at the grand opening of the rodeo events. This vehicle is the flagship for promoting the annual rodeo which has taken place every year since 1897! Thank you for choosing Hansen Wheel to construct you a beautiful coach to showcase your events.

This is the body for the original M.P. Henderson surrey being restored for Melanie Brooker. The body is now finished, waiting for an extention top and leather upholstery to be applied.

Mid Summer Update

2010-07-16T08:29:00.000-07:00

Wagonhound's Mud Wagon is complete. Not only did Doug take this coach for a test drive on site, he also joined Jim Patrick & Steve Swanson on their trip to Wagonhound Ranch to cook for a cattle drive. Jim Patrick brought his Peter Schuttler Wagon to serve a Dutch oven cooked meal.

This is a gorgeous hitch wagon restored for Kirk Messenger. This hitch wagon was previously owned, so we customized the lettering and logo for the Messenger Hitch and gave the overall finish some attention. This wagon provides a rustic look with an all natural wood finish and chrome accents.

Georgeson's Concord buggy is finished, looking rich with its black leather upholstery and dash.

Another project was recently finished and delivered for Ft. Laramie. This is a cannon limber which was used to carry shot and gunpowder for cannons. The two wheeled carts were hitched to a horse team and the cannon was attached to the limber.

Here is a rare sprinkler wagon that was recently added to Hansen Wheel and Wagon's collection. Our collection consists of over 50 unique vehicles. This sprinkler wagon has a wooden tank as opposed to the metal one featured in our December 2009 blog post. This vehicle is not currently for sale. Once it is revived it will be for sale in our instock vehicles section.

May Update

2010-05-18T07:29:00.000-07:00

We recently finished three unique vehicles for Sun Valley Resort. All three of these vehicles are indigenous to the western terrain. We felt fortunate to be chosen to restore these pieces of history. Information we found while undergoing restoration was original lettering under the paint on the Yellowstone coach and we found that Studebaker was the maker of the buckboard. Although the buckboard has a rough appearance we decided to keep it in original condition to be used as a work vehicle. They are currently en route to join the Sun Valley Collection in Idaho.

Below is the beginning of a restoration of an original M.P. Henderson & Son surrey for Melanie Brooker. We are very excited to have the chance of restoring such a rare piece. M.P. Henderson & Son was a famous wagon and coach builder from Stockton California. So far we are finished with the restoration of the undercarriage of this vehicle. We are very impressed with the attention to detail M. P. Henderson & Son put into the construction of this surrey. The finished product will have a rustic natural finish and contrasting black hardware.

Wagonhound's Mud Wagon stagecoach which was in our most recent blog is already nearing completion. The staining, striping, and lettering are already finished. Also Seth has upholstered the canvas top and has began working on the leather interior. We look forward to setting this coach's body on its running gear and seeing the finished product. Doug will be delivering this coach May 27th. Joining Doug will be Jim Patrick with his chuck wagon to feed Wagonhound Ranch's hungry cowboys as they drive 3000 yearlings to their summer pasture.

This original Concord buggy belongs to the Georgeson's from Nebraska. They stopped by the shop earlier this spring to discuss the decoration of their buggy. The idea they came up with was a monogram and roses on the oval body panel with a black fine line striping the undercarriage. The upholstery will be top grain black leather.

Cheyenne Frontier Days stagecoach is almost complete, we chose to accent the rich red body with chestnut colored boots. Wayne Troyer did a beautiful job on the mural of two bull buffaloes on prairie terrain. If you would like to see this stagecoach in person it will be in the upcoming 2010 Cheyenne Frontier Days Parade which will take place July 23rd-August 1st. This rodeo takes place in Cheyenne, WY. For more information visit their website at http://www.cfdrodeo.com/.

This buckboard was another project built for Gary Tritcher. This is our "Cow Boss" buckboard which is equipped with a toolbox under the seat and the rear seat is removable. This is a unique vehicle of American design which uses floor boards as it's suspension. This buckboard will keep it's natural finish to give it western flavor.

Tritcher's stagecoach was just coated with a beautiful paint job. It included striping, a mural, and wonderful scroll work on the bottom half of the body. Wayne Troyer recommended the full scroll so that it would give the essence of the stagecoach era. The mural is a lone bull buffalo which is a great symbol of the west to ornament the door. This stagecoach will be used in parades and wild west exhibits in the future.

March 26th Update

2010-03-26T09:41:00.000-07:00

Jerome is back to working on Wagonhound's Mud Wagon. Stain finish has been applied to the bottom of the body. He will spend the afternoon sandblasting the irons. Next he will paint all the ironwork.

Seth is starting the leatherwork on Cheyenne Frontier Days front and rear boots. A lot of upholstery goes into a stagecoach the seats, boots and most importantly the thorough-braces. Thorough-braces are straps of leather cured to the strength of steel and strung in pairs to support the body of a stagecoach and enable it to swing back and forth. This cradle-like motion absorbs the shocks of the road. Thorough braces are carefully fashioned and elaborate in arrangement, and it usually requires the hides of more than a dozen cattle to provide enough leather for a single coach.

The original upholstery pattern is finished on Sun Valley's original mountain wagon. All that are left is the finishing touches and it will be ready to hitch.

Here is Joe's finished wagon turned restaurant booth. As you can see the sides were extended outward to accommodate comfortable seating. This wagon will be a unique dining experience for anyone.

Brian's Prairie Schooner's panels have been installed along with the tool and jockey boxes. Today he is going to start on the spray paint job.

Spring is Here and the Shop is FULL of Vehicles!

2010-03-12T07:50:00.000-08:00

Sun Valley's mountain wagon top and curtains are finished. Now Seth is in the process of copying the original upholstery pattern. It will have a stitched back roll pattern, in leather.

This Prairie Schooner is going to be on display at Scott's Bluff National Monument in Gering, Nebraska. The whole construction process will be the same as it was in 1840's with all chamfers spoke shaven , and hand-forged hardware. Jerome is working on the wood axle which will be clouted with iron. This technique is a primitive but period correct method. In this photo the mortise and tenon box frame is ready for Brian to install the panels.

Seth has tufted the seats to match the original pattern of this Studebaker buckboard. This rustic piece is ready for display at Sun Valley Resort.

Jerome finished installing the boots and Joel has hand-forged the hardware on Cheyenne Frontier Days' coach; it is now waiting in line at the upholstery shop.

Gary Tritcher's coach body construction is complete and it is now ready for the painting process.

Brian just finished the Dean Sheep Wagon. This original Wyoming wagon has been restored with all the trimmings of an 1880’s sheep camp.

Bodoh's phaeton is on its running gear and ready for upholstery.

This original John Deere wagon is going to be used in a western restaurant in Canada. The wagon will be an actual booth for customers to be served meals in.

Our wheelwright Tim likes to take a break from the wheel shop. Here is a look at a replica British Revolutionary War cannon he just completed, just needs an ammo box and it is ready to fire.

Feb. 19th Update

2010-02-19T06:33:00.000-08:00

Bain Sheep wagon

Original Bain Sheep wagon Before

This is an original Bain Sheep wagon. This wagon is going through a restoration process. We kept the original running and stripped the body of all its irons. The wood is all new on the body and is getting a distressed finish. It will be equipped with a sheepherder stove and cabinetry. The owners of this sheep wagon will finish it off by decorating it with period correct antiques.

The Restoration So Far

Inside the Sheep wagon

Trichter Stagecoach

Gary Trichter commissioned us to replicate an Abbot Downing Western Concord Mail Coach. This design is made to seat nine passengers and is equipped with leather boots and side curtains. The coach will be used in wild west shows and entertaining. The stagecoach will be given an antique patina finish to look like a rugged historic original coach.

Cheyenne Frontier Days Stagecoach

Cheyenne Frontier Days wanted to have a stagecoach built to promote their Museum and Rodeo. The coach will be pulled by a team of six horses. The stagecoach has been stained and ironed and is ready in the striping booth to recieve it's antique lettering and a mural that will be painted by Wayne Troyer.

Bodoh's Slat Sided Phaeton Carriage

This Cobb style Slat Side Phaeton Carriage is a rare size to find. It is designed for a Cobb size horse. The body is made of a rich dark walnut wood. Restoration is under way and so far the body is being assembled and new wheels have been fabricated.

Wagonhound Ranch Mudwagon

We have done several restorations for Wagonhound Ranch but this project is the most historically significant. In the Lusk Wyoming museum we noticed a mud wagon that had been used on the Douglas Short Line which ran from Lusk to Douglas Wyoming (it is a spur route of the Deadwood Trail). The Douglas Short Line also ran through the Wagonhound Ranch. We are going to replicate all the components of the mud wagon from Lusk so Wagonhound Ranch will once again own a coach from the Douglas Short Line.

Sun Valley Buckboard

This is a unique Studebaker buckboard with a side-spring suspension and partial side boards. We have kept it’s original work character to exemplify it’s rugged life.

Sun Valley Winona Mountain Wagon

This wagon is an original vehicle whose undercarriage was untouched but the body had been repainted. While removing the red paint we discovered original lettering that read Yellowstone West #208. This was an original wagon that carried visitors through Yellowstone’s Park. We were very fortunate to have found this information. If we would have stripped the paint we would have lost this piece of history. We have just cleaned and sealed the undercarriage to keep its original appearance.

Maker's Tag from Sun Valley Mountain Wagon

End of Year Update

2009-12-11T13:09:00.000-08:00

Studebaker “Sprinkler” wagons were used to water down the dust on the roads. The sizes of Studebaker sprinklers ranged from 175 gallons to 1000 gallons. This particular wagon has a 650 gallon tank. Sprinkler wagons were fitted with a 5th wheel running gear that balanced the tank and allowed 90 degree turns. Doug Hansen tested out this wagon and you can watch the video on YouTube.

The Booby-Hut is a unique sleigh design that is a carriage body put upon sleigh runners. The body is suspended with leather braces similar to a stagecoach suspension. There are very few originals of this vehicle left in existence. It is a privilege to be able to restore one in such great condition. At the back of the body you can see what is called the “sword-case”, accessible from the inside of the body. These sword-cases were used to carry arms in the old highway robbery times. This vehicle’s design is very light, strong and elastic. We are anxious to see this unique sleigh in its original colors, it was painted black body with emerald green lower pales, yellow striping and an emerald green gear, this complimented the green plush interior trimming. Check this blog for further updates of this project.

This is a restored Army Escort Wagon. All original hardware was reused but all wood components had to be replaced. This wagon supplied provisions for the troops, anything from food to ammunition to shelter. The unique characteristics are winged flair boards a double tiered jockey box / tool box / foot board, an ax carrier within the wagon, and a shovel carrier under driver seat. Also these wagons had rough lock chains, a tail gate with a chain retainer to offer rear platform. The wheels are heavy duty being 54" high and 3" wide. This wagon is going to be an interactive outdoor display at the Mormon Battalion Museum in San Diego, CA.

You may remember this coach from the last blog post, where it was under construction. The antique patina finish our craftsmen applied to this stagecoach gives it a rich historic look. This coach was recently on display in at the South Point Casino in Las Vegas for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. It’s new home is in Glendora, CA where it will be on private display.

The concord buggy was invented in Concord N.H. in about 1813 by Lewis Downing. In 1828 Downing was joined in business by Joseph Stephens Abbot. Their heavy Abbot-Downing coaches became famous, being used by companies such as Wells Fargo. The Concord buggy was an inexpensive, stylish and multipurpose substitute for the pricey and burdensome English carriages of the time. Lightly constructed of strong and flexible timbers such as hickory, the buggy was well suited to rough roads. It was fitted with a top and a dashboard to protect the driver and passenger from dust and mud. This vehicle became typical in the West, and this particular wagon hand crafted by Hansen Wheel and Wagon Shop resides at Wagon Hound Ranch in Wyoming.

August Update

2009-08-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

Phaeton is the early 19th-century term for a sporty carriage drawn by either a single horse or a pair, typically with four extravagantly large wheels, very lightly sprung, with a minimal body, and speed. It typically had no sidepieces in front of the seats. The rather self-consciously classicizing name refers to the ride of mythical Phaëton, son of Helios, who set the earth on fire while attempting to drive the chariot of the sun.

On Labor Day Weekend the Cities of Ketchum and Sun Valley host the historic Wagon Days Celebration. The holiday weekend is packed with a variety of activities, many of which celebrate the valley's mining history. Below is one of the freight wagons this celebration is centered around. The wagon on the left is from the 20 hitch mule train in Ketchum Idaho. These wagons were originally used for mining and you can watch a video of the jerk line in action here http://www.youtube.com/hansenwheel.

This is a mountain wagon, similar to the stagecoach but with a simpler design, these are popular for tours with their open sides for passengers to look out of. This wagon will be on display at the Sun Valley Resort in Idaho.

Hitch wagons, sometimes called express wagons or show wagons, were widely used for light trucking. Companies took great pride in the hitch wagons bearing their business name and in the magnificent team of horses that pulled them. That tradition is still true with many of our customers still providing us with custom logos to have painted on their wagons. This hitch wagon is not entirely finished but it is getting there with just a few chrome pieces left. This is an extravagant hitch wagon and you will soon see it in upcoming shows.

Pictured here is a replication Concord Stagecoach. There is still the same craftsmanship in our coaches as the originals. Each person in our shop has specialized jobs to get our stagecoaches to our customers. The process starts with the coach builder constructing all the wooden components of the coach except for the wheels which are fabricated by the wheelwright. All metal components are hand forged by the blacksmith. Then our upholsterer sews all the seats and curtains. Last the body is stained and all murals, gold leafing and striping are done by a professional painter.

Just Finished!

2009-06-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

Ft. Laramie Wagon

Here's the final result of Brian's work. This 1840’s prairie schooner with lynch pin clouted axles and ribbed panel construction was hand-crafted from the ground-up using original designs and processes. All the wood in the construction was shaped with a spoke shave to replicate the tool marks on the finished product that would have been present with original methods used in the construction of such a vehicle. All irons were hand-forged and parts were studied from archeology digs. Hansen Wheel & Wagon Shop used this information to accurately replicate the wagon into a piece that would have been used during this time period at the Fort. Read More.

3 Pounder Infantry Cannons

These cannons were used by the British in the Revolutionary War.
Also known as grasshopper cannons, this type of cannon was light weight and could follow the infantry closely, on the battlefield. On the back of these cannons are authentically ironed ammunition boxes.

Two Seated Buckboard

This buckboard was built for a customer in Germany. It was equipped with removable seats, a hydralic braking system, doublebend, and drop heel shafts for a single horse to pull.

Earth Day

2009-04-22T06:48:00.000-07:00

Here is the finished product of the hitch wagon Wayne was striping in the previous blog. This wagon is going home to North Carolina. Not only is it going to make a great show wagon it will also be a huge advertising piece.

The ultimate pantry wagon. This is a beautifully restored original Peter Schuttler chuck wagon. In the chuck box there is even a sound system and in the box is a mini fridge and mood lights. Also this wagon is decked out with striping and lettering.

Here is the stagecoach gear Kirby was restoring in the last post. It's about finished, all that's left is it's striping.

The decorative wagon is finished and ready to be shipped. This is going to be in a museum showcasing typical wagon supplies.

Here is the wagon Brian has been building. It has come a long way since the last post. Next the wheels are going to be stained red. A canvas will be fitted on top and then it will look like a wagon off the Oregon trail.

For more information on any of these types of vehicles follow the link below.

http://www.hansenwheel.com/products/hansen/index.html

Feel free to comment.

First Post

2009-03-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Hansen Wheel and Wagon Shop's Blog. We receive many emails asking about what's going on in the shop, so we decided to create a blog to keep everyone updated. We are always busy so check back often to see what's new!

Currently we have various projects going on...

Jerome is restoring this Drop-Front Phaeton. These buggy's were built in the late 1800's, and were popular among doctors. When finished it will have a falling top that encloses for privacy and protection from the elements. In this picture Jerome is applying a coat of dark blue paint.

This is the beautiful restoration of a Peter Schuttler chuck wagon. The body is the traditional hunter green color and the running gear which is not pictured is a bright orange with blue striping. It may sound like an odd combination but wagon makers always used bright colored gears because they hid dirt better than darker colors. In this picture Leonard is applying a protective coat over this wagon's new paint job.

This wagon is not going to be for horses it is going to be for an exhibit. This is a custom decorator wagon, many stores, restaurants, museums etc. request wagons like this to display. This particular wagon will be used to showcase supplies typically carried in covered wagons.

In this picture Tim our wheelwright is assembling a 3 Pounder Infantry Cannon. This cannon was used by the British in the Revolutionary War. As with all field artillery of the era, the spokes of the wheels extended outward at an angle from the hubs, forming a saucer shaped wheel, to give a slightly softer ride and give better strength in cornering. Since a vertical saucer shaped wheel would otherwise encounter greater stress, the wheels were slanted so that the lower spokes were vertical.

This is the start of a custom Prairie Schooner covered wagon. A descendant of the Conestoga, this wagon was used by the pioneers to transport their possessions westward. Named for its white canvas top, which at a distance made it resemble a sailing ship, the prairie schooner had a flat body and lower sides than the Conestoga wagon.

Kirby is restoring an original stagecoach running gear. This is an Abbot and Downing running gear #509 and is stamped by JG Chesley.

Wayne is applying striping to this custom hitch wagon. Traditionally hitch wagons were used commercially to carry merchandise and supplies, but currently they are more commonly used in shows and for advertising.

For more information on any of these types of vehicles follow the link below.

http://www.hansenwheel.com/products/hansen/index.html

Feel free to comment.