"Traces between horses and limber" Topic

Could anyone tell me the dimensions of these (rope diameter is what I'm really interested in). Perhaps an ACW re-enactor can help?

Thanks in advance.

Illustrations showing where all the traces were supposed to be/go would also be useful, as I have a six-horse Bavarian limber team to construct.

a few images to get you started. Some are civilian but they do give you the idea and the nomenclature

Thanks for that, Deadhead.

C E Franklin has masses of detail for the British of course.

The Jouineau series has many pics of French Artillery harness arrangements.

Dawson, Dawson and Summerfield are better on the guns and the limbers/caissons than the harness arrangements itself.

Most European countries seemed pretty close to French practice, with a pole shaft and the swingle trees (the things in the second picture) for at least the front two pairs of horses. The British shaft system allowed a tighter turning circle, but needed better trained horses and reasonable terrain.

Thank you for the information.

Brendan, if you are using AB the only element you have to add is the traces themselves. The French pattern uses rope, the British leather and chain.

Basically you need to extend beyond the sculpted part on the side of the horse and join this to the cast swingle trees (DeadHead – thanks – I never knew what they were called until now) of the limber.

The H&C book on French artillery is superb. I think I'm going to assume 1" thick ropes unless anybody knows any different?

If I call AB 1:100 then a 0.25mm piece of brass rod will do for making the traces. For standing teams it can be bent. My plan is to glue the brass traces onto the horses before priming, then adjust as needed during the final assembly.

I might decide to turn over the ends of the brass trace so they have a decent grip on the cast swingle tree.

Braided wire comes in many forms and this comes in two thicknesses. I used one for an 18mm and one for my 28mm Napoleon's carriage