The first Concord Stagecoach was built in 1827 by Abbot, Downing & Company in Concord, NH. Over the years, approximately 3,500 were produced. Weighing in at over two tons, they were sturdy and reliable. Leather strap braces under the bodies gave the stagecoaches a swinging motion. Leather “boots” front and back held baggage, mail and valuables. Inside, nine passengers sat on three leather-covered benches that offered very little legroom.
In 1868, Wells Fargo & Co. ordered thirty Concord stagecoaches. Painted bright red, the Wells Fargo stagecoaches were known to transport gold bars and coins, checks and drafts. They were subject to hold-ups by the likes of Black Bart and Rattlesnake Dick. To protect passengers and cargo, guards rode next to the driver with a shotgun never out of sight.
The Australian Cobb & Co stage coaches owe their origins to the American Concord coach.
"It was largely the durability of the Concord coach and wagon which made the vehicles so suitable for Australian conditions when, in 1853, Freeman Cobb and three other American partners set up the American Telegraph Line of coaches, operating between Melbourne and the goldfields"
Visit the Power House Museum website for further information on Cobb & Co: http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/m/collection/database/index.php?irn=237786
• Historically accurate and perfectly scaled
• Laser cut basswood & plywood parts
• Cleanly cast Britannia metal fittings
• Photo-etched brass detailing
• Wells Fargo, Butterfield Overland and US Mail decals
• Opening doors and working suspension
• Illustrated instruction manual & detailed plans
