Wells, Fargo & Company Overland Express & Assay Office

[oo7]

In early 1848, financiers and entrepreneurs from all over North America and the world flocked to California drawn by the promise of huge profits soon after gold was found at Sutter's Mill near the small Californian township of Coloma. Vermont native Henry Wells and New Yorker William G. Fargo, two major figures in the young and fiercely competitive express industry, watched the California boom economy with keen interest. On March 18, 1852, they organized Wells, Fargo & Company, a joint-stock association with an initial capitalization of $300,000, to provide express and banking services to California.

In 1866, Wells Fargo bought out the expanding Overland Express network controlled by transportation tycoon Ben Holladay and combined it with the Pioneer and the Overland Mail stagelines to create the largest stagecoach empire in the world. Stagecoaches carrying the Wells, Fargo & Co. name rolled from Nebraska to California via Denver and Salt Lake City. From Denver, coaches served the mining towns of the Rockies, and from Salt Lake City, they carried mail and passengers to boomtown centers of commerce (and self vigilance) in Montana and Idaho.

In 1869 at Promontory, Utah, dignitaries hammered in a Golden Spike which joined the rails of the Transcontinental Railroad – and ended an era of Wells Fargo overland stageline operations. However, stagecoaches continued rolling wherever the railroads did not. Wells Fargo contracted with independent stageline operators to carry treasure boxes and express, even into the early 20th Century.

[Hinckley]

This is amazing, 007. Your skill as a builder has grown so much since I've joined the site and this MOC is a true beauty!

There is one small thing I don't like and it;s the covered wagon. I just wish the cover was more rounded. Perhaps if you use a 1 x 1 x 6 arch and some rounded bricks or slopes on top of that to give it less of a square feeling. Other than that, it's a beautiful piece of work. I really love the log facade, that's a simple yet really effective technique. I like the alternating round and square plates along the roof line. The whole thing has such great detail, it's on par with buildings I've seen from TheBrickster and BrickMiner. I would buy this in a second if it were released by LEGO. I hope this is the first in a series from you. Great work! I really love it.

[Quarryman]

I have to agree with Hinckley (damn, I hate when that happens ), this is most excellent!

Lots of great details, like the porch, the hatstand, the wall on the ground floor, the wheel up against the wall, great minifigs.

And the covered wagon is too square, also it feels a bit "wrong" (for lack of a better word) to use a 1x6x2 arch there. Can't immediately suggest a better piece though.

Also, it feels like the house should be a bit deeper, maybe two studs. As it is now I feel the interior suffers a bit from lack of room.

[oo7]

This is amazing, 007. Your skill as a builder has grown so much since I've joined the site and this MOC is a true beauty!

There is one small thing I don't like and it;s the covered wagon. I just wish the cover was more rounded. Perhaps if you use a 1 x 1 x 6 arch and some rounded bricks or slopes on top of that to give it less of a square feeling. Other than that, it's a beautiful piece of work. I really love the log facade, that's a simple yet really effective technique. I like the alternating round and square plates along the roof line. The whole thing has such great detail, it's on par with buildings I've seen from TheBrickster and BrickMiner. I would buy this in a second if it were released by LEGO. I hope this is the first in a series from you. Great work! I really love it.

Wow, thanks very much, Hink, but first in a series? Like a series of Old West themed creations? I don't know, I like to jump around between themes very often; it's really what I'm inspired by at the time. However, I do know what you mean about the wagon, I'm still working with that. And it's interesting you compare this to works of Brickminer, the scale, color scheme, and building style used here is very different from his personal style on a whole, especially the more complex SNOT techniques.

I have to agree with Hinckley (damn, I hate when that happens ), this is most excellent!

Lots of great details, like the porch, the hatstand, the wall on the ground floor, the wheel up against the wall, great minifigs.

And the covered wagon is too square, also it feels a bit "wrong" (for lack of a better word) to use a 1x6x2 arch there. Can't immediately suggest a better piece though.

Also, it feels like the house should be a bit deeper, maybe two studs. As it is now I feel the interior suffers a bit from lack of room.

I don't know, I like the arch but I agree about the squareness. It just needs some studless slopes on the top which unfortunately are not produced in either shades of tan. The width is going to have to stay as it is as well. Other than that, thanks for the compliment!

[Inertia]

You have done a great job with this.

The architecture on the building is magnificent, it really gives the MOC that Wild West feel!

I love how you've put the two bandits robbing it, and the guy sleeping.

The Covered wagon is okay, I mean, without the Dark tan smooth plates it would probably have to look like that until TLC mke more pieces...

It's an Awesome MOC.

[Klaus-Dieter]

That's an awesome Wild West MOC, oo7!

I really it:

The outside is an excellent desgin. The interior is a bit spartanic - but nevertheless very nice, too (and TLG at the most time puts in very little interior, too ). I really like the covered waggon and the nice minifigs. Simply amazing!

Very, very well done!

BTW: Why don't you team up with TheBrickster and Brick Miner and then you go to TLG and say that you'll design the (hopefully real) new Wild West Factory sets?! I'm very sure that we then would get two excellent sets!

Klaus-Dieter

Edited August 7, 2008 by Klaus-Dieter

[Lt. Col. Thok]

Nicely done, oo7, very realistic.

[Tobiasz]

That's great !! It is a very climatic moc, lot of details, when you look at this you feel wild west;) I like the walls and windows technique, very good job

[Derek]

Wow! I saw this on the front page and got excited, thinking it was a new set, but only to read it was only a MOC, A very nice one, I might add.

I love how you made the covered wagon using the Indy truck cloth piece!

darthperson

Oh ho the Wells Fargo Wagon is-a coming down the street... (Yeah, I am a dork who was in a production of the Music Man a few years ago, none of you probably are even into theater, except maybe Hinckley, I saw his stuff on the user picture thread )

Edited August 8, 2008 by darthperson

[Mrs Pegleg Blockbeard]

This is such a brilliant MOC.

The detail is amazing, great job 007!

The last photo is my favourite.

[Jipay]

You reached the skills of the previous master of wild west, brickminer I just love that cow in the background, nice touch !

[I Scream Clone]

Ok, so when is this set due out? cause I want one!

Great design 007 very realistic! I love the tile walls and the minifigs are nice.

Were you trying to educate us too, shame on you

[WesternOutlaw]

You can always count on 007 to create an outstanding MOC, this being no exception. I'm really impressed. I love the colors and the design of the building. In addition, the wagon with its use of the tarp/cover is outstanding. I find wagons to be difficult to create in that sometimes they come out too high, too boxy, or too long. This design works very well.

You've outdone yourself once again 007 in a style and design that shows your creative ability to turn out a quality MOC.

Excellent!

[oo7]

You have done a great job with this.

The architecture on the building is magnificent, it really gives the MOC that Wild West feel!

I love how you've put the two bandits robbing it, and the guy sleeping.

The Covered wagon is okay, I mean, without the Dark tan smooth plates it would probably have to look like that until TLC mke more pieces...

It's an Awesome MOC.

Thanks very much, hopefully I'll get a chance to rebuild the wagon if we ever get those pieces produced in the proper colors.

That's an awesome Wild West MOC, oo7!

I really it:

The outside is an excellent desgin. The interior is a bit spartanic - but nevertheless very nice, too (and TLG at the most time puts in very little interior, too ). I really like the covered waggon and the nice minifigs. Simply amazing!

Very, very well done!

BTW: Why don't you team up with TheBrickster and Brick Miner and then you go to TLG and say that you'll design the (hopefully real) new Wild West Factory sets?! I'm very sure that we then would get two excellent sets!

Interesting proposal, but probably not very likely to ever happen. Many thanks for the compliments nonetheless!

Nicely done, oo7, very realistic.

Thank you!

That's great !! It is a very climatic moc, lot of details, when you look at this you feel wild west;) I like the walls and windows technique, very good job

Ah, it's interesting that you note how you experience the atmosphere as a specific feel - that's great, thanks!

Wow! I saw this on the front page and got excited, thinking it was a new set, but only to read it was only a MOC, A very nice one, I might add.

I love how you made the covered wagon using the Indy truck cloth piece!

darthperson

Oh ho the Wells Fargo Wagon is-a coming down the street... (Yeah, I am a dork who was in a production of the Music Man a few years ago, none of you probably are even into theater, except maybe Hinckley, I saw his stuff on the user picture thread )

Thank you, and thanks to Hinckley for frontpaging it, I suppose he's our there somewhere reading this. And yes, I'm actually familiar with that particular show tune having seen my local school district's production of the play a year or two ago....

This is such a brilliant MOC.

The detail is amazing, great job 007!

The last photo is my favourite.

Thanks Mrs. Blockbeard, the last shot is one of two teaser shots I released on flickr prior to the big overall one. I tried to explore some interesting angles for them.

You reached the skills of the previous master of wild west, brickminer I just love that cow in the background, nice touch !

Thank you, I'm glad you noticed the cow back there - it's a little washed out against the white backdrop.

Ok, so when is this set due out? cause I want one!

Great design 007 very realistic! I love the tile walls and the minifigs are nice.

Were you trying to educate us too, shame on you

Yes, I always try to work in a brief historical background to most of my history based MOCs; it makes them worth a little something more.

You can always count on 007 to create an outstanding MOC, this being no exception. I'm really impressed. I love the colors and the design of the building. In addition, the wagon with its use of the tarp/cover is outstanding. I find wagons to be difficult to create in that sometimes they come out too high, too boxy, or too long. This design works very well.

You've outdone yourself once again 007 in a style and design that shows your creative ability to turn out a quality MOC.

Excellent!

I still think this wagon is in fact a bit too boxy, but thanks for the awesome reply nonetheless! As always, that means a lot coming from such a long time representative of the western theme both here and elsewhere in the online community.

[Legoking]

Well done! I like how you have built this. I wish I owned it.

Good Job

LegoKing

[Wout]

Great moc!

[KimT]

Great moc!

Agreed. It's truly awesome.

I wish I had clean access to my bricks and a proper workspace.

Then I'd hopefully be able to do something like that in time.

[Captain Green Hair]

Amazing work 007, especially the picture were you look through the ''veranda'' with the wheel sitting there and the tiled walls is awesome!

[Sir Dillon]

Really excellent work oo7! There's lots of great details, and the architectural work is superb. I do agree about the squareness of the wagon, but that's already been covered.

[oo7]

Thanks again for all the feedback everyone, I appreciate it very much.

I do agree about the squareness of the wagon, but that's already been covered.

Heehee. Thanks for that, Dillon.

[Manta]

Wow! I saw this on the front page and got excited, thinking it was a new set, but only to read it was only a MOC, A very nice one, I might add.

I love how you made the covered wagon using the Indy truck cloth piece!

darthperson

Oh ho the Wells Fargo Wagon is-a coming down the street... (Yeah, I am a dork who was in a production of the Music Man a few years ago, none of you probably are even into theater, except maybe Hinckley, I saw his stuff on the user picture thread )

I also thought it was a new set, but it is a great MOC, I love the shutters. The detail is amazing. Like everyone else said the wagon is kinda messed up, but it's great overall 7.5/5

[Brick n Brick]

Wow! Your works are such amazing creations! Good job.