00 scale lorries

[Jim S-W]

Been tweaking a few more road vehicles starting with fitting better wheels (from RTI) to a couple of old cargos. The WH Smiths lorry seems to draw a lot of attention at shows and for many people sets a time and place quite specifically.


Next up another little batch from Oxford diecast waiting form my usual treatment...


... which is to paint the inside of the window apertures and wheel arches black and a quick spray of matt varnish before some gentle weathering. I might see if i can get some more standard looking wheels for the Land Rover.


The Volvo (760) required a bit more effort as out of the box (on the right) it did not capture the look of the real thing very well at all. The solution was to file the windows so that they are much deeper. I enlarged the windows of the Rover 3500 too but not by anything like as much. Wing mirrors are just a bit of microstrip.

[Jim S-W]

A couple of AEC products this time

A very brief history

AEC (or Associated Equipment Company) was a fairly early producer of vehicles being founded in 1912 and lasting up until 1979. Initially focusing on buses their first prototype commercial vehicle was based on a bus chassis but with the outbreak of the first world war they were ideally placed to produce lorries for the army. After the war lorry production continued right up until the companies last days.

In world war 2 they produced something like 10,000 vehicles for the war effort and readers familiar with Airfix kits have likely come across the Matador model at some point. the company acquired a fair few other companies during its time with Crossley Motors, Park Royal and Thornycroft being just a few of them. They were taken over themselves in 1962 by Leyland Motors.

Leyland fitted their own 'Ergomatic' cabs to the AEC line of lorries but they retained the AEC branding. So Ercomatic is a type rather than a model covering Madator, Matador, Mercury etc (the lorry models always began with the letter M).

The Models</strong



So the victims both picked up cheaply from ebay. On the left Atlas editions and on the right from EFE. Both are similar in a way. Both have nicely done cabs with rather rudimentary bodies and slightly odd looking wheels. The proportions of the Stobart example look a little odd as well.



Having looked at pictures of the real things I decided to shorten the chassis and tipper body. The ribs were beefed up a little and a new hood fabricated from plasticard. The hydraulic ram came from my spares box.



The livery was stripped form the cab (as its all metal nail varnish remover is ideal for this and the wheels replaced with some from RTI. Below shows the model after painting and weathering.





The body on the Mammoth was metal and to be honest I'm not sure what its supposed to represent. I think it's some sort of pressed steel effort but I binned it and made up a new one to represent a planked body instead. The strapping is from the mainly trains etch.



I decided to keep the livery on the cab this time and just gently sanded the sign writing off. Wheels again are from RTI. The usual matt varnish and light weathering finish it off.

[Jim S-W]

Lets start with the humble Austin Maxi. A recent-ish release from Oxford Diecast. My first impression was 'they have used their oversized tyres again but on looking at the real thing I think what threw this one off was the track was too wide with the wheels filling the arches much like a more modern vehicle. So with the track was slight reduced, inner window frames picked out in black. matt varnish and weathering I can call this one done.


Added a bit of a load to one of my smaller trucks. The wheelbarrow is a nice 3d print from 3D Printing Corner. (http://www.3dprintingcorner.co.uk)


One of my early kit builds that has never been quite right is this Volvo from a Knightwing kit. Its always looked out of proportion to me so I have had another look at it.


I binned the chassis and used a spare from one of the cheap Atlas Stobart models you can find on ebay. for the cab itself I cut about 2mm out of the width. I am happier with it now.


Back to the new. The trailer that came with the chassis used on the Volvo was stripped and resprayed. I used a different tractor chassis and a cut down Base toys roadtrain cab. The windbreak is also a spare from an Atlas ford cargo.

I came across this livery wile looking at old shots of Brierley Hill for Brettell Road. I thought it nice to tie the 2 layouts together a little. The logos were drawn up in illustrator and printed on crafty transfer paper.

[Jim S-W]

With apologies to those coming here to see trains road vehicles are still drawing my attention. This time let's start with some Leyland products.



The Leyland roadrunner (1984 version). A combination of cab and wheels from Road transport images, chassis from the Atlas stobart ford cargo and a body from scratch.



Next up a terrier in post office colours. Although a 70s design these seemed to last quite late. Again RTI cab and wheels, base toys this time for the chassis and the body from scratch.



The tail lift is an approximation from a photo I found years ago and kept in my 'that might be handy one day' folder.



Sticking with the post office. I did this Roadtrain cab years ago and never got around to the trailer. the source is the Atlas curtain sided one U used last time for my Link51 lorry. This time with the sides replaced and modification to the leading end. It was a faff to cur the old sides away so I would just scratchbuild the box next time...



... which is what i did for this smaller version. Again the tractor unit was finished off years ago although I have recently replaced the wheels with RTI ones.



Overall I have put together quite a fleet of Royal Mail vehicles now.

Next time...



More Atlas Stobart vehicles are lined up for the chop at Jim's Dodgy Car and lorry dealership. 'lovely little runners, one careful owner, service history? It's ok - you don't need one of those!!'

[Dad-1]

Jim's usual modelling skills making even the most mundane model vehicle look like a mundane real lorry.
The master of disguise.

Geoff T.

[Jim S-W]

Thanks

Everyday and ordinary is the way

[Jim S-W]

Last time I ended with a selection of Eddie Stobart vehicles that looked somewhat nervous, not without good reason.



The simple (or should I say least mauled) option from these is shown on the right. Basically a simple repaint with a new headboard (is that what they are called?) of the DAF 2800 tractor. On the right the same cab mated with the chassis of the much out of period volvo unit. The fuel tank and other chassis details were cut off and transferred over as well.



The left over chassis was mated with an old KeilKraft (now Knightwing) Mercedes cab. Like the Volvo mentioned in an earlier post it was reduced in width by about 3mm.



Finally the tipper truck (the same base model that I have cut about previously) was mated with the Daf 2200 cab and chassis to produce yet another variation. I shortned the body on this one as well but not by as much as my AEC blue one.

In all the vehicles that have logos these were drawn up in Illustrator and printed on Crafty computer decal paper.

[End2end]

Exquisite modelling there Jim.
Can I ask, what matt spray varnish do you use please?
Thanks
End2end

[Lysander]

This work deserves more replies than it’s getting. Really impressive modelling and the attention to detail in this scale is remarkable.

Tony

[Jim S-W]

Exquisite modelling there Jim.
Can I ask, what matt spray varnish do you use please?
Thanks
End2end

I use army painter varnish

https://www.waylandgames.co.uk/spray-pr ... gJAzvD_BwE

HTH

Jim

[End2end]

Thanks Jim. I must get me some of that for my road vehicles.
Thanks
End2end

[Jim S-W]

Been busy knocking up a few more trailers.



Starting with this offering from Knightwing. Although the cabs they supply are to a slightly larger scale the trailers, or at least this one, is pretty much spot on for 4mm scale. I changed if from a 3 axle type to 2 axles and fitted some spare Base toys wheels but that was pretty much it.



This 40ft flatbed is something I've had for a while. Its from RTI, brought when Frank was still with us. It's a somewhat basic kit with just the bed, bogie and wheels supplied. The rest is knocked up from bits and bobs.

When I built my last batch of tractor units I printed enough registration plates for the trailers too. Do you think i can find them now?

[Dad-1]

So much wonderful work.
It crossed my mind "Where on earth does Jim keep all his models?"
Road vehicles must only be a small part of your overall collection.
Locos, Wagons, Cars, Vans, it just goes on .....

I'm so please you DO have such a stash !! And share it.

Geoff T.

[Jim S-W]

Thanks

The road vehicles live in 2 ikea ‘Fira’ boxes

Cheers

Jim

[Peterm]

The good old 40' spread axle trailer. Hot summer day in Deptford. Had to take a tightish right hand turn to get to a building site. Made a proper mess of the bitumen. Really nice models there Jim.