Large Scale Central

Rainy winter project

Modeling
#1

Well this winter has been really wet and cold and I haven’t had much in the way of comfortable outdoor days to work on the rail road so I needed something to keep me busy inside.

I have had this kit tucked away for years because I really love the old Mack AC “bulldog” trucks. Unfortunately it is in 1:24 and I build everything in 1:20 scale but I have always had some vague idea of using it as a pattern to build from.

The second piece of the puzzle, so to speak, comes from an article in a 1983 edition of Timberbeast magazine describing the log loaders built by the McVay machine shop in Klamath Falls, Oregon. The article contained a scale drawing of one of the surviving (more or less) machines in Collier State Park, Chiloquin, OR.

A brief history.

The McVay loaders were very popular in the Southern Oregon, Northern California pine forests from the early 1930’s to the late 1950’s. This is in the era that was swiftly moving away from railroad logging and turning to truck hauling for logs. During that time some 50 plus units were built by this little 2 man shop and sold to loggers all over the area. These units were very popular with the Gyppo loggers, sorry if you find the term offensive, but that is the common usage term for small independent, usually broke, logging contractors in this part of the country.

The early units were all built on the Mack AC “Bulldog” trucks but later as the Mack’s became more difficult to obtain the loaders were mounted on other brands of trucks. These loading units were cheap to buy, easy to transport, and quick to set up in the woods making them ideal for the small operator.

My research has only turned up three of these units still in existence;

Roots of Motive power, Willets, CA has a 1934 Mack with the McVay loader Construction #3. This unit is basically a pile of scrap.

Collier Logging Museum, Chiloquin, Oregon has a Mack chassis with McVay Loader construction #11 mounted on it but the Mack has been bastardized at some time in the past by adding a Ford flat head engine and Ford cab.

Trail, Oregon Museum has a 1913 Mack with McVay Loader construction #10, This loader I have not seen yet but as soon as we get a few days of warm weather I will be over there measuring and taking pictures.

On to the build.

Before starting the loader I have to build the whole truck. I used the Monogram kit as a set of blue prints and measured each piece and scaled it up to 1:20 then built it. Keeping in mind each sub assembly has to be readily removable for painting then re-assembly. This actually turned into a much larger and more difficult project than I had anticipated.

Here we have the main frame side rails and cross members all built up from Styrene shapes. As you can see the truck is over 11 inches long. ha big surprise coming later about that.

Well enough for this evening.

Thanks for taking a look

Rick

#2

I would have never thought of up scaling a 1:24 model. Humm gives me some ideas for building vehicles in 1:29…

#3

Awesome!

#4

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#5

I’ve put together a couple of those Mack trucks, but since they seem so fragile I use them as flat car loads.

#6

Placarded “Do Not Hump”?

#7

The combination transmission/differential that was used on the chain drive Mack’s is shown here in the next two views. It was built up from Redwood blocks, Styrene, nails and bolts. I intentionally left the finish a little rough to simulate cast casings.

More rain coming(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-frown.gif) so will probably be able to post more progress soon(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

Rick

#8

Rick,

Very inspirational work. I look forward to more postings!

#9

I’ll be taking notes on this one Rick. I’ve got 4 of those in the different versions (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#10

I’m gonna like watching this. Always liked the trucks, but are a little small with my 1:20. Never thought of doing such an upscale, but you sure got me thinking now (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

#11

I’m not trying to take anything away from your very intriguing project Rick but, for those who are interested in what other things can be done with these Mack kits, I thought I’d post a couple of pictures of what I did to mine. I basically threw everything away but the cab and frame and built a wooden bed and added an Ozark Miniatures crane.

Turned out to be a pretty nifty tow truck for my gas station.

(http://largescalecentral.com/FileSharing/user_2849/Misc/Tow%20Truck-1a.JPG)

(http://largescalecentral.com/FileSharing/user_2849/Misc/Tow%20Truck-2a.JPG)

Just for your consideration.

Doc Watson

1 Like
#12

Rick

Your doing a great job scratch building this truck!

Could you place that pumpkin next to the one in the kit for size comparison!

#13

Following with keen interest. I have a couple of those kits somewhere around here.

#14

Hey Don,

Great job on that bash, I love those little Ozark hand winch booms. I have one mounted in one of my rail trucks.

Sean,

Here is a couple of shots of the tran/diff sitting on the 1:24 model.

I have found that I have had to partially assemble the kit model in order to get the

right measurements and proportions to build from.

Thanks for taking a look, more later.

Rick

#15

This is going to be such an awesome project. Eagerly staying tuned.

I’ve been wondering about a log loader of some type for my logging scene. Not sure what they used in the early 1950s in Colorado. I have a log truck, but nothing to load the logs with. Maybe a crane/truck combo. I do have a 1:25 Spec cast Bantam crawler crane currently unused. Wonder if that would work as a logging crane on a truck.

Here’s a picture link to my logging scene:

Logging Camp Pic

#16

Matt,

Not sure about Colorado but in Northern California and Southern Oregon, in that era, track laying and truck mounted rubber tired loaders using a standard crane boom or a purpose designed boom called a “heel boom loader” were very common. I have some pictures of these but for some reason my computer and I are not in agreement this evening about displaying these images(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-frown.gif)

A couple of more images of the build in progress.

Here we have the frame partially assembled and the trans/diff mounted in place with the shift linkage installed (the brass rod in the center of the frame). Also some of the brake linkage is installed along the outside of the frame members (brass rods). The spring hanger shackle bolts are HO scale track nails cut to length, seem to work pretty well.

Another view of the same boring thing. I know the shift linkage rod looks like it is on a angle, that’s because it is, I don’t know why it was done that way.

The wheels are from the 1:24 kit, I found the tires, that look like pneumatic tires in the model airplane section of the LHS . This combination brought them within 1 inch of scale so I thought that was close enough.

Just as an aside the early Mack’s came with solid hard rubber tires, but all the pictures and references I could find indicate that these were changed out to air filled pneumatic tires at the earliest possible time. Since my 1926 Mack is being modeled in a 1939 time slotI took the liberty of doing it that way.

Just a little detail shot of the rear end area, believe me it took a while to build those springs.

Thanks for taking a look.

More later

Rick

#17

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#18

Rick,

That’s going to be one amazing build. It’s more than enough for me to spend that much effort on an engine or rolling stock let alone on a vehicle that just sits there looking good.

Doc

#19

Amazing detail Rick. Thanks for sharing this build with us.

#20

Looking good!