Large Scale Central

Truck fleet

Modeling
#1

We been building Frt. & transfer docks around the layout and most of the layout is 1900 stuff even tho we run some modern stuff on the tracks with our train group.
So I fig. that we had to have some trucks that will go along with our other veh. but then the ground is not even so had to make most of them spring load with welding wire so all wheel can be on the road.
We love making truck and trailer or so called Simi’s with working fifth wheels and landing gears that work. Even the old cable turn signals on side of the cabs.

Note: You notice, truck has no doors.
In the old day in Hilly San Fran. mechanical brakes did not hold sometimes. Was easy to jump out of a run a way… lol. besides in and out of cab to making delivery.
Lot of time with just a small round mirror, they had to stand out hanging on to the steeling wheel to see around to back a trailer in to a loading dock.
This truckon the left has a 30 foot round nose two axle bogies that has hard solid rubber tires on it pulled by and cab over Mack.

This is a lowboy trailer with another Mack for town use on heavy frt. to unload.
Also has solid rubber tires with removal stakes.

This is just a frt. dock scene.

What’s nice about these trailers are we use the old Bachmann plastic wheels… Just take off the flange with a grinder. They look just like the old Solid tires with painted disk wheel that had around San Fran in the Bay area here.
I hate to say it, but I do remember in the early 40ths that these wheel were still used on the old brick streets in San Fran.

#2

Noel great pics and ideas. .

#3

Ron Tremblay said:

Noel great pics and ideas. .

…
Thanks Ron… Was a fun project making or revising these and have more to make.

Note: To Richard. Smith old truck buddy …Eat your heart out…“Mine are chain drive.” hehehehe

#4

nice work. Each scene kind of tells a story of it’s own.

What’s in the bags in the grey trailer?

#5

Joe Paonessa said:

nice work. Each scene kind of tells a story of it’s own.

What’s in the bags in the grey trailer?

…
Guess cotton… they say Seeds and Flour. LoL
I know when a small breeze come up they blow off the trailer… guess going to have to tie them down… Light seeds and extra fine light flour. hehehehe…
Sorry Joe…Old guy here.

#6

Noel, those old trucks look pretty cool.
Ralph

#7

Nice. Love the fruit/veggie load.

#8

Noel,

Nice job on the trucks. You should have modeled an era more familiar with your personal experience…you know…with horses! hahaha!

There were still a few brick streets in the warehouse district until at least the 1970s. Bumpety bump even with pneumatic tires.

Did you ever see, still used in the sixties, the three axle Mack bulldog crane truck without a cab that used to work on the SF waterfront? A real relic. It had three axles but only a single pair of wheels on each, no dual wheels? It didn’t have solid rubber tires but I’ll bet it did originally. Would make a great test of your talent to replicate. I always meant to take a photo as I frequented the waterfront in those days but never did. One of those “gonna do someday things”.

Anyway nice work Noel. :slight_smile:

#9

Noel Wilson said:

Lot of time with just a small round mirror, they had to stand out hanging on to the steeling wheel to see around to back a trailer in to a loading dock.

I’ve seen a lot of drivers that have to do that even today, with those big exhaust stacks right behind the doors.

Nice job on the trucks, but they do need to be weathered a bit…:wink:

#10

Nice work Noel.

#11

Richard Smith said:

Noel,

Did you ever see, still used in the sixties, the three axle Mack bulldog crane truck without a cab that used to work on the SF waterfront? A real relic. It had three axles but only a single pair of wheels on each, no dual wheels? It didn’t have solid rubber tires but I’ll bet it did originally. Would make a great test of your talent to replicate. I always meant to take a photo as I frequented the waterfront in those days but never did. One of those “gonna do someday things”.

…
Once in a while I had to make an extra run to the bay area out of Sacto. with a set of dbl’s.and had to pick up one trailer at the Warf after going to the Oakland term… But second trailer, not able to get it until it was on the street… Had to wait for a Long shorman to bring it out with some kind of a two axle tractor that had no cab but did have head lights… lol
We were Teamsters local 150 and not aloud to cross over on the Warf at night due to two difference Unions? lol.
Never seen any of three axles truck there on Warf like you said Richard…

Yah… San Fran streets, sometime one could lose a truck in them or had to go real show to stay on the seat in the cab. lol. Was not good with a Cab over Frt. liner with an empty trailer and dolly on back… Had to replace the Light cord on the dolly once due the cord came out and I ran over it… hahahaha.

Oh Horses… hahahaha. Now how would know about them???

#12

Looks good Pap!

#13

I had a few e-mails on how the suspension worked on the truck and trailer.
So this shows how we did it.
This is how the bottom looks by using a Dermal and making the axle slots oval.
We only put one Wire suspension on the back due to the heavy cab over that had to have two wires to keep it working right up front.
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/noelw/Truck%20fleet/Underside%20of%20Mack.jpg)
Welding wire works great for this.

This shows how the Fifth wheel works… It has a sliding rod to cup the nail head pin of the trailer so it won’t come off.
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/noelw/Truck%20fleet/fith%20wheel.jpg)

This show how the tractor sets up with a 3 point suspension set up.
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/noelw/Truck%20fleet/Tractor%20Mack.jpg)

Showing the 30 foot trailer with it bogies working and the Bachmann train wheels that had the flanges taken off and made duel’s wheels out of.
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/noelw/Truck%20fleet/30%20foot%20trailer.jpg)

Bottom side of trailer. The landing gears are set to raise or lower by a crank and scissor type of set up.
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/noelw/Truck%20fleet/Bottom%20of%2030%20foot%20trailer.jpg)

It showing making a left turn with the manual turn signal bar and mirror’s installed.
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/noelw/Truck%20fleet/Making%20left%20turn.jpg)
Hope this helps.

#14

Ken Brunt said:

Noel Wilson said:

Lot of time with just a small round mirror, they had to stand out hanging on to the steeling wheel to see around to back a trailer in to a loading dock.

I’ve seen a lot of drivers that have to do that even today, with those big exhaust stacks right behind the doors.

Nice job on the trucks, but they do need to be weathered a bit…:wink:

Still do also with sleeper cabs and stacks on semi tippers while tipping on hopper grates. Gets interesting real quick with a awning overhead. :slight_smile:

#15

Bob McCown said:
Nice. Love the fruit/veggie load.

…

Tks’ Bob… the fruit /vegg’s. are just beads with embroidery thread thru them and made on a string then cut ea. one off to make the goodies.
I been looking for something to make the Bananas with some kind of beads or?.
Here is another terminal.
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/noelw/Truck%20fleet/Load%20with%20trucks..jpg)

#16

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Banana-Crate-Miniatures-2-1-24-Scale-G-Scale-Diorama-Accessory-Items-/161038752623?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item257ea85b6f

#17

Grant Kerr said:

Ken Brunt said:

Noel Wilson said:

Lot of time with just a small round mirror, they had to stand out hanging on to the steeling wheel to see around to back a trailer in to a loading dock.

I’ve seen a lot of drivers that have to do that even today, with those big exhaust stacks right behind the doors.

Nice job on the trucks, but they do need to be weathered a bit…:wink:

Still do also with sleeper cabs and stacks on semi tippers while tipping on hopper grates. Gets interesting real quick with a awning overhead. :slight_smile:

Boy I bet…Wonder how they never tip over sometimes.

Here is one that the darn mirrors shock so much that to see around the sleep you had to stand out on the running board to back in sometimes. Not easy with no power steering and I only wt 170 lbs… lol…
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/noelw/RailRoad%20stuff/PIE.jpg)

Course you could put it in low under and go and have coffee while backing up. 5 and 3 was a very low Rev. gears splits. You could walk faster.

#18

Saw one go over once. Was like watching slow motion. Uneven ground. Jackass should have known better. Trashed the tri axle trailer and a heap of damage to the tractor. lesson? Never tip where the spotter tells you without checking. Sorry did not mean to hi jack your thread. I do like what you have done.

#19

(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/noelw/Truck%20fleet/SN850719.JPG)

Where what is that Ace Hardware truck?

#20

Grant Kerr said:

Saw one go over once. Was like watching slow motion. Uneven ground. Jackass should have known better. Trashed the tri axle trailer and a heap of damage to the tractor. lesson? Never tip where the spotter tells you without checking. Sorry did not mean to hi jack your thread. I do like what you have done.

…

No Problem on hi jacking. Trucks are truck, same as trains are trains. We like anything with our hobbys.
Yah … We seen a lot of guys almost trip over sideway. With that kind of wt. it’s a wonder that the frames don’t twist or get sprong placing the wt. to a difference place on the dump.

The only thing that I had was one bad time working for Haslett whrs. driving a set of Dbl back to Sacto. Was just getting up on Cal. (Cordelia ) truck scales on Hwy 80 and some stuiped guy load one big crate on a pallet that was loaded wlith Rail tie plates… I think it was around 12,000 lbs in one Box crate.
When i hit the bump on the scales, the old back trailer i had, the floor bracing were rusty and broke loose. The crate went thru the floor due to the crate was setting right in the middle of the trailer. Boy did that put the brakes on going over the scale. Course I closed the scales and got a ticket for Haslett…hahahaha.
I wonder what that cost to get Haslett off the hook.
Tk’s. Good story there Grant.