Hey Paul! That is a really cool looking truck! Thing about those cab over trucks is you were the first ones to the scene of the accident. Those Autocar trucks were tuff looking outfits for sure. You could not hardly hurt them unless they got hit by a train. A question comes to mind. Were those wenches driven by chain? Seems as though some were as the sprockets are visible. Which seems to beg a chain drive should be visible. Chain drives were very common for many power take off (PTO) drives in the day. I worked in a gold mine in Silverton, CO in the early 1980s. We had a couple 20 ton "locies" (SP) that had Caterpillar 3408 engines, and 80 series chain drives to the axles. I was an "engineer" for them too. I told the guys in later years that the locomotives I ran in my railroad career carried more tonnage on one axle than their entire train weighed.
Tom, There was a large bicycle chain (roller chain?) that attached to a small gear on the power take off (PTO). It was between the winch and the cab and was almost impossible to see. I thought about adding a small loop of something and decided against it. A couple of photographs are attached.
Got back in vehicle mode recently, so here are a few photographs. This one is an Autocar C90 tandem axle heavy duty tractor for pulling a trailer. It may end up hooked to another lowboy. I have not decided for sure. My modeling style is pretty free-form. There is a rough plan in place that ends up being changed a half dozen times before the model is finished. Do not know if that is flexibility or a character flaw. May be a little of both. When planning this, I was leaning towards something a little different, but Tom Holley voted for a tractor that would pull a trailer, so that is how it is proceeding. The next vehicle is already on the drawing board and will have a definite Frisco connection, though it will be protolance in nature. The attached MOW truck photographs are from Mike Condren's web site. Tom Holley told me about some QA&P MOW trucks he saw around Quanah when he still lived in that area. These shots are of a much later prototype than I model, so I will start with a 1948-1950 GMC cabover and build the bed and crew box to look similar to the prototype.
Okay, way too many projects going on, but it is fun. Made some headway on the Quanah, Acme and Pacific (QA&P) MOW truck and the two trailers that will be QA&P. The trailers, I confess, are not Frisco prototype. But they were cheap, and that always speaks to my heart and my pocketbook. They are Sylvan cast resin intermodal trailers that normally sell for $19 each. I got them for $9 each. The GMC cab over engine (COE) that is the basis for the QA&P truck was bought in the same purchase. It was also half price. Anyway, since I mostly model 1945 to 1955, a 1977 truck just would not look right to me as a MOW truck, so I back dated the trucks in the previously posted Mike Condren photographs to something closer to my era. They will be equipped similarly, but with some concessions to the era I model and to my modeling skills. A few photos are attached of the basic truck and the scratch-built crew cab that goes behind the stock cab. Nothing is anywhere near complete, but it gives the general idea. The trailers...well, I took some pretty liberal license with this project. They were originally going to be a couple of QA&P intermodals. But I found a 1951 Freightliner tractor tandem axle, not single axle, and decided to do a trailer with pup setup. Promotex makes a nice and inexpensive dolly for the rear trailer for $4.50 and some correct hitches to attach underneath the front trailer. So that saved me scratch building that entire rig. Files showing the proposed paint and the trailers in their current state are attached.
A tiny bit of progress on the QA&P MOW truck. It is still just components that have not been glued together yet. Until I finalize how to paint it, that is how it will be. I am so glad that Tom Holley remembered these trucks from when he lived in west Texas and visited Quanah. This is turning into my favorite truck yet.
A little progress on the QA&P MOW truck and some painting on the QA&P trailers. The truck cab is going to need some weathering. The paint came out a much brighter yellow on the resin casting than on the styrene. The trailers are going to be tandem trailer and pup trailer like Consolidated Freightways (CF) started using back in the fifties. Obviously not prototype QA&P, but something fun and different. Got a long way to go on both, but there is no hurry.
Thanks to Tom Holley a color-blindness induced faux pas has been mostly corrected. Apparently, the color I painted the bed rails and wheels was more orange than yellow. It may need more "correction", so let me know if that's the case. My color vision is the reason I do not work for the airlines, railroads, military, healthcare, etc. After lots of head scratching I figured out what might be a plausible 1950s era hoist for the bed of the MOW truck. Off the subject but Clare Gilbert, the owner of Sylvan models the manufacturer of the basic truck kit is a terrific person with which to deal. Some of the tires on one model were deformed. I e-mailed Sylvan and he said he would not only send me replacement tires, but he also asked what other models I had ordered or was working on and he sent a set of tires for everything I have bought recently. Once those tires come, the truck will be done except for decals and weathering.
Current color in post #150 on the bed rails and stakes looks like a light iron oxide rust showing through some yellow paint. Of course, it is too uniform to be realistic. Your challenge will be to make the most of this by streaks of yellow paint for the non-rusted area. Either that or go for a "well-maintained, cleaned and polished" look and apply a shade closer to the one on the cab.
It seems some models do not want to be built. They just want to stay in the box as un-built kits. This Chevrolet COE that is now a QA&P MOW truck is one of those. This model has been a challenge every step of the way. Once the replacement tires finally arrive from Canada this thing will be glued together, weathered a little and stuck on the layout. The trailers have not been as bad, but they have also been somewhat of a challenge. They have a ways to go, but I am waiting on tires for them, as well. Sometimes you just have to realize that it is only a model and not that important in the eternal scheme of things.
The truck is basically complete. It may get a few more details, but it is just about done. The figure nearest the truck will get repainted to look like he is wearing overalls.
Jeff, So, just trying for the last day, to figure out what you mean by this post. It is a great model. Why would you say throw it against a wall? If I am "not getting it", please advise.
I am with Tom. Your post prompted a similar type of response in me "WTF" ? I could use an interpretation to understand what you meant.
Fredman was probably referring to my post about how difficult this model was to build. Below is the text from that. In context of my post, Fredman was not really out of line. Maybe he should have referred to the original post, but that is okay. It seems some models do not want to be built. They just want to stay in the box as un-built kits. This Chevrolet COE that is now a QA&P MOW truck is one of those. This model has been a challenge every step of the way. Once the replacement tires finally arrive from Canada this thing will be glued together, weathered a little and stuck on the layout. The trailers have not been as bad, but they have also been somewhat of a challenge. They have a ways to go, but I am waiting on tires for them, as well. Sometimes you just have to realize that it is only a model and not that important in the eternal scheme of things.
Paul is correct. An expression of frustration, anger, and/or exasperation with an inanimate object that appears to be intentionally uncooperative.
