1/48th Model Vehicle (Divco Milk Van)

Yes I have one of the elusive twin pines milk distribution trucks they made that was exclusively here in Michigan..

They are cool but the milk delivery guy is quite large in scale

J Daddy:  That is a later model Divco?, and not the 1929-48, kit ONLY I think, model offered by Sylvan.  It is a much more boxy vehicle.  Sylvan makes a very wide variety of HO models of pre-war vehicles, for many years, including many of the body styles within a year.  Would make one drool if they were available in O scale.

oops sorry... yes.. did not catch the date... 

colorado hirailer posted:

I just found out that Sylvan Scale Models (sold by Coronado Scale Models in the U.S.) , that make a fabulous, large line of HO models of all the pre-war vehicles I would want in O, ONLY in HO, in Canada, make ONE model vehicle kit in 1/48th.  That is of a 1929-48 Divco delivery van, often used for milk delivery.  It is priced at $42.95.  If you can use this vehicle in your urban scenes, it exists.

Yep, I couldn't resist building it...

We (LHS-Michigan) buy direct from Sylvan.  Clare (Gilbert), CEO, CFO, Chief Engineer, Manufacturing Mgr, etc. frequently passes our store on the way to other Midwest locations, so it's an easy drop.

As much as I've encouraged him to do more 1:48 models (for selfish reasons!), his is a common issue....the HO market is much, much bigger, offering a better return for effort. 

I also built his 1:48 tug and barge for which I would dearly love to have his (HO) buoy done in the "King of Scales" as a complement....among other druthers.  Maybe someday?....

KD

Brooklin, which started in Canada, has managed to peddle a random and erratic selection of vehicle models at a much higher price , $100+, (many to European model car collectors, of course) and one wonders why that same European auto model market would not be good customers for more 1/48-1/43 Sylvan models?IXO, Whitebox, etc., just pander to the later years of auto models, 1970's and up, while Sylvan is immersed in 1930's and prior vehicles.

If you're looking for vehicles of all makes and years from the exotic to the ordinary and don't mind the slightly larger scale of 1/43 then look here. Of course, some of these models are rather pricey.

I find it very annoying that British O'scale is 7mm to the foot so HO is 3.5mm (half "O"). It's funny especially since England was not on the metric system when all of Europe was and still measured in inches and feet. That 1:43 scale became a standard car collectors scale and yet 1/4" = 1' is so widely used in the USA. Tamiya makes a nice line of 1:48 military models and of course 1:48 is a terrific aircraft modeling scale. I'm starting another project (not for posting here) of a Monogram/Revell B-17G. I'm building it for a fellow that was one of my young proteges back in the day when I was building models in the garage of my PA townhouse. That kit has 1:48 figures with it. Artista figures are also close to scale, but the European figures again are based on that 1:43 British standard. We just have to get more O'scale/Gaugers out there to make the market. I know, I know... that's wishful thinking.

 1926 versus 1941 Divco trucks.  Both from the 2015 Macungie ATCA show:

CO Highrailer,

Thanks for posting this information.  The older body style is new to me and bit too "boxy" for my baby boomer memories and therefore modeling era. But it's good to know about.  Regardless, I checked out the tugboat and barge models mentioned that Sylvan also produces and was very impressed.  They will be on my retirement wishlist when the time comes.  Hope you don't mind my using this as an excuse to post another Divco picture along with a rare "K scale" model. 

From the dates of production that you provided, it looks like these two body styles overlapped a bit.

The milk truck is a 1938 Divco Twin photographed September 1989 at Digital Equipment's 3rd Annual Roadeo, Marlborough, MA (who says software engineers didn't have any fun?).  The kiddie car version is battery powered.

Tomlinson Run Railroad

PS=Pardon the bad scanner.