Automobiles/ Trucks 1/43-1/50 scale let’s see them

DIVCO trucks on a K-Line sprung flat car.  The unit has some heft to it.  John

Thanks, Lee, I think you’re right. Here’s a 1940’s era tank car I restored awhile back. I think I ordered the decals from The Underground Railroad Shop.

Artie. I think you would like them better. For the cab of the truck you can put “Sun Oil Co..”

@Farmall-Joe posted:

Mike G. thanks for the compliments.  I found the photo i used for the divco truck.  Attached both for comparison.  At the time i had access to Adobe Illustrator and a laser jet printer at work to do the decals.  The farm's milk bottles and barn trim were green so i went with that for the colors.  Many stories from dad of his time working there sparked the idea.  Dad and that farm are both gone but the memories live on.

Joe, It is so cool you still have that photo to enjoy! But IMOP even better is the memories you have to build from! I really like the scene with the Fordson  waiting to saw up some firewood! Great shot!

Well guys for me I was all excited as I had bought a Fire engine tiller off the bay and it arrived today.  When I got home form the Dr. I opened it and was totally let down, Now I am going to have to resale it as I love the engine, but it is to small for me and my layout. Now I know to be more hard nosed and not to think 1/50 will be just fine! Here are a couple photos and a comparison of what I am talking about! Hope you all enjoy!

I will sell this one and look for a 1/43!

It certainly looks small next to the TT but i think if you really like the engine, you have some ways around keeping it.  Try grouping it around vehicles of a similar era and size, or further in the background where things naturally look smaller.  And, even the largest most modern equipment in that era are dwarfed by todays vehicles (unless youre looking at a Smart Car).

Thanks Joe, I went with that one cause I couldn't find a modern day one for less then $150 and for me that's just to much!

Oof... yes i have trouble justifying that much for something that just sits there as well.  At least the expensive trains make noise and move about (unless youre stuck in the newly designed lionel trucks/couplers derailment saga LOL).

Mike, Joe is correct'.. Make a fire scene way back on the layout'.. It will look fine from a distance'..  The truck you have it next to, may be 1/43, however, it is a giant of a truck, and could very well be a 1/40 scale as many of these new modern trucks are.  Remember the smaller the scale number, the larger the vehicle... Crazy I know, should be the opposite.........🤪

I'll give it a try guys! I will put it back near the train station or near the power plant! I have all day tomorrow to find a spot and see how I like it!

Mike, like Ted mentions, it'll look fine back aways on the layout from other vehicles...stand alone maybe?  The only time the size difference would be noticed is if the 1/50th was right next or near to a 1/43 especially.  You could always "station it" next to the nuclear plant just in case something was to go wrong there. I play the illusion game with my little people...a 1/43 Preiser can look gigantic next to an Artista or similar...put them in the appropriate place and the larger ones look fine!  That's a good looking fire unit though...an obideaant Dalmatian would look good sitting on post...

Thanks Paul, did you get my email?

My latest "creation".

Mike, I agree with the others, find a spot in the background. I mix up vehicles, and sometimes people on the layout, but if there’s no close size tie, it holds up well. Here’s my 1/50 Corgi outside the firehouse, and just the nose of the 1/64 Seagrave sticking out of the bay. It doesn’t look bad to me.

Mike or you can be like me just collect them for self queens

Dewman, the Sargento truck looks very familiar, the many Sargento cheese factories are about ten miles away from me in Plymouth WI. The cheese capital of the world. Nice work!

@JDFonz posted:

Dewman, the Sargento truck looks very familiar, the many Sargento cheese factories are about ten miles away from me in Plymouth WI. The cheese capital of the world. Nice work!

My wife is from that area.  She has cheese shipped to us by the boxful from Gibbsville. Growing up in New England i said whats wrong with Vermont cheese? Needless to say our cheese is still all WI cheese!  LOL!

Gibbsville, again not far from me, maybe 15 miles makes very good string cheese.

Drewman, Great job on the Sargento Truck, Never seen on in Washington State let alone a Sargento store! Still looks great!

Artie, I am going to go out to the train room this morning and see what I can come up with!

Lee, Its to nice to be a shelf queen! LOL

Picked up a 1930 Agway diecast truck recently, but didn't realize it was a bank. I'm not fond of diecast banks for my layout and had to figure out a way to convert it to a smooth roofline. Obviously, the problem is that there's nothing for any filler to adhere to in the slot and it would just fall to the bank floor.

I used an old drywall patch technique and cut a small piece of .060 styrene a little thinner than the slot and about 1/4" longer at each end. I then reamed a hole in the middle with a hobby knife and inserted a tiny screw for a small pair of vise grips to grab onto.

After a couple of trial insertions of the styrene into the slot to make sure everything fit, I put a small dab of fast setting epoxy at each end of the styrene piece and, using the vise grips to securely hold it and not drop onto the truck floor, I inserted the styrene into the slot and pulled it tight up against the underside of the roof of the truck. I then carefully turned the truck over so that the weight of the vise grips held the styrene piece in place against the underside of the roof and waited 5 minutes for the epoxy at each end of the strip to set. Once set, I released the vise grips and removed the screw and let the truck sit overnight.

I then started applying filler into the hole (I used Testor's model putty) and kept filling and sanding (up to 1000 grit) to get the slot perfectly smooth and level with the surrounding roof.  When I was satisfied that it was level and smooth, I applied a coat of grey primer and re-sanded any high/low areas and primed again. I then applied two (2) coats of Rustoleum Gloss White paint.

P.S. - the white "ring" in some of the pic's is just a reflection from the overhead LED light.