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

Bell Lines was out of Charleston, WV and sold out to Smith's Transfer in Staunton, VA in 1970.  Pictures are about impossible to find, I have seen only 5 from all my books and internet searches.  Here are two Bell Lines B Macks and the prototype pictures they are modeled after.

Note the small mirrors and only two clearance lights.  The trailer is a scratched box on a Revell chassis.

The tractor had a second axle added, plus some details.  Note no stack, quarter fenders or mudflaps on the picture (That's the WV state capital in the background).  Weaver trailer.

Thanks to Christie at Graphics on Demand for the custom decal designs.  Nothing would have been possible without her work.

Gray

you knock it out of the park with these Wow! Your last pic of the real truck is my favorite. It’s a Mack B67 tandem  with a drag axle and a contour cab very rare. The B67 was a shorter hood than the B61. For those who never saw a Mack B contour cab here’s one I’m working on in 1/25 scale. They did this for length laws the cab was contour so the trailer would clear. Gray keep those old LTL’s coming 

Gray, Lee,

Thanks so much for sharing these models.  I’m really inspired by your efforts, which show modeling at its absolute finest.  It’s OK to see die cast photos, but those can be had anywhere.  

What you do to regular trucks, with both paint and details, provides a high standard for the hobby.  I especially like what you’ve done with Champ of the Road models.   I’m currently away from trucks, working on a layout addition, so no recent trucks to share... 

Great work!!!!

Don

Thanks Don for the nice complements that means a lot 

speaking of champs of the road I need to finish this one I got when I was a kid. It was a old TG&Y truck I played with it till wheels fell of but I never got rid of it. I striped the paint off about 5 years ago and repainted it and made some Custom decals for it. Here’s some pics of it. It’s going to be on a Revell honest John frame and Don Mills Wheels pulling a Reffer trailer 

Put this truck on the Layout tonight. I built this truck about 10yrs ago with a set of Don Mills wheels for a upgrade. I bought the Lionel  trailer last year. 

Thanks for the compliments on the trucks.  I had an uncle who drove for Bell only wish I had been old enough to have talked to him about driving, B series Macks, 2 stick transmissions etc.

What is a source of 1/48-1/50 1955-1970 (approx) trucks, especially looking for F and R model Mack's, White 9000, IH R and DCO, GMC conventionals.  Spec Cast made the White WC, but they are getting impossible to find, at least as a decent price to cut up and modify.  I know of Corgi, Spec Cast, Revell and some super expensive British made castings (Smith and EMD???).

Seems like all the kit and parts suppliers are drying up, It's a tough business.  I'm by no means a master modeler, but it's fun to see what an attempt might bring, and sometimes projects comes out well.

Some nice 1/43 from Iconic Replica and IXO, but 1/43 is just too big for O scale in my opinion.

Gray

Gray

WSI just release the Mack F 1963-1980ish outside that good luck. No one makes a R International series that I know of I have a bunch of old Rick Manz 1/48 cab casting that are super rare but they are in bad shape. Here’s a narrow nose Pete I’ve worked on for hours getting it this far.I plan on putting a Don Mills Log Trailer on it. Don Mills told me a couple months ago he’s not selling truck kits anymore not to anyone. 

Hi Lee, take a look at these new release from diecast direct'.. 100 bucks a pop, but  I'm having trouble from stopping myself from ordering  the aero willys, I've  always loved that car'... 

BTW, I must reemphasize everything Don has stated.  You and  Nhvrygray perform the epitome of truck modeling'.

Oh yes! I know it’s alot but hey you only live once and if you can afford it do it. I sold a lot of HO stuff this winter and took some of the cash and bought stuff that I’ve been wanting for years. I could have saved it but some of the O scale stuff just fell in my lap and I couldn’t get a deal like that again. 

Guys I moved some vehicles around tonight on the layout 

Quarter Gauger 48 posted:

Hi Lee, take a look at these new release from diecast direct'.. 100 bucks a pop, but  I'm having trouble from stopping myself from ordering  the aero willys, I've  always loved that car'... 

BTW, I must reemphasize everything Don has stated.  You and  Nhvrygray perform the epitome of truck modeling'.

 

 

Thank you. I love trucks and trains glad you like them 

The 33 Ford is nice but nothing captures the style of 1950s American iron like the Willys Aero!

MELGAR

I agree Mel, 1940 to 60 were the best looking cars of all time.  I think part of our affection for them is the fact that those are the cars we grew up in and traveled to trips with our families.  We have such fond memories of those years.  Plus the simple fact there was something special about them when we started driving them ourselves.  The sounds, power, handling and the ride itself.  With all the technology today, I miss not changing my own spark plugs, adjusting the carb, and changing the oil....  

Quarter Gauger 48 posted:

I agree Mel, 1940 to 60 were the best looking cars of all time.  I think part of our affection for them is the fact that those are the cars we grew up in and traveled to trips with our families.  We have such fond memories of those years.  Plus the simple fact there was something special about them when we started driving them ourselves.  The sounds, power, handling and the ride itself.  With all the technology today, I miss not changing my own spark plugs, adjusting the carb, and changing the oil....  

The days of our youth, as well as changing our own spark plugs and oil, and adjusting carburetors, are gone forever. The best we can do is remember...

MELGAR

Hey guys I’m only 50 but I got in on this stuff too my first vehicle was a 1970 International 3/4 truck with a granny low 4 speed. What I liked it was simple to diagnose why your vehicle won’t run back then all a engine needed was fire and gas if you had fire and getting gas to your carb it’s your carb. If no fire then it’s points, coil, or a bad plugs. And remember those inline fuses if your headlight fuse blowed dad taught me to care some aluminum foil and wrap it around the fuse to get you going till you could get one tuff luck doing that these days 

MELGAR posted:

Quarter Gauger 48 posted:

I agree Mel, 1940 to 60 were the best looking cars of all time.  I think part of our affection for them is the fact that those are the cars we grew up in and traveled to trips with our families.  We have such fond memories of those years.  Plus the simple fact there was something special about them when we started driving them ourselves.  The sounds, power, handling and the ride itself.  With all the technology today, I miss not changing my own spark plugs, adjusting the carb, and changing the oil....  

The days of our youth, as well as changing our own spark plugs and oil, and adjusting carburetors, are gone forever. The best we can do is remember...

MELGAR

When I was 16yrs old I used to change my own oil and plugs it made me feel so Manly 

lee drennen posted:

Hey guys I’m only 50 but I got in on this stuff too my first vehicle was a 1970 International 3/4 truck with a granny low 4 speed. What I liked it was simple to diagnose why your vehicle ...

Lee,  Geat summary of trouble shooting back in the good old days.  In addition to those tips, a friend always kept a can of Coca Cola on hand.  Pouring a little stream of it between the battery terminals gave a low battery enough of an acidic boost to start the car.  Guess that is one thing that would still work. (Kids, don't try this on your train sets or computer keyboards :-).

My second car was a 4-door 1969 Ford Falcon.  It had a simple way to by-pass a stuck/dead starter.  It was pure genius and so handy, too!

I am still hoping that the model manufacturers will produce that particular Falcon body style.   A 2-door in the earlier body style has been made in 1:43 scale, usually painted as a race car.  Some of you have posted examples.  The 1969 was perhaps more transitional?  The Falcon style following my car looked like pony cars, of which I think there are better known examples and plenty of scale models.  

Speaking of which, painting of the interior of my 1964 1/2 Mustang has stalled.  I really need a head lamp/magnifier or maybe see if I can find that little starter switch under the hood .

Tomlinson Run Railroad

Tom

Thanks I always poured Coke on them to get rid of the  corrosion I never knew that great tip.I’m sorry but I just never did like the 69 falcon body style I like the 61 through 63 no offense.  Will you post some pictures of you working on your interior I don’t care if you post work in progress pictures on here I would like to see what you guys are working on and stuff.  I also I thought of another trick my dad taught me was if your distributor cap got wet to spray WD-40 inside of it to keep it dry. And he also taught me to pour alcohol in your Windshield wiper fluid so it wouldn’t freeze and it wouldn’t freeze up the little holes where it sprays out my dad was a trucker for 43 years and I’m not bragging but he was a very smart man when it came to mechanics I guess because he owned his own trucks and worked on them.I’m proud to say I’m a fourth generation trucker in my family also.

MELGAR posted:

Quarter Gauger 48 posted:

I agree Mel, 1940 to 60 were the best looking cars of all time.  I think part of our affection for them is the fact that those are the cars we grew up in and traveled to trips with our families.  We have such fond memories of those years.  Plus the simple fact there was something special about them when we started driving them ourselves.  The sounds, power, handling and the ride itself.  With all the technology today, I miss not changing my own spark plugs, adjusting the carb, and changing the oil....  

The days of our youth, as well as changing our own spark plugs and oil, and adjusting carburetors, are gone forever. The best we can do is remember...

MELGAR

MELGAR, those were the day's.  I was 14 the first time had my hands literally in an engine.  My best buddy, two years older, had just gotten an English Ford.  Just happen over to his house finding his dad and he doing a ring and con-rod bearing job.  Literally put my hands down into the cylinders.

Ironically years later he and I pulled an 14-hour all nighter partially rebuilding to flathead six in his then 53 Plymouth.

Lots of engines since most notably the 392 Hemi from first car.

Ron 

My brother got these from a Chevron gas station in the late 70’s-early 80’s