I used to work for the Portland Cement Association (PCA) where my job was to denigrate structural steel and boost concrete usage. Silly!
Anyway a while ago I purchased a Manitowoc 555 crawler crane. I could not figure out a way to incorporate that into my layout until I found a scale working model of a GAR-BRO concrete bucket. Then Of course I needed scale Concrete Trucks [although inside the mixer is cement, there is also sand, stone and water that makes the mixture inside Concrete not just cement; at PCA we were taught this difference]
I just needed Concrete Trucks to build a nice construction diorama; There are numerous European models available in 1/50 scale by Siku or Joal but I did not want COE Mercedes trucks I wanted USA MACK trucks, more common in the Chicagoland area. I found a few on eBay and then ones from a diecast guy that specializes in Discontinued Conrad models. The Conrad Evans Concrete Truck was a Mack but was painted in a way that did not match any of the local suppliers.
The Ready-mix suppliers here are Ozinga and Prairie. Ozinga is all RED and has a striped red-white mixer; while Prairie's truck is Green with a soft gray mixer.
I purchased three Siku Mixers and dissembled those along with the two Conrads. Using two green First Gear trucks I found on eBay; I had the makings of 3 Ozingas and two Prairie Concrete mixers.
Painting: I stripped the details, windows, etc from the Conrad cabs removed the mixer and painted those red; The mixers I painted white.
The mixer barrels will be striped with painters tape and then painted red too. when the tape is removed I will have three red and white striped mixers.
As to the Prairie mixers I painted those a light gray.
The small chute things are the chute extensions that fit on the wheel wells.
PUSHER Wheels: When Concrete trucks are very heavy they employ hydraulic pusher wheels on a fourth lift up trailing axle, that takes weight off the inner wheels. When I was chopping up the Siku's I had extra axle sets that will become the pusher wheels.
Once I have the truck re-assembled I'll try to post.
