Aaronw

Thanks, that helps a lot, I can definitely work with what's in the kit.

Thanks, I just picked one up on ebay. I posted the KW along with some more modern logging trucks awhile back in the 1-1 section. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/98131-logging-trucks/ More logging trucks and equipment here including some old Peterbilts and KWs

Extending / shortening the frame / wheel base is a pretty simple thing to do (just make sure your cuts are even), swapping dual drive / single drive axles, engine swaps, sleepers (some trucks this is easier than others). Headache racks are another fairly easy modification. Style of hood (butterfly vs tilt) is often a fairly simple job sanding off detail or scribing some panel lines depending on which way you go. Ford LTL engine swap (kit comes with a Cummins, I'm swapping that with the CAT out of the Revell Snap Peterbilt). Fairly straight forward swap, just had to make some minor adjustments to line up the mounts and make sure everything clears when the hood is shut. I also replaced the back wall of the cab (large pass through opening on kit part) to convert it from a sleeper to a day cab. Just a matter of tracing the kit part onto sheet plastic and then cutting out a rear window. It will be up against a tanker body when complete so doesn't need the same level of detail as a tractor might. Headache rack and frame extension on an IH Paystar. The under bed tool box was fabricated as well, another fairly easy task (its just a box after all).

I guess the better question would have been does it hook up like these where the trailer is sort of a pintle set up with the front end of the logs riding on the rear of the truck rather than being a 5th wheel trailer arrangement (think weird skinny flatbed). It looks like that is how the kit is set up and I think you are confirming that. I don't mind some minor fabrication, just don't want to start yet another major project. I've got one of the reissued California Peterbilts and this seems like a nice trailer to go behind it. 1-1 logging trucks are quite common around here, so just needed to confirm it is a similar style trailer to what is on the roads. Thanks

I haven't seen the AMT trailer up close. Does it include parts for the tractor to build this style of logging truck with an extended rear frame? I'm wondering if it would work for the trucks like these without a lot of modification.

From 2011 to 2015 I've had a total of 2% increase. That was a 3 year pay freeze (2011-2013) followed by 1% each in 2014 and 2015. Over that same period it appears inflation has raised costs about 9%...

Wall of Voodoo Mexican Radio

I thought this was kind of cute. I assume the Ranger is a pilot car, not sure what the truck normally hauls though, maybe manufactured homes?

A bit more obscure, The Beat Farmers Blue Chevrolet off of their Van Go album (also on their best of album)

Peter Gabriel is awesome, particularly his earlier albums. He has had a hit or two on mainstream radio so may not count as obscure, but Gotye sounds amazingly similar to Peter Gabriel. The first time I heard him I thought it was a new Peter Gabriel song. He also has some very creative videos. Gotye Eyes Wide Open from Making Mirrors

I like Timbuk 3, they had one hit (The Futures so bright I gotta wear shades) but are otherwise pretty obscure. They only had the one hit but are a solid band, I like just about everything they did. Kind of an eclectic sound though, hard to pick just one song that represents them. Assume many are familiar with their hit song, so this is another off of their first album Greetings from Timbuk3, kind of the other end of the spectrum from gotta wear shades.

Timbuk 3 The Futures so bright I gotta wear shades They only had the one big hit, but actually recorded 5 or 6 albums.

Diesel ignition has little to do with longevity, the old gas engines had similar long lives. Big truck engines are built to last, if you built a truck engine that could only go 100,000 miles who would want it, they would be replacing an engine every year. Regular maintenance and being driven by professional drivers is also a major factor. You can find cars with 1 million miles on them as well, but that is the exception because most people treat their cars poorly. There is a one owner 1966 Volvo 1800 with a documented 3 million miles on the original engine, with no major breakdowns. You can bet that guy pays attention to his car. If you like to read / have the time to read there is a book "Cummins, the engine that could" which you might find interesting. It was paid for by Cummins who wanted an unbiased look at what they have done wrong and right over their history to help the company stay on the right track. Although it is focused on the history on one company it is a very old company and does a good job of tracing the history and development of the diesel engine in the US. New it is quite expensive (I think it is used as a text book for business majors), but you can find used copies cheap on Amazon or ebay. While it might sound dry, it was one of those books I actually had a hard time putting down. Sadly while the talk about individual engines, there is not much in the way of photos or diagrams which would have been useful for models.

Yep, an old Crown. The AMT / Ertl American La France kits include an 8v71, as do several of the semi-truck kits. The older Detroit Diesels (up through the 1990s) were two stroke engines which is what creates the different sound. Most diesels have been 4 stroke engines. Detroit Diesel and Cummins have been producing diesel engines in the US since the 1930s. While they were available for decades, and really started to become popular in trucks during the 1960s, diesels didn't become the dominant power plant for heavy trucks until the gas crisis of the 1970s. Caterpillar offered diesel powered tractors as early as the 1930s. I don't believe they entered the truck market until the 1960s when they built some diesel engines for Fords C series trucks. These were really medium duty engines, I don't think they offered a real Class 8 sized diesel engine until the mid 1970s. As KJ mentioned there were others that are no more or are at least out of the truck engine business, Buda was acquired by Allis Chalmers in the 1950s and then focused on agricultural tractor engines. Continental and Waukesha are still around but now mostly build stationary engines (for generators and such). Hercules exists now as a parts supplier supporting the engines the company once built. One of the things that we have a shortage of in model truck kits is the older gasoline heavy truck engines from Hall Scott, and Continental along with a few others. These were large to huge gas engines, Continental sold inline and V engines from 427 (7 liter) to 820 cubic inches (13.4 liter), Hall Scott offered one of the largest a 1091 cubic inch (17.9 liter) inline 6. You can find the Hall Scotts in a lot of west coast Kenworths and Peterbilts as well as fire apparatus well into the 1960s. Hall Scott also made a huge V-12 2269 cubic inch (37.2 liter) marine engine that supposedly found its way into some Kenworth trucks (900 horsepower at a time 300 hp was a lot of power).

For sound quality you cant beat the old 2 stroke Detroit Diesel V engines (6v71 and 8v71 being quite popular in fire engines and transit buses during 60s and 70s).

That is neat. I've got a trailer mounted generator at work, obviously a little bit of difference between a welder and a generator but you got the look right. What did you use for the cables? They are very convincing.

Cab Over Cab Forward trucks also allow for a shorter wheelbase which in turn gives a smaller turning radius. Cab over trucks are still very popular for medium duty delivery trucks and fire apparatus due to their better maneuverability on congested city streets.

I think a lot are unfinished metal as well, it has been a long time since I saw a manual transmission but I'm remembering just a cast iron patina, our new trucks (since 2001) are all automatics. I'd have to crawl under one to double check, but as I recall they just have unfinished cast aluminum housings.

I placed an order in mid August, and got my order this week (so 15-16 weeks). I expected a long wait and it was worth it. It is also my birthday next week so nice timing, seems I got myself a very nice present this year.

The dude by the engine is all dressed up, somebody had a fire, at least a small one. They wouldn't be in turnouts and SCBA for a medical. As there is no hose deployed, I'd guess there was either a smell of smoke, or a small fire that the home owner extinguished, but called the fire department to come and check it out.

They are expensive cars.

Doesn't Navistar provide Power Stroke diesels to Ford? What class 4/5 trucks does Navistar build? The lightest one I can think of is the Durastar which is solidly in the Class 6 range.

You know I never did either, but people kept asking me how things work "where do you eat, can you take a shower" etc etc. So I started taking a few photos a few years ago mostly for friends and family members, then I started thinking some of these would make a neat model... so I took more.

That is nice, NY had a weird but very distinctive color scheme back then.

It is the size of opening that matters, not area of the booth. A 2x2x2ft booth, requires the same fan as a 2x2x4ft booth, but a 2x4x2ft booth would require a fan twice as big. (HxWxL). It is not just CFM but also air velocity to push the fumes out, a big opening slows the air flow, just as a too small exhaust does. This is a really good article if you want to build a booth comparable (or better) than one of the commercial hobby booths. http://modelpaint.tripod.com/booth2.htm I've got a 2x2x2 ft booth, with a 485cfm squirrel cage blower. Factoring in the loss due to ducting (6" dia metal) it is around 400-450 cfm. Works great, including the blower I built it for about $200. Based on the article above I am right at the recommended flow for a 2x2 cross flow booth. Many of the commercial booths actually fall a bit short. Grainger is a great source for shaded pole blowers (aka Squirrel cage), kind of a pain because you have to make an account, but good selection and prices, awesome service. I had my blower within 48 hours of making the order. Most of these blowers require a separate cord / plug since they are generally used as a replacement motor, a heavy duty cord is only $10 or 15 and easy to install.