Yellowstone National Park bear transport

[Atmobil]

So I'm surfing around on the 67-72 chevy trucks forums and come across this massive Nostalgia thread. On page 13 I found this:

And a few posts later, this:

Here is a link to the thread:
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=540610&page=13
Now this is a cool modeling idea!!
But where to find a 1:25 bear?

[440 Dakota]

That would be a cool build the bear could be sourced from G scale train stuff

check these out

Edited February 11, 2018 by 440 Dakota
added

[Aaronw]

The Park Service still uses similar bear traps. I took measurements off of one used by Yosemite National Park when I worked there.

The light green used by the National Park Service is different from the US Forest Service green used today. The green went away in the 70s but Yosemite still had a few pieces of heavy equipment in that color. I found Krylon Celery to be a decent match for it.

[Casey]

I really like the low-line truck, and didn't realize they used the same Stepside bed from '55-'66 like that, especially with the LR fender notched for spare tire clearance.

That Ranger doesn't look to confident this is all going to work out, though.  

[Atmobil]

On 11.2.2018 at 3:48 AM, 440 Dakota said:

That would be a cool build the bear could be sourced from G scale train stuff

check these out

Ofcourse, G-scale stuff. Thats it, why didn't I think of that

 

On 11.2.2018 at 7:13 AM, Aaronw said:

The Park Service still uses similar bear traps. I took measurements off of one used by Yosemite National Park when I worked there.

The light green used by the National Park Service is different from the US Forest Service green used today. The green went away in the 70s but Yosemite still had a few pieces of heavy equipment in that color. I found Krylon Celery to be a decent match for it.

To me that beartrap and trailer looks like it has been made from a sewage pipe or something like that on a simple trailerchassis. Did they make them up themself or did someone manufacture them?

On 11.2.2018 at 9:07 PM, Casey said:

I really like the low-line truck, and didn't realize they used the same Stepside bed from '55-'66 like that, especially with the LR fender notched for spare tire clearance.

That Ranger doesn't look to confident this is all going to work out, though.  

I think I would have a remote control of that opening but brave men have done more than just let a bear out of a trap before.
to me the truck looks to be a 63 C10 based on the wraparound windshield, flat hood and the fender emblem. I guess I'm lucky that I got several of the AMT 60 kits aswell as the Revell 65 stepside and a resin 63 grille and emblems.
A new modelproject is exactly what I need as I only have about 15 started projects and have only finished one model in the last four years....

[Jim B]

Wonder where I could find National Parks Department decals?

If I were that Ranger, I think I'd want some backup with some firepower, just in case.  Obviously there are other people there because someone is taking the photographs & the other tire marks in the grass.  I just hope it's other Rangers & not National Geographic!

[Casey]

18 minutes ago, Jim B said:

Wonder where I could find National Parks Department decals?

If I were that Ranger, I think I'd want some backup with some firepower, just in case.  Obviously there are other people there because someone is taking the photographs & the other tire marks in the grass.  I just hope it's other Rangers & not National Geographic!

These don't look ideal, and probably not accurate (Aaron?), but maybe?:

ebay link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/GOFER-RACING-U-S-GOVERNMENT-VEHICLES-DECALS-FOR-1-24-and-1-25-SCALE-MODEL-CARS/372221430292?hash=item56aa204a14:g:9cMAAOSwyAJagumO

Edited February 14, 2018 by Casey

[Jim B]

Those are nice.  Me thinks I might just have to get a set, but they look too modern for the truck in the photo, I think.  FBI Police?

[Aaronw]

19 hours ago, Atmobil said:

Ofcourse, G-scale stuff. Thats it, why didn't I think of that

 

To me that beartrap and trailer looks like it has been made from a sewage pipe or something like that on a simple trailerchassis. Did they make them up themself or did someone manufacture them?

I think I would have a remote control of that opening but brave men have done more than just let a bear out of a trap before.
to me the truck looks to be a 63 C10 based on the wraparound windshield, flat hood and the fender emblem. I guess I'm lucky that I got several of the AMT 60 kits aswell as the Revell 65 stepside and a resin 63 grille and emblems.
A new modelproject is exactly what I need as I only have about 15 started projects and have only finished one model in the last four years....

 

I can't seem to find the photos I have, they are here somewhere among the hundreds on the hard drive.

 

I'm pretty sure they were fabricated by somebody local if not by park employees. The body appeared to be standard culvert pipe which they would have a lot of for road work, the trailer was basic maybe converted from another use or just built from scratch.

 

The gate on the one I looked at was a little different than in the photo, but imagine a similar system. Basically just a dead fall that shuts the door when the bear grabs the bait. The enclosure is long enough to ensure the bear doesn't get caught in the gate when it drops. There was a cable mechanism at the far end (closest to the vehicle) that allowed a person to raise the gate to release the bear.

Black bears are not terribly aggressive, so I'm sure 99% run as fast as they can away from the loon that locked them in the tube. Brown bears / Grizzlies might be another story, but we don't have them in California. Yellowstone does, which may be why that one looks a fair bit larger and stouter than the ones I saw. An exceptionally large black bear might weigh 400lbs, Brown bears can double that and have bad attitudes to match.  

 

The little guy in the photo is pretty typical of a black bear, probably 150lbs or so.

 

2 hours ago, Casey said:

These don't look ideal, and probably not accurate (Aaron?), but maybe?:

ebay link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/GOFER-RACING-U-S-GOVERNMENT-VEHICLES-DECALS-FOR-1-24-and-1-25-SCALE-MODEL-CARS/372221430292?hash=item56aa204a14:g:9cMAAOSwyAJagumO

 

Those look good, but as Jim says, they are for a modern vehicle. The license plates don't work though, the are agency specific the A plate is for the Dept of Agriculture and would be for the US Forest Service pre-2000 or so. The other is a modern plate, looks like DHS? So is for the Border Patrol which is under the of Dept Homeland Security. I guess the others don't get plates. Park Service is under the Dept of Interior so would have an I plate. Odd that they didn't do a GSA plate, that would probably be wrong as they vary by vehicle class but would at least cover more ground. GSA is the General Services Agency, an agency that provides services to other agencies. One of those services is leasing vehicles when an agency doesn't want to buy its own. 

Edited February 14, 2018 by Aaronw