Round2 to release Mack B-61 semi kit.

[W-409]

I'm not even a truck builder, although I've built one in the past and have a couple more truck kits waiting to be built (actually, would be cool to build either one or both of them soon), but I'm really excited about this kit! When these hit the shelves I'll definitely be buying one.

[niteowl7710]

12 hours ago, tim boyd said:

You guys are causing me to remember the nightmares of my first job at Ford.  At the time E&L Transport was apparently in a state of chaos, as our poor dealers would call me every day asking where this or that car was.  I was supposed to call E&L, find out, and get back to them.  Sparing you the detail but it was a colossal mess.   This was the summer of 1978, the Ford car/truck business was still booming (the second oil embargo was about 12 months in the future), and it was a wonder I didn't lose my job right there.  WheW!   TB 

Fast Forward all these years later and a state of chaos with Ford (and later GM) took out Jack Cooper Transport which was the largest remaining union auto haulers a few months ago.

[tim boyd]

4 hours ago, niteowl7710 said:

Fast Forward all these years later and a state of chaos with Ford (and later GM) took out Jack Cooper Transport which was the largest remaining union auto haulers a few months ago.

I'm not sure exactly what happened there; I have not yet heard a truly definitive and believable account of how and why it unraveled.  But as is so often the case in the business world, there are two sides to every story, and I am sure this is one of those cases....TB 

[maxwell48098]

Interesting thought, Monogram introduced their first kit of the 1926 Mack AC in 1973, or 47 years after the model year the kit represents.  The Mack B61 was produced from 1953 to 1966, so if Round 2 produced a 1966 model year B-61, it would be 60 years old by the time the kit hits the market. And the B-61 is one of the top collector trucks today as it represents the iconic short nose, big power of the Mack bulldog imagery.

But I still want some!!!!!

 

 

A.J.

[chuckyr]

This would be an excellent trailer to hitch it to.  Late 1940s to early 1960s vintage.

 

 

Edited October 30 by chuckyr

[Luc Janssens]

14 hours ago, chuckyr said:

This would be an excellent trailer to hitch it to.  Late 1940s to early 1960s vintage.

 

 

Hmm, would also be nice behind a certain Peterbilt truck 😉. How's that DVD thingy working Ragtop Man?

Edited October 30 by Luc Janssens

[Ace-Garageguy]

I love the looks of the B-61. I'm in for at least two...

[stavanzer]

Would the AMT Lowboy Trailer work for this kit?

I already have the kit, and the brutal, powerful look of the B-61 Would be perfect for the load, I think.

[TECHMAN]

16 hours ago, stavanzer said:

Would the AMT Lowboy Trailer work for this kit?

I already have the kit, and the brutal, powerful look of the B-61 Would be perfect for the load, I think.

Well sure!!!!   Someplace in the old photo albums are pictures of Dad pulling lowboys with B-Model Macks.  That's one of the "four combos" I have on my bucket list....😉

DJ

[Brian Austin]

FWIW there was a petroleum pomo with Mack B and tanker trailer in 1:32 scale produced several years ago.

[leafsprings2]

On 10/24/2025 at 5:44 AM, Bennyg said:

 

The set up in the provided picture looks very similar to the First Gear Mack. They’re likely scanning and using the same truck it was based on from what I can tell in the pictures. (See pictures)

 

Agreed, appears the new kit will be a spin off of the 1/25 First Gear. If it's successful, hopefully more die cast subjects become plastic kits. Would love to see a Big Job kit in 1/25.1/50 (1/48) First Gear 59-3069 1956 Ford F-800 grain canopy covered Werner truck | eBay

[tim boyd]

12 hours ago, leafsprings2 said:

Agreed, appears the new kit will be a spin off of the 1/25 First Gear. If it's successful, hopefully more die cast subjects become plastic kits. Would love to see a Big Job kit in 1/25.1/50 (1/48) First Gear 59-3069 1956 Ford F-800 grain canopy covered Werner truck | eBay

Round 2 is aware of the First Gear product and apparently used that as one of its very early reference sources during the initial stages of kit development, to my understanding.  But my takeaway from discussing with Round 2 personnel is that they are deeply researching this subject through 1/1 and historical sources, and that the final kit will be a function of that effort, not a replication of the First Gear product. 

As I always say in these instances, "time will tell" but my impression at this point is that the B-61 kit will be the result of a pretty intense, in-depth effort to replicate the 1/1 scale subject...TB