# Vehicles You Want in Scale



## Dreadnought (Apr 19, 2016)

Thanks to the great feedback on my Diesel Shells thread, I thought I might start another thread along the same lines. 

This thread is about vehicles you want to see in scale. There are already a great many vehicles captured in scale, but the number of vehicles produced at any point in time is truly mind-boggling, meaning that a lot of vehicles fall through the cracks. What vehicles do you wish were available in scale?

One deficiency I've noted is buses in any era. There are certainly a few good buses out there, including Rapido's fancy new one, but I think I can count on two hands the number of different types. Alternatives to the ready-to-run manufacturers, like Sylvan, produce little-to-no bus kits. Shapeways lists a total of 17 items under 'Buses' in HO scale, and some of them aren't US prototypes.

Here's a few buses I'd like to see myself; I model the transition era, so they are from around that time.

ACF-Brill Model IC-41








Aerocoach Mastercraft P-372








Yellow Coach TD 4506









A good deal of vehicles are available for the transition era already, so it must be very difficult modeling vehicles for anyone doing anything earlier. I briefly looked into modeling the '20's or '30's, only to find the shocking paucity of vehicles from that time!

What do you all want to see in scale?

Thanks for any replies,
Dreadnought


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

*The vehicle I really want*

I want an n-scale forklift big enough to manhandle 20-foot shipping containers by the fork slots in the floor. This one is a Swedish prototype (my favorite because we have one where I work) and can lift over 50,000 pounds. Those tires are around 5 feet in diameter. . . I'm actually surprised some European manufacturer of n-scale vehicles doesn't make one. I'd also take a big Hyster or Clark.


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

*Another bus*

Here's a bus for you. There were 12 of these, custom-built at the old Kenworth plant in Seattle, WA. All were used in Montana.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=470928


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## Dreadnought (Apr 19, 2016)

GNfan,

That's an insanely cool bus. I'd like to see that as well. Maybe if I get into the resin vehicle business, I can contact the Great Northern Railway Historical Society and see if they'll support a model of it in HO and N. 

Dreadnought


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

As to buses Corgi made a number of US buses as well as many British and European buses in 1:50. IXO's 1:43 scale Buses of the World series has about two dozen or more really cool buses in it, including many really cool ones, such as the Pegaso Z-103. Admittedly, over half are sold out at retailers and hard to find now. 

As to buses I'd like to see made, the articulated Trailways Golden Eagle from the late '50s or '60s - I think it was actually made in Germany, but it was very cool. Would love that, ideally in 1:50 or 1:48. I have a non-articulated three-axle Golden Eagle in 1:43 - its really BIG! 

I'd like models of some of the WWI wooden buses that were made, including the double deckers, etc.


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## slammin (Mar 25, 2016)

Mid to late 60's autos seem a neglected era. There are lots of 50's stuff from CMW and a fair number of modern vehicle from various sources. Oxford's 65 Chevy is a really nice model and a welcome edition, but as far as I know only offered in blue and white. I've seen autos cast in a clear resin as opposed to Magnuson's off white. The clear makes realistic windows easy. Good luck with these projects.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

I'd like to see an old fashioned log skidder from the early '50's.


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## Dreadnought (Apr 19, 2016)

*An Update*

I suppose I'll give you guys an update on what I've been up to. This thread, and others, have certainly given me a lot of ideas, and I've started looking into starting a resin car kit line myself. As you may have seen in my Lima LS-1000/1200 thread, I'm trying to get together a resin kit company currently. I feel that, based on feedback from this thread and similar other threads, there is a good amount of demand in this sector.

Here are some details on what I'm going to try to be doing. I still have lots to work out, such as the manufacturer, designer, etc. but I'll just give you my ideas here. The kits would be offered in both HO and N:

*Separate Chassis and Body.* While not only decreasing production costs (a station wagon and sedan will have the same chassis) this makes it easier to add details to the interior, such as figures.
*Window Glazing. *A singular piece of clear resin would be included with each kit and glued to the roof to replicate glass.
*Facelift Capability.* Many kits would include a few different grilles/bumpers in order to allow facelifts to be reflected midway through the car's lifespan. For example, a 1971-1976 Chevy Impala would include a pre-1973 bumper and grill and a post-1973 bumper and grill (1973 was the year that the Federal Government required fat safety bumpers to be added to all cars). This would also allow a single kit to represent practically identical cars made by multiple manufacturers, such as the Chevy/GMC Suburban.
*Exchangeable Chassis.* Large truck kits would be sold as only the cab, with separate chassis kits being sold. This way, you would be able to buy a cab of, say, a Peterbilt Model 350 'Bubblenose', and then be able to choose a single-axle chassis or a dual-axle chassis, with different wheelbases available as well. This allows quite a lot of variability from a single cab, since trucks were almost as varied as locomotives in their setups.
*Detail Kits.* Along similar lines, kits would be sold for converting cars from civilian to, say, a police car or taxi, instead of selling a separate taxi kit. The detail kit would include appropriate details, like a siren, as well as decals. The same concept could be used for converting a regular van to a utility van, or a regular truck to a utility truck, or for turning a tractor truck into a straight truck, dump truck, etc.
*Bulk Packages.* A good amount of feedback has been that people want mid '70's or '80's automobiles for filling up autoracks or things like that. For that purpose, a bulk kit of cars would be sold that only come with one grill to reflect a certain model year.


Here's a little glimpse of the shortlist I've been putting together. Naturally, I can't hope to satisfy everyone's needs, but it seems the greatest want is late '60's-early '90's, so that's where I've focused first.

1975-1991 Ford Econoline Passenger Van








Would include details for 1975-1978 model, 1979-1981 model and 1982-1991 model.

1971-1976 Chevrolet Impala Sedan








Would include details for pre-1973 model, and post-1973 model.

1965-1966 Ford Galaxie 500 Sedan









1967-1972 Chevrolet/GMC Suburban








Would include optional Chevrolet or GMC branding.

1960-1963 Chevrolet/GMC C-10 Fleetside








Would include optional Chevrolet or GMC branding.

1982-1984 Honda Accord Sedan









1974-1976 Dodge Monaco Sedan










Here are some 'possibles':
Autocar DC-100








Both day cab and sleeper variants. Would be compatible with single axle chassis with short or long wheelbase, and dual axle chassis with short or long wheelbase. For example, the truck in the picture would be a day cab with a long wheelbase single axle chassis.

MCI MC-9








Would include decals for several bus outfits.

That's what I would like to be able to do, anyway. I'm currently trying to get into contact with a designer, so I'll see how that goes. However, I am making no promises yet. This is simply a listing of concepts and possible products.

Tell me what you guys think of this.

Regards,
Dreadnought


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## ebtnut (Mar 9, 2017)

There is a real dearth of true 1:48 vehicle models from the 1940's and '50's. I make do with the 1:45's that are out there, but would really like to be true to scale. There is some military stuff out there that is useful (the Tamiya 1940 Dodge comes to mind), but that post-war era is pretty barren.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

I want oil tanker trucks.....


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

I'm pretty happy with the supply of O-Gauge cars in 1:43 - I prefer the 10% boost in size that gibes to true 1:48 for cars, but like 1:48 and 1:50 much more for big rigs. I've written about all the reasons in my books on 'Streets, but I know its a matter of taste and not everyone feels that way.

Frankly, most of what I want, I question whether a model maker could make money on, although I know production counts could be small in resin - some models I have say "1 or 12" on them, etc.. Most of what I am hunting for are rare/exotic, but surprisingly I found alot I never expected to, such as a Gordon-Keeble, and a Gutbrod Superior Sport (as opposed to the normal Superior), etc. There are many I would like to get thought: an Elva Courier, for one,some Gogglemobiles, etc., and there are a few Pegasos I can't find, etc. 

More common O-Guage model cars I know have been made in the past but not now are 1:43 models of the Pinto (and Pinto wagon), Chevy Monza ('74), more base entry level sedans from the '50s, '60s, and '70s, the Cadilliac Cimarron, a '63 Pontiac Tempest, Buick Reatta . . . 

As to trucks, there are many, top of my list is the Chevy/GMC COE from 1941 - 1946 and some early Dodge trucks.


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## ebtnut (Mar 9, 2017)

I do have one of the old Revell Mobil tanker kits with the White cab-over. I think they also made a stake truck and a couple of autos, including a Model A.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

What model railway scale were those kits?


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

ebtnut said:


> I do have one of the old Revell Mobil tanker kits with the White cab-over. I think they also made a stake truck and a couple of autos, including a Model A.


i have that model. It is a good one.


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## VegasN (Mar 14, 2016)

'94 Dodge Ram 1500. One in black, and a couple in UP Maintenance truck livery.


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## SDIV Tim (Nov 19, 2015)

I want a Hennessey Venom GT and a Hennessey Venom F5.










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

CMW has some nice vehicles for HO. I think I picked up 7 of
these busses to park at my cornerstone bus station. In my
world greyhound and trailways share the station.

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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Its amazing CMW does not know the difference between wheels and tires. I just noticed
on the greyhound package it says "real rubber wheels". The wheels are not rubber. The
tires are rubber.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Small potatoes....they make a beautiful Greyhound bus......they could call them donuts for all I care....


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

mopac said:


> Its amazing CMW does not know the difference between wheels and tires. I just noticed
> on the greyhound package it says "real rubber wheels". The wheels are not rubber. The
> tires are rubber.


I'm sure they do. Just that someone in their marketing department just isn't that particular about the terminology.


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## VegasN (Mar 14, 2016)

Nice looking busses!!

And yes, I wouldn't mind having a few exotic cars in N and HO scales.


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## ebtnut (Mar 9, 2017)

To answer Hobo's question, the Revell vehicle kits were 1:48 O scale.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Thank you! :thumbsup:


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