My father was a wonderful man who loved to create and build many model kits. He lived a long life, but sadly passed away in 2019. Dad won many accolades in his life, from art competitions, model kit contests and even sports trophies.
His creations ran from model cars to commercial trucks to aircraft to naval ships to star ships and many other items.
Today we will look at his small collection of fire engines that he built from out of the box model kits to conversions using store bought kits and sheet plastic to his fully scratch built masterpieces. You may have seen some of my father's work before as it was published internationally in Finescale Modeller's 2007 Contest Annual on page 72.
The Fire Trucks you will see in this video cover the years of 1922 - 1930.
First up is the 1922 Oldsmobile Fire Chief Car. This is a conversion from the AMT "Beverly Hillbillies" Oldsmobile model kit. Dad used his home made vacuuform machine and wooden "bucks" to build an enclosed coupe body and rear hatch by heat forming sheets of plastic to the desired shape. He also made a little door on the rear hatch that opens to store the megaphone that the fire chief would use to shout out orders to his crew.
The second engine is a chemical truck also based on the AMT "Beverly Hillbillies" Oldsmobile model kit. Dad used two kits to extend the truck in order to carry the home made twin chemical tanks and mixing tank. He also used a lot of brass rail and even machined a bell out of brass to alert traffic that a fire truck was passing through. The hose nozzles, spools and hoses were another one of Dad's creations.
The third fire engine is the 1926 Mack AC Bulldog. This model was converted from a Revell Mack AC Bulldog logging truck. Dad created the rear running boards, rear fenders, siren, hoses, rails, spotlight, axes, lanterns, fire hats, "Top Box", and under the twin hose reels, the internal pump used to pump water from the fire hydrant. There is more that he built on this truck that can't be listed here, but you can appreciate in the video.
The fourth fire engine was featured in Finescale Modeller's 2007 Contest Annual on page 72. This is the 1929 Aherns Fox that my Dad scratch built by scaling up the dimensions from the Jordan Miniatures 1/87th scale 1929 Aherns Fox fire engine model kit. Dad scratch built 90% of this model and mounted it onto a modified AMT Ford Louisville Delivery Truck Chassis that he back-dated to appear that it was built in 1929 by adding in the period correct shock absorbers and many other features. This model kit also features pose-able steering, oil lanterns, fire axes, ladders, a tank behind the driver's seat, hoses, and the main feature, an authentic Aherns Fox front mounted pump which could pump 1000 gallons of water per minute on the 1:1 fire truck.
The fifth and final fire truck is the 1930 Citroen C4F fire truck. This model is a Heller kit and Dad built it pretty much "Out of the Box". He modified it slightly by building a fully operational scale ladder and adding in a working hood hinge. It's a great little piece to end his collection of fire engines.
It is my goal in the future to use my model building skills to make a diorama that can display these models in action. Perhaps a burning building with some of the excellent "Period Correct" ICM Fire Fighters working desperately to control the flames (Which would be a flickering lighting effect of red, yellow and white light bulbs with some black painted cotton balls and those little fans and fabric pieces that they use in Halloween Decorations to look like moving flames.) and rescue people trapped in the building with some spectators around watching. I think that would be a fitting display of these great model kits and a real tribute to Dad's work. It would also be a great final "Father and Son" project to showcase both of our work.
So what was your favorite fire truck?
Are you, or were you a fire fighter?
Please let us know in the comments below and thank you for watching this video.
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