This is a large car. (Truck)

KCS

Member
I built this large car yesterday from styrene and three trucks. I forget who makes these trucks but they are nice and easy on the pocket book. This International 9400 started out as a trash truck then the trash body was removed. I used a GMC Topkick dump truck from the same maker and cut out a section of the frame. I took the International and cut the frame in half and added the frame from the dump truck to extend it. I used a 5th wheel from another 3 axle International of a bit of an older make the cut slots in the frame on the new one to except the 5th wheel. Then I built the large car sleeper from a junk sheet of styrene. Cutting, gluing and a little filling brought it to a smooth finish.

I started to build a cab suspension using Kadee coupler knuckle springs but I thought for my first bashed and scratched truck it was a bit to much. Maybe next time. So I dry mounted the sleeper to the frame after it was dry to find out the frame wasn't square. So, I pulled it back apart and fixed the problem then it all lined up right. Before I glued the sleeper on I carved off the front top corner and filed it flat at an angle then cut another strip to place in the center and filed it smooth. I used the cellophane off a Marlboro cigarette box for the window glass. Next time I have to remember to put that in before I put it together.

With what I had left of the styrene sheet I cut and formed the side skirts to run from the steps to the rear wheels. I used a business card for the wings on the back. The pictures aren't very good so bare with me. For those of you who know your big trucks very well, it has a bit of several types of trucks in it. The wings and skirts look like a Kenworth T-600. The sleep looks like something custom made for a special built Peterbilt and it's all stuck on an International strait truck. Antennas, which you can't see, and there are 4 of them are made from an old guitar string from a set I changed out last week.

I used the bottom E string if your curious to know which one. :) The trailers are a set of single axle flat bed hay haulers that I made for use of another service I bought about a month ago at the Lockheed train show in Temple, TX. I found out the other day that the original color was green and sprayed flat black. It works. I used a drill to ream the holes in the rims. I believe I used a #.70 bit. Not sure. The used a brass eyelet and CAREFULLY opened it up to except the brass chain and made my own hooks from .10 brass wire and another piece of larger brass wire for the safety connector hoop on the back of the first trailer.

Nothing was glued and the safety chains can be hooked and unhooked from the front trailer. It was my first attempt from scratch building. The plane sticker on the back of the sleeper was just a little something for show. It won't stay on there do to I still have to paint it.
 

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KCS

Member
Here are a couple better shots.
 

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KCS

Member
I hope the statetroopers don't pull me over for not having mudflaps and lights on my truck!
 

KCS

Member
Thank ya Jim. Yea, I'm glad the pictures aren't to good other wise you would be able to see the crooked lines on the skirts from the lack of proper tools like a strait edge. There's a gap between the cab and frame and the skirts are level with the frame top to give it that "see through" look of an air ride cab. The parts were made using a $30.00 industrial framers slide square and a .50 cent ruler.
 

siderod

Member
Why do threads like this make me go look through my junk-box to see how many N-scale Concor Truck Chassis' i have left over?

WELL DONE!!
AR
 

KCS

Member
I had an old 40's-50's style pick up truck with in PRR colors as a work truck. For old junk trucks the rims make good hi-rail wheel sets for modern equipment. I started to build one but lost one of the wheel sets so I'm out of luck for now. One of these days I'm going to custom build my Dick Simon Trucking fleet of about 40 trucks sense I found someone who makes the Freightliner FLD 120. I have one truck modeled for the company but it's a Herpa tractor and trailer. The truck is a Mack and the trailer isn't even a reefer. After I build one or two of the ones I want, I'm going to order the stuff from Micro-Mark tools to make my own molds to cut down the cost of buying each truck. Can't wait to start that project.
 

TruckLover

Mack CH613 & 53' Trailer
That thing looks AWSOME. Have you finished it yet? I noticed it has been since 2005 since you started this thread.
 

KCS

Member
No. It wasn't lacking a whole lot from being completed but a couple of my box's got dropped (what you get when you let someone else help you move) and unfortunitly that truck was in one of them. It was damaged beyond repair although I still have it and all it's parts. I used 2 Boley trucks one trash and one long bed dump like that yellow one you have in one of your pictures dumping a load of rock. I wanted to try my hand at scratch building and I bought both trucks for $4.00 each so I wasn't really loosing anything if I messed up. I plan on rebuilding the truck one day when ever I get some more styrene. Those large car sleepers are pretty easy to build and don't requir any special tools that you wouldn't have on your work bench. I'll have to post a "how to" on it one of these days.
 
Hint: Large Car is a reference used for Peterbilt's, Cornbinder is used for Internationals, Freightshaker for Freight Liners, K-Whopper is Kenworth. The 120" sleepers are generally made by Sundowner among other manufacturers.
Slang courtesy of prior employment as OTR driver.:thumb:
 

KCS

Member
Hmmmm, Freightshaker and K whopper I know of but didn't know about the others. As far as I knew for many years that "large car" was intended as the meaning of a truck with a super sleeper or sleeper of an un average/standard size.
 

TruckLover

Mack CH613 & 53' Trailer
KCS said:
No. It wasn't lacking a whole lot from being completed but a couple of my box's got dropped (what you get when you let someone else help you move) and unfortunitly that truck was in one of them. It was damaged beyond repair although I still have it and all it's parts. I used 2 Boley trucks one trash and one long bed dump like that yellow one you have in one of your pictures dumping a load of rock. I wanted to try my hand at scratch building and I bought both trucks for $4.00 each so I wasn't really loosing anything if I messed up. I plan on rebuilding the truck one day when ever I get some more styrene. Those large car sleepers are pretty easy to build and don't requir any special tools that you wouldn't have on your work bench. I'll have to post a "how to" on it one of these days.

Shoot, I'm sorry to here about that bad accident, I have had some similar accidents.

That's ok, Im sure you will get it re-buit and finished on of these days.:thumb: :thumb:
 
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