Old tow truckr
Because I had the Scania LS141 for quite some years already I was thinking it would be time for
something new. In a meanwhile I modified the twin boom a bit with a model of
Maciej Drwiega
as an example. However I was a bit earlier with building a Holmes 750 he really created some nice truss like beams. For that
reason I couldn't take distance of the Holmes. My eye felt on a Kenworth K100. Why? It definitely is one of my favorite trucks
and as a kid I used to have a couple of 1:24 kits. Used to have because they cracked down many years ago. At first the idea
was to build the K100E operated by
Neil Yates Recovery
from England after I took a visit there. But that is quite a huge truck and with all that chrome it might have been quite an
expensive one. Next to that I didn't had a clue how to raise the bodywork and recovery crane. However I already started
building this big boy I was disassembling the old Scania and put the Kenworth's cab onto the
chassis met de Holmes kraan
of the stripped Scania. And there a new project started! But an Aerodyne roof wouldn't fit here as it would be too massive
compared to the twin boom so it had to be a flat roof.
The color scheme
I didn't want to build an real existing rig. Different than I used to do normally I designed my own truck with my own taste
but it definitely had to be something which also could exist in real. I have a couple of books about recovery vehicles in my
collection and soon I found something suitable, one with a 92" cab so not the largest outfit. I was still hesitating about the
colors. The twin boom and bodywork I wanted to keep yellow as some of the parts used for the twin boom I didn't have
in different colors. A fully yellow rig shouldn't be a nice one and a green with tan based outfit also wasn't what I was looking for.
The main color should be white for the cab and at least with yellow striping to match it with the bodywork. Not to only use
the traditional LEGO colors I wanted something more striking on the model. Dark blue might fit very well but then the truck
would have to much similarities with the fleet of a Dutch recovery specialist (Joh. v/d Zand of Buren). I chose for green and
that was the perfect match. A striking color and something I didn't use so far for a truck however I collected a nice collection
of green pieces.
The chassis
A new model from a country of which I didn't built a 1:13 scale truck model so far. That also meant a different approach for
building. Normally I started with the
old differentials
as a basis for the back axles but this time I was thinking of something different. I created some axles myself by using
plates and built some real like differentials. Now the axles are much more sturdy. American truck usually are 6x4 driven, just
like my K100. The frame I didn't built of Technic bricks but with normal ones. Nowadays you have much more large 1 stud
wide bricks to raise a smooth chassis. The frame itself is quite simple built and actually the whole vehicle is quite straight
forward. A chassis with a drive train and an engine with a cab on top of it and some stuff like fuel tanks etc. The engine
had to be a Caterpillar as a lot of yellow pieces would be used for the model and the main color of CAT is yellow as well.
In those year (it's a 70s model) you saw lots of V8s and that's the reason my eye felt on the
3408.
On this engine I could put some chrome parts. The basis of the V8 were the standard LEGO cylinderheads and however you
only have those in grey or transparent I tried to hide this as much as possible. The engine's outer part had to be yellow,
just like the gear box.
The cab
Of course, I'm not the first one with a scale 1:13 Kenworth K100.
Maciej Drwiega
really did a great job by building a couple of those and I've also seen some copycats. His models are of 2006 already and in
years between a lot of new useful pieces are introduced. My K100 cab shouldn't be a copy of his and I raised one myself. The
front part had to be smooth and instead of using
macaronis
I used a couple of arches. The rest of the cab I more or less built in a conventional way. But I did my homework first and
studied the K100 quite well. If you look at the real thing you might spot the
a-symetric
tilt mechanism of the cab. The engine hub is a-symetric as well because the gear lever is going through a whole in the cab's
floor from the engine. First I built the cab's exterior and then I started to add all kinds of details. For instance the front grille
I wanted to build off set. The grille frame is one tile thick but the grille itself is only half a plate deeper into the cab. The whole
front
was like a jig saw puzzle. However the cab looks like a box is was pretty much difficult to get it into the right shape. Things
like the handles underneath the wind shields and the headlights did cost me some time to add. By turning pieces upside down
you get some nice solutions. This makes building a model like this such a nice experience. Another challenge was to get the
doors open. When I used the macaronis I just had to use
plate hinges.
Because I used arches instead I couldn't place those in a proper way anymore. I was thinking of using 'droid arms' as a
double hinge. It's far more compact and nicely to put into the cab without doing any concessions. I didn't need to rebuild
parts of the dash. The doors are hinged in the inner part to make it even more compact.
Eventually I had an issue. The truck had to be finished before November 2012 to be able to show it at LEGO Fanwelt in
Cologne. I couldn't manage due to lack of time and even then I wouldn't meet my expectations. The
92" cab
fitted quite well
but the cab was too short to put the air filter and battery box underneath it. The chrome fuel tanks I couldn't modify and both
the items had to be fitted for sure. After Fanwelt I decided to extend the cab into a 112" version. The reason I didn't such
on beforehand was I thought I might be to massive in comparison to the bodywork and crane. After adding the necessary
details it looked quite well and actually such a truck need the longest cab.
Chrome
It would also be the first chrome used model. My buddy Bricksonwheels supplied me the requested parts to give the model
even more appearance. He was saying without chrome it wouldn't that much pretty. I haven't tried but I believe that. The
chrome pieces really are a nice addition to the K100 and really gives it the right looks. Before I had the necessary chrome
pieces I thought it might be too fancy but that wasn't the case at all. Different than some of his models I didn't want to make
a pure show truck. It's just a workhorse but it could show up at a truck show. I think I succeeded with this and it tastes for
more for sure!
The bodywork
Putting just an existing bodywork from the one model to the other isn't my way of working. This model should be a more
versatile vehicle and I wanted to add an underlift, a
Zacklift.
This is a short hinged arm. They're sold in Europe as well and I've got some pictures of copies as well. The model would be
better equipped. I already knew I would get the Zacklift actually working unless I would make it quite massive. When I build
something it should be life like at first. But the underlift's arm should have an extension. The arm was quite easy to manage
by using the same crane arm I used for the Holmes 750. The
arm
itself I made of panels as they really are thin. It's three studs wide but can be extended. It's just a matter of trial and error
and having the knowledge of the LEGO pieces. The same counts for the support jacks at the back which also can be lowered.
The whole arm is lifted by a pneumatic cylinder which gets the power from an inbuilt
compressor.
The Holmes I technically gave an update. When it was placed onto the Scania it did work quite well but it could have been
better. Both beams could be lifted and lowered separately but the luffing didn't. I placed on single 9V motor as the power
for each and everything and I connected the
gearbox
from
set 8480
to steer the four different functions, two for each boom section: the boom itself and the luffing. Next to the gearbox I put the
pneumatic switch for the Zacklift.
When I look back it took me about six months to raise it. Because it's pretty much different than the other models I built so
far I really had lots of fun with it. For the first time in many years I built my 'own' truck and I even have more ideas in that
area. And for sure more US trucks will follow!
Other data
|
Length: |
68.5 cm |
|
Width: |
19.2 cm |
|
Height: |
24 cm (cab roof) |
|
Wheelbase: |
44.5 cm |
|
Construction: |
six months |
|
Date: |
July 2012 - January 2013 |
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