From a dealer in France I have recently acquired two 1/18 Ford A lorries for a modest sum. For a long time I have been wanting to be able to pose a Ford AA lorry next to the loading ramp on my small Nystrup Gravel layout. Now I have a basis to work from.
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| Both Ford A models posed in the garden on my road photo plank. It's obvious that the left model has suffered some damage to its rear axle and suspension. |
Unfortunately the package must have had a rough trip up north from France as it arrived in a rather battered state. The Ford A pick-up was only slightly damaged with a broken off front bumper. The Ford A salvage vehicle was worse off. One rear wheel destoyed, rear axle and crane assembly bent and it too had the front bumper damaged. As I will be rebuilding them both to some degree the damage isn't particularly annying and I never considered contacting the shipping provider. I need another Ford A model to source parts for a future locomotive project and will consequently have parts to substitute. The rest of the damage will be relatively easy to repair.
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| The Ford pick-up that I intend to rebuild into a Ford AA lorry. A nice model with the main proportions of bonnet and cab well captured. |
The Ford A-models are produced by Motor City Classic in China made in the usual heavy die-cast metal. Some of the details are a little clumsy due to the production method and the fact that cab doors are designed to open and close.
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| Clearly this little recovery vehicle has taken a beating on its way through Europe. I will no doubt be able to put everything straight again, probably before the pick-up truck is rebuilt into a Ford AA lorry. |
As usual my plan involves some scratchbuilding as no manufacturer produces the Ford AA lorry that I want for my layout. With parts from one of the 1/18 Fords I now have the basic parts to work from. I will need to lengthen the chassis, reposition rear mudguards, shorten footboards under the cab and build a new load bed. I also have to exchange the wheels with metal stamped wheels as the usual spoked wheels were too weak for lorry use. The wheels will probably be the difficult part of the project, but I suppose 3D-printing may be a solution.
The recovery vehicle will probably be built as a well used Ford from the local garage or tractor repair shop. Perhaps a project for the upcoming vacation's summer cottage modelling?
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