If rail truck number 2 had been a game, it would have been similar to a jigsaw puzzle without the box top for reference. I began by rummaging through the spare parts bin to find enough stuff to put together a model. No engineering drawings or precise plans existed so I made a few sketches to serve as a starting point. They helped to determine what major subassemblies I might need. The rest was pretty much "free association".

The model is half-inch scale because it comes from two Monogram 1:24 Scale plastic kits--a Depot G special reissue Mack dump truck and a 1931 Rolls-Royce from Monogram's "Untouchables" set. That makes the truck slightly smaller than an LGB model (1:22.5), but it's a close enough match for me. I used a Model Die Casting speeder to power the rear wheels and an LGB locomotive pilot truck (part number 2045/55) up front. The LGB part has built in brush sockets for extra track power pickup.

One word of caution: If you have never attempted a kitbash of this type, you should remember to make the mechanism and wiring accessible. The best looking model is worthless unless you can service it when it stops running. And if guests are around, it always will.

BEGIN WITH THE POWER UNIT

First, I completely disassembled the MDC speeder. Off came all unnecessary details and the heavy metal pilot beams but I left on the brake linkage and pads. As the MDC unit comes, the electrical path between the wheels and the motor needs improvement. I soldered wires from the metal side plates inside the speeder to the motor brushes. It might also have been a good idea to add wipers between those wires and the wheels themselves but I was too lazy. I did run extra leads from a two-prong mini-connector plug from the front axle pickups to headlight and tail light bulbs. The plug makes it easy to remove the motor from the chassis.

I made the basic chassis and motor assembly from a piece of fiberglass circuit board material 1/8-inch thick by about 3/4-inch wide. It extends 2 inches beyond the front of the motor block. That fiberglass piece becomes kind of a "tongue," providing a pivot point for the LGB lead truck. Two bolts attach it underneath the top plate of the speeder, then continue up into the truck bed to secure it to the speeder. The entire strength of the chassis comes from the fiberglass tongue.

The front coupler attaches to the lead truck. The rear coupler attaches under the truck bed superstructure. Since the front coupler attaches underneath, to the LGB lead truck, it places no force on the front of the model. On level track the rail truck will pull or push one LGB boxcar with no undue pressure on the superstructure. Also, since the MDC speeder assembly just snaps together, you can remove the drive mechanism simply by pulling it down from underneath the truck bed, leaving the tongue for the lead truck in place and the speeder top still attached to the truck superstructure.

THE TOP OF THE TRUCK

I mostly used 1/25 scale plastic diamond treadplate sheet for the front deck/pilot assembly. Unfortunately it no longer is on the market so, if I were to build the truck today, I would have to use .040-inch thick styrene. Either way, the material covers two wood chassis beams and extends from the pilot to the motor block. The pilot beams are also wood. The front deck/pilot assembly attaches to the chassis only under the cab seat so it more or less "floats" above the front truck. I simulated the metal straps on the pilot with strips of 3 x 5 index cards but .015 styrene would work well, too.

The truck fenders were a cut-and-fit proposition and I attached them to the underside of the .060 styrene front deck with self-tapping screws.

The Rolls-Royce hood and grille were essential for that long-hooded "goose" look. I used Testor's liquid plastic cement to glue them to the top of the deck plate. Sections of square Plastruct styrene underneath the hood (along the sides) help to position the hood and grille.

The wires leading to the headlights and cowl lights run beneath the hood and dashboard.

OTHER DETAILS

The rest of the rail truck is a matter of detailing and personal preference. I'll leave out the explanation of how I fastened each part and just include a list of what I added:

The "cowcatcher" bars on the pilot are sections of a POLA fence. The pilot steps and rear strap steps are Ozark Miniatures metal detail parts. The couplers are Kadee Number One (1:32 scale). The tread plate edges have L-shape plastic trim. An O scale brass bell replaces the radiator cap. I relocated the filler pipe and cap to the side of the grill.

The front light and the rear lamps are from the Mack truck kit. I fashioned the cowl lights from plastic tubing, then drilled them out to accept grain of wheat bulbs.

The driver and wheel chock are from LGB. The welding rig is from POLA. The large oil drum and wooden box are from Rara Avis. The dented "gas" tanks under the bed and the small metal drum are 1/35 scale 55 gallon drums. They are military detail parts. I used POLA window flower boxes (from one of their European prototype structures) as tool boxes under the truck bed and again simulated the latches from cardstock.

I modified the Mack truck stakes to fit the shortened bed and used the leftovers along the sides of the bed near the cab. The side stakes on the dump section are removable.

The grab irons are from an LGB reefer. The "rope" is actually flexible brass wire; when you coil and tie it, it looks like rope.

FINAL TOUCHES

I used aerosol spray cans to paint the basic chassis and dump bed Floquil Engine Black, the cab body and fenders Floquil Tuscan Red, and the cab roof and hood Floquil Silver. By the time I finished weathering the truck, only the silver parts retained their identity.

For the weathering I used chalk, dry-brushed paint, and a liberal coat of Floquil Dust. I sealed it all with Testor's Dullcote. The weathering may be a little heavy handed for some tastes but it is very effective from a few feet away, and that's usually how we view large scale models outdoors.

Incidentally, the model won a second place ribbon at the 1989 Narrow Gauge Convention in Durango, Colorado and another second place at the 1990 LGB National Convention in Long Beach, California.