Two nicely done vehicles, though they're a bit of a caricature of the real thing really. The big problems, proportion-wise, are that the wheels are too small and the cab is square rather than tapered toward the front. It's difficult to comment on scale since they're so inaccurate in so many respects which is a pity, because otherwise the detail is quite nice. The fact that they're commonplace on layouts set after about 1955 is deeply inappropriate really as most would have passed to BRS on nationalisation and been replaced and scrapped relatively quickly. The bigger pre-war AECs - 6 and 8 wheelers - seem to have lasted rather better, probably because bigger lorries were more expensive to replace.

Adam

Thanks Adam.

I was hopeing that someone would come along with a bit of prototype information, which was part of the reason behind this blog post. I knew that they were an old design and not really suitable for a nationalisation era layout but I didn't know how accurate the kit is (or isn't as the case may be).

The only photo that I can find in my library that comes close to matching is of a 1930 Mammoth, on solid tyres with a tapered, flatter fronted cab that has the lights set above the mudgaurds. Wheels look significantly bigger. (British Lorries 1900-1992 by S.W. Stevens-Stratton).

Still a nice kit though.

Paul.

A quick trawl of Flickr pulls up a couple of shots - one preserved, one as was:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aceanorak/6599230717/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/billogs/2163358310/

Note the larger wheels, with the distinctive chrome step ring, more squat cab, more prominent and different shaped radiator and more rounded roof on both vehicles.

This Australian example is slightly closer, but whoever did the cab, I've not found one which looks much like the Coopercraft version.

Adam

This page has a couple of intesting photos: http://www.trucksplanet.com/catalog/model.php?id=473

Paul.

Those are both Mammoths (a heavy weight as opposed to a medium which is what the Monarch was) and earlier than the version the Coopercraft is supposed to represent. It demonstrates twothings:

1. That pre-war AECs looked very much alike

2. The Coopercraft kit doesn't quite look like any of them...

Adam

Well that's me snookered then!

I picked up one of these kits from a stand at an exhibition some time ago but never got around to putting it together. After reading all the comments I will probably leave it in the drawer for another few years!

Unless some one could suggest a reason for using it on my layout!

Cheers!

Frank

You can send all of your unwanted Coopercraft AEC lorries to Snitzl's freepost 999.

Adam, seems like I'm getting my Monarchs and Mammoths mixed up, here's a page on early Monarchs from the same site: http://www.truckspla...odel.php?id=467

Frank, sorry! (If its a tanker or a coke wagon send it my way!)

Snitzl, surely your not contemplating kit building!

Paul.