OO Johnston sweeper

[Andrew Cockburn]

A while back, I constructed a vehicle with a bit of a difference, i.e. a OO Gauge road sweeper, based on a Johnston model of the 1970s. Such vehicles are not readily available in OO, either in kit or ready-made form, so the only solution was to construct my own, by kit-bashing a Langley Models Ford D type white metal lorry kit. The chassis and cab were constructed as per the instructions, though the rear body was formed from card balsa, roughly in the form of a “squashed circle”, while small details such as pipes, brushes etc. were made from scraps of wire, balsa, plastic, pipe cleaner and other bits and bobs. Once assembled, the vehicle was given a gloss yellow “paint job”, in common with the livery was which prevalent in my own area in the 1970s, while black stripes were rather painstakingly painted on the back of the rear body. All-in-all then, a very satisfying and interesting model to have undertaken, one which I feel has added a fresh dimension to my OO layouts.

 

Edited June 1, 2019 by Andrew Cockburn

[PhilJ W]

I would like to see a model of one of the 1930's Lacre roadsweepers.

[Andrew Cockburn]

@ philJ W - you mean like the one in the picture below? Might be interesting, dare say I may be able to come up with a scale replica!

Edited July 24, 2021 by Andrew Cockburn
wrong picture

[Andrew Cockburn]

Edited July 24, 2021 by Andrew Cockburn

[Andrew Cockburn]

This is the picture I meant!

 

[37114]

Great project and good choice of cab, a lot of road sweepers at the time were based on the D series.

 

On a similar vein, I built a gritting truck a few years ago, to date I have not seen another model of one

[Andrew Cockburn]

@ 37114 - That would be a good  idea for a future project, a gritting truck! The rear body at least on such vehicles is a bit of a challenge due to it's shape etc., while in common with the sweeper, there was a fair bit of "tackle" on such vehicles ie pipes, cables, and the apparatus at the rear which actually spread the grit on the road. But as I said, maybe an idea for a possible future venture. I was also maybe contemplating doing a bin lorry, after all, all it is is basically a cab/chassis with a rectangular box sitting on the back, so again, possibly an idea for the future ....

[PhilJ W]

Cararama made a gritting truck in HO scale. Unfortunately its been out of production for some time.

[fodenway]

Here's one I did earlier - the body from a Cararama US International HO gritter mounted in the back of a Bedford TL tipper, representing an Econ demountable-type machine. The cab and chassis is by RTI and the body was from Continental Model Supply Company (CMSC), intended as a conversion for the JD/Airfix military Bedford MK 4x4.

[Andrew Cockburn]

Nice job, well done! I may have a go at a gritter myself sometime, only as a bit of a challenge, I may try scratch-building the rear hopper from plasticard, balsa etc. etc.

[JCB 3C no.2]

Excellent TL tipper , so often scratch  builders  and manufacturers get the body proportions wrong in their tipper models. 

Matchbox got it right with all their tippers  but the newer boys often don't.