TM2201A

Diagram 1/142 13 Ton Hopper moving on nicely.

Assembled all the parts for the Bison tanker, I need to repair part of the driver's door and sort out the front indicators but everything else fitted together nicely. Weathering needed to tone down the transition between the elements of the paint scheme.

Hah, I'd not noticed that...must've been on offer 😊 Cheers, the camera has done a good job of not showing how poor the coverage of the orange paint is.

I've put some further work into sorting out the Bison cab, chassis and detail parts. First build of the chassis on the workbench today;

Tanker body and associated parts finished and ready to come off of the FDM printer.

I think I'm calling the Octopus Tipper finished.

The improved Bison MK3 cab and air intake assembly came off the printer.

Whilst waiting on printer time the CAD work has continued on; a Leyland Buffalo tractor has followed on from the work on the Bison 3 Tractor and the Seddon 16/4 has gained a flatbed. A mate has sourced an image of a long wheelbase AEC Mammoth Major tipper and it's very tempting, so much chrome and AEC bling it's a beauty but the resulting vehicle would dominate a small layout so I'm having to avoid the temptation (let alone his suggestions that I recommence work on sorting out the CAD file for the East Lancs Atlantean).

Buffalo Mk3 Tractor to complete the set of the later cab (leaving aside the extra short wheelbase Bear tipper for now).

I decided to tweak the Bison Mk3 cab a little, the cab sat a little higher on the chassis/mudguards than the original Ergomatics (a legacy of having to make space for the ill starred Leyland 500 Engine).

The 31' tanker has been on the workbench. The chassis is running and bogies sorted. The tank body, fittings and securing parts consumed rather a lot of paint. Body and chassis temporarily together.

Lovely stuff, various Commer chassis were used a lot by smaller brigades in the UK and other exports.

Finally finished the Coles Argus crane.

Cheers! Yeah the Bison is proving problematic, Mk1 Bison (with yet another cab variation) seems to have the rear axles set quite far forward whilst MK2/3 they're quite far back and neither look especially right once you add a body or tanker. There's fun to be had detailing the Bison with all the extra gubbins hanging off the back of the cab; air filter, battery box & exhaust to really bring out the bargain basement/garden shed design of the real thing. Anyway, yes there is a sliced up model of the Mk3 cab, though at the moment I can't remember where I've got to with the indicators for it.

Yes, the wheels are my own prints.

My detailing up of various vintage Dinky Toys has met the need for some vehicles but I wanted something a smidge bigger like a Leyland Octopus. Having less time available at the workbench but some at the computer has seen my 3D printing thread get a bit active with trials and tribulations of getting something that looks right on screen to looks right in the hand. Anyway a few pictures of the results; Leyland Octopus Tipper (1964-1968), Seddon 16/4 Tractor Unit (1965-1972)and a painted up development mule for the Leyland Bison MK2/MK3 cab (1977)

Proof of concept I think on the Leyland Ergo Cab

Well that print was a chore, anyway on cab off and fitted to the tipper.

Spring has finally sprung, at least with a relatively warm evening, time to fire up the swear box and the resin printer.

Seddon take two; the panels below the windscreen seemed a little flat so they've been reworked to improve definition and curved to match that of the windscreen, much better.

Seddon 16/4 Tractor alongside the rather ungainly Bison2 Chassis.

Fresh off the FDM printer proving, the Seddon 16/4 (Motor Panels Type 1) Cab has come out out well.

I do like the Coles Hydra, always looks like it's begging to be detailed and given some proper outriggers.

Too cold for resin printing so finished off some CAD work. Something small and manageable from Seddon and something ungainly from AEC.

Frustration in progress on a smaller tractor unit.