Large Scale Central

2021MIK Feed Truck

The MIK - Annual Build Challenge
#41

Devon Sinsley said:

Dude is it possible at all for you to make a model that is not hyper detailed.

No, seriously you are a talented man. This is gonna be great.

Nope. Not possible. But I did find an error I need to fix. I think it will be an easy one. The frame extensions to hold the tank onto the frame are too low for the tires to fit in the axles. Oops. So either cut them off and figure out a new method for making the little walkway area? that’s under the tank or go in with some MEK and pop them all off. I’m leaning towards option one.

You think I’m detailed? I just spent an hour drilling out a test part to see what it would look like after it’s hidden… Pictures later.

#42

Craig thats for sacks of feed and hoses, not a walkway, it would be a frame with expanded metal rt aluminum sheet for a floor on it

#43

So Pete,

I think I understand your statement. Because the prototype photo shows it behind the gas tanks it probably wouldn’t be steerable right?

#44

Dan Hilyer said:

Craig Townsend said:

So now that I knew that this was just a cab and tank set up and not a trailer set up like I was thinking, I moved forward.

So, Craig are you saying this photo is of a tanker truck and not a tractor and trailer?

This one is steerable , since it would fight the steering if the truck is loaded. I will look in a bit and try to send you a picture on messenger

#45

Dan Hilyer said:

Craig Townsend said:

So now that I knew that this was just a cab and tank set up and not a trailer set up like I was thinking, I moved forward.

So, Craig are you saying this photo is of a tanker truck and not a tractor and trailer?

This one is steerable , since it would fight the steering if the truck is loaded. I will look in a bit and try to send you a picture on messenger

#46

Devon,

What’s so super detailed about this build? It’s just a kit that I’m bashing into something else.

#47

I am not one to talk. I am doing the same thing instead of slapping a drop axle any old way you are researching it. But I am just giving you a hard time. I love that you like to understand what it is you are making. To me its a large part if the fun. So don’t take it the wrong way. I admire your attention to detail and the education that comes with it.

#48

Devon,

Now I’m having a great discussion on Facebook about the colors on the truck…

My gut was silver tank, white cab, green logo.

Current thinking from the various folks is the following:

Silver tank, blue “Bulkliner logo” (small logo), dark green lettering with a yellow stripe. Cab is also the same color green with a yellow stripe.

I reached out to the former feed mill manager to ask him but I don’t expect a email back. Apparently last time we emailed I asked way too many questions about the operations of rail service, etc and got this response “This latest set of questions hardly seems like modeling to me. I think you have enough information to proceed with your model.”

I replied back explaining operations, but that’s the last I’ve heard. Another friend used to work with a member of the DeYoung family ( the owner’s) and has reached out to ask if they know anything.

Now I’m really pressured to build this truck and get it done!

#49

Lol the guys response is uncool but funny. They don’t get it. How can you Mosel something if you dont understand it, lol.

#50

Here’s the full text I sent him…

"Tom,

Thanks again for reaching out. As I previously mentioned, I’m trying to do a couple of things.

First, find out more information about the actual operations at the mill to help with my modeling. The second is to record information to share with other modelers about feed mill operations.

How much/how often was feed produced? I’m guessing this varies over the years as the farms slowly died off?

Does RHS have any records related to this?

I’m assuming it was all delivered to the farms via truck? And you never had loaded grain cars leave the feed mill?

What happened if the railroad missed a delivery? Did you truck grain in?

Did you ever receive products in boxcars like machinery parts, or other non-grain products? Or ship out anything non-grain?

What was the frequency of grain? I thought I recall reading 1-3 cars 3D a week?

And how long did it take to unload?

Did the railroad move cars around for you, or did you use some type of car mover?

And what type of grain?

Did you always get it in covered hoppers?

Or in the early 70’s get grain in 40’ boxcars?

The period I’m modeling is between 1970 and 1975.

Was TD Feeds connected to any other feed mill in the area? Joint ownership type thing?

The second part is more related to questions about the retail side of the operation. A part of my model is the storefront area and with the big open windows, I was thinking about doing a detailed interior, but I have no idea what the store inside looked like? I think the state archive records showed that the front store area was only a portion of the building."

And then his response of I think that’s enough information for your modeling…

Interesting character for sure.

#51

Some people just don’t like or make time for other peoples interests. Its frustrating. I know they are busy with other stuff. But to take a half an hour (or less) to answer your questions and then let you do the research? I of course run into this also as one who likes to learn.

#52

Well there’s a little more back story… Years ago (15+) when I first started researching this feed mill I was given Tom’s ( feed mill manager) contact information. At the time, the feed mill had just recently closed (2 years) and we chatt d back and forth for 6 months or so. I screwed up in one of the emails when we got talking about the length of the siding. I kept referring to the railroad owned siding and saying it was 10,000’+ long and Tom kept referring to the spur and it only head something like 5 cars. At the time I hadn’t learned the lesson of just listen to your source and then interpret later. Then I lost access to my email account and all of the emails…

A year or so ago, I saw Tom post a comment on the Redmond Historical Society Facebook group and tried to reach out again. Which he thankfully did. First thing he mentions is “fifteen years ago you argued about…” So I wasn’t really surprised with that comment of “you have enough information”. I think the only reason I was able to convince him to reach out again was I told him that I was interested in building a model to donate to the historical society ( which I still plan to do eventually). Maybe I will here back from him, maybe not. I did include a few photos of this project so hopefully the can see how interested I am.

#53

I got all the wheels done and ready. I kept the resin ones to the inside to hide the mold lines and the flat area from the mold.

I also bashed up new rims for the drop tires using one of the kit parts, and some hex rod. The hex rod will get sanded/cut down to a more respectable length tonight.

In between all of this wheel business, I reprimed the tank and found a few more areas that need touch up before the final coat of primer. I can’t tell from the original photo if the tank is a riveted or welded tank, but the other photos of similar trucks show a riveted tank so I think I’m going to dip into my stash of rivet decals and make something work. Speaking of decals, I have reached out to a custom decal maker (not Stan) and have gotten a quote for the artwork ($50) to make the “DeYoung” and the “Bulkliner” decals. I will probably hold off on those for a few more weeks as I’m trying to track down the exact color scheme of the truck.

In the process of reworking the auger area, I added some hydraulic controls.

And built a brass ladder.

#54

Very nicely done.

#55

Pretty impressive!

#56

Oh my. Bookmark, bookmark, bookmark.

#57

So far the cost of the build has been $0. I’ve been trying to use up some of my stash of styrene scraps and am trying really really hard not to open new packages but rather use up any of the loose pieces in the bin(s). The little hydraulic control piece was a resin casting of a triple valve that I cut up and shaped into something new. I figured why not!

I did decide to include the engine into the build after all. To add to my craziness, not only am I painting it but I’m also will be weathering it. And yep it’s going to be buried under the cab. (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

Next up on the list;

Finish attaching the wheels, build the drop axle assembly, paint cab interior & engine block. Then its just the final details like mudflaps, adding another platform on the rear for the ladder, and and…

I might actually get this done before the end of the 30 days. Or at least get it all in base color. Not holding out hope for the decaling and weathering inside the 30 day timeline.

#58

Craig, I certainly enjoy your attention to detail and the desire to build a historically correct model. I wish I had the patience and self discipline to do it but I just don’t so I take pleasure in watching others, Many thanks in sharing this journey.

#59

Dan,

This is in no way a historical accurate model. :wink: Shoot, I’m just guessing on 7/8 of the stuff that I think would look right. I’m sure if I showed it to a truck modeler they would point out all sorts of stuff that’s wrong. But I get your point.

I enjoy the research aspect of the modeling just as much as actual modeling. I just wish I had more time to do more research as a whole. I think my biggest shift to prototype modeling happened after I built my first garden railroad and I got tir d of running around in circles. I added a “branchline” that had a small switching area but I had no clue on what to make. I realized then, why not model something I’m familiar with… And thus the journey of modeling the town I grew up in began. I figure I have at least 4-5 years of projects just modeling Redmond before I can call it “complete”. And that’s only a handful of buildings.

But I keep driving forward with research. For instance I just learned a couple days ago that the dairy up the line ( which I’m planning on modeling) got on average 36 carloads of empty milk crates from Tennessee each year. Huh. It’s these little things that keep me going.

#60

Cummins engines are, oddly enough Cummins beige, Caterpillar engines are, surprising no one,Cat yellow and if it’s a V8 it’s a Detroit Diesel so it’s a shock, it’s DD green. Have to get that part right first, does the box say what engine it is? the exhaust Manifold will be, oh never mind no one will ever see it or tilt the cab. Most of the Peterbilt’s had either oxblood , darker than medium blue or a forest green interior, wood grain dashes on all of them. Good thing you are not detailing this model!