Hello one and all. I was just curious to know what brands of cars and trucks you use on your layouts. I personally have mostly Mini Metals brand but also several resin kit vehicals that I had to assemble, paint and decal like the modern police car I recently did. And then there are the ready built Herpa semi trucks that I had to paint the details on because I was too much of a tight wad to buy much better looking Concor models.
Tracklayer
I pretty much have a variety of brands. It all depends on what I can find that fits my needs & time period. I have Mini-Metals, Imex & several others. After considerable searching I finally, recently found an EKO 1950 Jeep Wagon in HO scale. I looked for one of those for nearly a year! My Grandfather had one & I’m incorporating his farm into my layout.
That seems to be one area that is lacking in HO scale. There are precious few decent 1/87 scale models of civilian Jeeps from the 50’s through present on the market. That’s surprising considering the huge number of them on the roads. It seems to be a neglected area of 1/87th scale vehicles.
I’ve also been looking for a 1955 Dodge, (two tone Gray & Red preferably) and a 1952-54 era Light Blue Cadilac that is NOT a convertible. No luck thusfar on either.
Carl
I prefer Fords, but pre 1960 Chevys and Chrysler products have found their way to the layout.
Sorry, couldn’t resist…
Model mfgs are of all kinds, but I do prefer Classic Metal Works.
I have a dual-era layout, 30s and 60s, so I’ve got two sets of vehicles. Jordan Vehicle kits provide most of my 30s era cars and trucks. I have a few Athearns from that period, too. I’ve got a bunch of the Mini-Metals cars, and Classic Metal Works is also one of my favorites. There are a few unbuilt Sylvan kits in my workroom.
I use River Point Station’s Ford 2007 Expedition EL for SCR crew wagon-the crew drives to Lake Side Industrial park(not modeled) to switch the industries there since SCR switches 2 separate industrial parks.SCR’s second locomotive-a RS1- is kept there.
The few 18 wheelers I use are Trucks N Stuff since they have some widely known truck line names like Landstar,Knight,Ryder,Werner Enterprises etc.
I have quite a few “Mini-Metals”, and some plastic cars from German companies (models of older pre-WW2 cars that are similar to US cars of the time). However my layout right now is primarily using inexpensive (but actually pretty nice) plastic cars from…well I forget now, either Bachmann or Life-Like?? They come like 4 or 6 on a “card” at the hobby shop. I have a shelf layout so everything is within easy reach, and the grandson still hasn’t quite grasped “look but don’t touch” so likes to roll the cars around, or line them all up, or put them on flatcars or in gondolas so they can ‘take a ride’. O well, I figure he’s having fun so it’s OK. I’ll bring out the nicer cars again when he’s older.
I have several no name cars that I bought off of ebay. I also mave Model power Minis and Ricko.
Trucks I am somewhat less than prototypical I have some Athern some Matchbox and a number of Hess 2004 Mini Tankers that populate my Hess Complex.
if I decide I need more I would look at trucks and stuff.
For my 1950s layout, I have MiniMetals, old Walthers cars and trucks, Sylvan Scale, Jordan, Sheepscott Scale Products trucks and trailers, and a few misc others.
Edit: I forgot to mention Stoney Mountain Classic Castings, solid resin kits and Alloy Forms cast metal kits; both mostly from 40s and 50s.
Always be looking - went to a “dollar store” last week, they were selling some “Ice Road Truckers” brand tractor-trailer models for 3.50 each. Looked at the box, they were Norscott, and really decent models (HO scale). Best of all, the trailers (the important part) are reasonably close to their prototype, Utility 4000D-X 53ft trailers. I stripped off the Ice Road Truckers labels, and will paint up the aluminum trim and get some decent trailer models at a cool price (I ended up buying 6 trucks, most of their inventory)
Remember, if you model the 21st century, most truck trailers will be 53ft, with a lot of 57fts too - the 40 & 45fters that are common don’t really cut it.
As for the OP, anything that suitable for 1990s and later, and I can afford (ahem - no 45.00 dollar and up models, please), so there’s Ricko, River Point, Athearn, Busch, Herpa, Fresh Cherries/Reel Rides/Motorart etc…
I model the early-mid 40s so I have Mini Metals, Ricko, Athearn but mostly Sylvan on my layout.
Over the past 6-8 years, Sylvan has become the leader is providing cars and trucks in the 30s/40s era. When I first started in the hobby 10 years ago, other than a few kits from Jordan, there was an absolute dearth of offerings in that time frame. Now there’s quite a variety of them thanks to Sylvan and others. [tup] Mini Metals has risen to the occasion with their '41-'46 Chevy trucks. The early '30s Ford pickup trucks offered by Athearn have been a nice addition, too.
Tom
These were the originals that came with this 4-car Athearn auto-loader:
These cars came from a yard sale. My Mom bought them for me back in the 1950s. Half of them have been “upgraded” for scrapyard use on my layout.
Ricko, Mini Metals for the Greyhounds & a beer truck, a couple of Hot Wheels, some indeterminate brands, and a Wiking Rolls-Royce for the proud small-town industrialist meeting his son home from that prestigious eastern college.
Still looking for a North American Ford Cortina, a Plymouth 1971 Duster, and a '70 Mercury Marquis Brougham…
If you find that Duster let me know. My first car was a 75 Dodge Dart Sport. Same body style I am sure I could rework it.
I use the Life-Like SceneMaster cars. They are very cheap and good quality for the price.
Chevy’s. But seriously, I like the micro metal cars, andthe cheap walthers/bachmanones.
I have quite a mix; Athearn, CMW, Mini Metals, Lee town, Woodland Scenics kits, Williams brothers, LL, Wiking, Jordan, Brekina, Magnusen, Malibu Classics, even a few Matchbox and generic toys converted with Athearn wheels. Nobody has mentioned Boley. They have really nice IH and GM, other modern trucks. I bought some of their mixers and used CMW 'binders to make these trucks. I had to backdate them with elevated water tanks, a simplified chain drive.
Boley before mods; nice for a modern scene, except the tag axle is kinda cheesy.
Athearn’s cement mixers are excellent but pricey, this trio was more economical for me at this point since I had the CMW IHs.
I like woodland scenics metal kits for Cats and construction equipment. I wish Lee Town weren’t so expensive, loved their Macks.
Williams brothers made clear styrene vehicles. Careful painting rendered nice vehicles.
Malibu Classics were nice too. They still around? I got tons of their assorted VW at walmart years ago.
Wiking Peterbilt wrecker, The Dodge A-100 is from Brekina, not cheap, but outstanding detail.
I have several makes of HO vehicles which fit 1950’s to early 1960’s on my layout. Some makes are not very realistic, and they noramlly are placed in the background. Some of my vechles were kit built. Kits are plastice, resin, or metal.
To force perspective, I placed a few N scale vehicles in the background, too.
For along time I had few vehicles. Then the Walmart craze happened and I bought and bought. I have the Malibu classics, Reel rides, Fresh cherries, 1/87 hot wheels, and some others.
All are to scale and the best part was most were purchased at a walmart price, typically under 2 bucks a piece.
When Boley got purchased by Walthers, I knew prices would rise so I purchased NOS Boley trucks from Ebay. I think most were 5 dollars, maybe more for the fire trucks.
I have fords (an F-350 and an Expidition) from River Point Station. I have a few internationals (a snowplow and a tow truck) from Boley (I think, not positive). I have a Norscot Peterbuilt semi with a lowboy and front endloader. I also have a few from Walmart and target, and two semis I got while I was in Germany (one decorated for the Miniture Wonderland, and the other one has a container decorated for a port). All are in the modern era.
Southgate,
You’re a Man after my own heart. No need for me to list mine. You took care of it already.
If you are interested, I subscribe to this site, great if you like trucks and bashing.
I like what you did to the mixers.[Y] [Y]
LINK:
http://www.ppw-aline.com/modelfreightways.htm
Frank