Thanks for pointing out that it not a Willys Jeep.That seems to have slipped under the radar!Mr.Dalkowski can I ask your opinion on this model?If I was to put one model out of sight, it would be this one.Also, I am very surprised to hear that you haven't got/Do not intend having a Bondola in your collection.
First, to address myhandle, I would somewhat say I agree about no figures in regular 1/43 scale cars. I mean, as someone who puts most of his 1/43 scale cars onto a rather huge model train layout with hordes of figures, I do like having the option to unscrew the base and to put a driver in there (or, if it's a convertible, to slide him/her behind the wheel), but I also like them NOT to come from the factory.
With my Bond cars, this is different unless either the movie scene calls for it or I'm intending to buy the car to put on my layout (in which case, I will take out figures, but replace them with others unless the car is parked). For example, the 1957 Chevy Bel Air convertible and FRWL Bentley are cars I'd consider good examples where no figures are needed. The Maserati Biturbo with its trunk open showing Stinger missiles also makes perfect sense with no figures.
"except maybe in my modest collection of F1 cars it's nice to have the right helmet design"
I definitely agree with this! Especially when you get the awful-looking guys in motorcycle helmets, it makes me REALLY want a correct figure from the factory.
"I like the term "Dinky 48-ing"!"
Thanks! I'll remember to keep on using it!
"I thought the Bentley and Hispano Suiza might be OK as they are quite big cars, but it's not a massive surprise that they're too big."
I completely agree. Ironically, when I got the MP Lafer and Rolls-Royce Phantom III, I was expecting them to be too large as well, but they seem fine.
"As for the Escort, I would not be surprised if Neo makes one, and if given another 5-10 years or so, Vanguards as well"
I completely agree about Neo (and about their prices...I'll buy all the Volgas they make, plus their Amphicar, Volvo 164, AMC Pacer, Pontiac Bonnevilles, Cadillac S&S Ambulance and Hearse and Dodge Monaco, but some of their more recent stuff is available at better prices from Spark or Minichamps). They seem to seek out models that have a clear audience, but that have just never been done before. Vanguards? Probably, but I have two words: sequin headlights. It's not bothersome to the point of me not getting a model, but it is a tad annoying. I've heard that pulling out the sequin and painting the back yellow or silver makes it look quite a bit better, but have never personally tried this. Ixo is also a possibility what with their starting to do partworks (with DeAgostini) for iconic cars from different countries.
"That's fairly off topic, but after a busy few weeks I am having a day thinking about model cars and looking at eBay!"
Aren't we all? )
"Happy collecting"
And you too (unless you're bidding against me ) )!
"Mr.Dalkowski can I ask your opinion on this model?If I was to put one model out of sight, it would be this one."
The paint is too light (should be olive drab green instead of pea green), but otherwise, it's a very good model. You may want to consider painting it as an Indian Army jeep, as they did use a very similar design. Alternately, you could just repaint it the correct color, making sure the paint you use is glossy. My one big disappointment with it is that you can't fold the windshield up, but I guess I could just get another model, remove the (very delicate) windshield, and scrape off the glue so it could fold. It's a good model, I'd say, and worthy of display.
"Also, I am very surprised to hear that you haven't got/Do not intend having a Bondola in your collection."
Just doesn't fit with what I have. Basically, if I can't find a place for it (no matter what "it" is) on the layout or a potential place for it on the layout, I generally avoid it. I do have a narrow river on my layout, but it's the kind of thing where you'd expect to see 1/43 and 1/48 scale recreational boats and rafts, not a Venetian gondola.
Forgive me if you already have posted some (and I hope I'm not being rude), but I'd love to see some pictures of your train layout.
Oh, that's hardly rude! In fact, I love nothing more than showing it off! I have posted a few, but they're about 20 pages back. Unfortunately, I've not taken any lately and there have been a lot of changes. Alas, among these new photos you'll see rampant overcrowding. The reason for that is that I'm gathering people, buildings, and cars for a second, "satellite" layout about 20 feet away from the main one. Figuring I'd save on much-needed shelf space, I put them on the layout. They're just enough to fit on the layout, but ONLY just enough. So again, I warn you it will look overcrowded. Once the new layout is set up, however, I should be able to thin the numbers of cars and people and be able to take some more photos showing less of monumental traffic jam. But I will get to taking them, and I suppose now is as good a time as any!
EDIT: Okay, I snapped some new ones! Now to edit, crop, and select out the good ones...expect them to be here by tomorrow at the latest.
EDIT AGAIN: Okay, well, can't hurt to give you a teaser...
Here are some more teasers while I organize some of the other photos I took...they're taken quite a bit closer to given areas of the layout...and you'll see what I mean about the problem of clutter while the other "satellite layout" is getting set up.
From the post describing my layout (and the same will be true of the "satellite layout") on page 84...
"My layout, as all layouts do, exists within its own world. Mine is rather dystopian and features a very evil Soviet Union on consistent brink of the Cold War going hot with a substantial Russian Nationalist movement that frankly isn't much better, but at least is willing to cooperate with NATO [...]
"The US President in my dystopic layout is a second term Barry Goldwater. As a bit of a joke, I took Lyndon Johnson's presidential limo, removed anything and everything pertaining to Johnson, and parked it next to my kit-bashed gun shop (replete with US Secret Service personnel). Regardless[...], I just took the NATO-member countries, gave them the majority of the layout, and took the communists and them a small but visible and substantial minority."
Well, I got my two ZIL-117's! Can't say I'm disappointed at all! The dimensions match up very well with the old Radon ZIL-117 made in the Soviet Union (which is pretty much exact 1/43 scale) and the detail has definitely improved. Both of mine are "floating," or at least partially; the right front wheel isn't touching the ground on one and the right rear wheel isn't touching the ground on the other. I'm really impressed by the level of detail and plan on giving the license plates a legitimate city code: that of Cetinje, which is license number prefix "CT" and very easy to alter.
Incidentally, for those of you who wanted to see a dead body in an open trunk, there is always the Radon or now Agat (that's who makes it today) model. The trunk opens up and it has a spare wheel inside. It's rather hard to remove and ruins the value of something that costs quite a lot of money if you just cut it off, so I'd recommend just keeping it there. The trunk is so huge that you could fit two 1/43 scale bodies in there, anyway (I considered as an alternative to the "pulled-over Chayka" with body in the trunk; believe it not BEFORE CR came out!) and keep it propped open.
Go ahead Dal... your 1/43 people seem to live quite a high-density 1/43 lives and have to put up with a lot of 1/43 noise though, so I am glad that where I live is not so crowded.
As you may have noticed while my collecting interests are different to yours, I quite envy you the room and the tables... 8-)
Only 4 more deliveries to get ..Wonder if they will include something along with the last one?..as it will be a single item..."Room for one more"! as the used to say on the Buses... -{ :007)
Only 4 more deliveries to get ..Wonder if they will include something along with the last one?..as it will be a single item..."Room for one more"! as the used to say on the Buses... -{ :007)
Well, first off, the news: the Ford Galaxie Country Squire will be released to news stands on April 8th, apparently. Already pre-ordered one; I've been waiting for it the entire series. For senitimental reasons, if nothing else, it has greater meaning to me than any other car in the series. I plan on doing a full Code 3 with it as well: removing the "Auric Stud Farms" logos, giving it my grandfather's MI license plates, adding some simulated dirt to the tires, and adding some fishing rods, rifles, and shotguns in the trunk (it was his "hunting and fishing car"). And of course, if there are any figures, removing them.
"Go ahead Dal... your 1/43 people seem to live quite a high-density 1/43 lives and have to put up with a lot of 1/43 noise though, so I am glad that where I live is not so crowded."
As I said, one of the big problems was that the layout itself became overcrowded in anticipation for another one, which has been held up. I tried displaying as much as possible; the problem will be rectified when I can get another table for my other layout (I need one more to complete it).
"As you may have noticed while my collecting interests are different to yours, I quite envy you the room and the tables..."
Heh, thanks. The room is because I live in a ranch house and can afford to have a room all to my own. And if you're wondering, when I bring my girlfriends in, we generally stay upstairs...as for the tables themselves, one (the main one) was actually custom-made (knowing a carpenter is a good thing). The other two...those with the Allied military base and the Communist Compound...are actually converted desks from the Indiana University Surplus Store. It's one of these desks I hope to use to convert and then finish my other layout.
But anyway, pictures of my layout...the first ten (I'll make it 14 on the last day)...
Closeup of the Allied Military Base. In the foreground, we see the rare French Dinky 155mm Howitzer (which, although it's about 1/50 scale, still works as an artillery piece in general). In the background, you see two more Dinkys: the pre-War troop truck (from Dad's childhood) driving up a ramp to be loaded onto a flat car and perhaps the most coveted military Dinky of all: the 1/45 scale Brockway pontoon bridge truck (with ALL of the original parts there), which can indeed deploy the pontoon bridge!
Communist Checkpoint #1. Involves the rather unwilling cooperation of the Bulgarian Police (whom I decided to make neutral, simply because I have so little of their stuff) as well as a friendly GAZ-14 "Chayka" (the model was actually made by GAZ and is quite rare and desirable) with two KGB agents. The minibus is a Barkas B1000 with Polish license plates from the Kultowe Auta PRL-u series.
The Czech Nationalist Police and the CIA stop a Wartburg 353 Trans Pickup carrying a mortar and .30 caliber machine gun. The "Czech Nationalist" police car is simply an early post-communist Czech police car; in this case a well-used GAZ-24-01 Volga made by Ixo for Foxtoys (and good luck finding one for a reasonable price...). The Wartburg Trans is Ist Models. The figures, although they're usually painted by Dad, we see here to be a mixture: only the soldier was painted by Dad. The police officer and the dog seperate from the figure are Lionel, I'm not sure about either the hands up figure or the kneeling figure, and the CIA agent with dog is from the Replicars Cold War Series.
And we see the media covering the above event, too! The trucks represent all three Dinky Toys BBC trucks, including the fragile and usually broken folding mast truck. You'll also note the Lionel operating cattle car and cattle corral. The two Dinky Toys horseboxes are actually pretty nicely done to scale. Next to them are two Dinky Stakebed Lorries my father's had for an eternity. Next to them is a rare Lomo-AVM GAZ-AA Truck that looks close enough to a Ford Model AA Truck to justify me keeping it there. And next to that, of course, is a bit of a Code 3 I did with Oddjob's Ranchero. New driver, plus it now has a hay bale instead of the crushed car. You can also spot Felix Leiter's T-Bird in this photo.
This is the problem I'm having now; things are just backing up and getting clogged, as I said. That row of NINETEEN cars isn't even really supposed to be there! Note the 1/48 Lesney Avelling-Barford Front-End Loader, though. Some decals and paint chipping, but otherwise quite nice and fun.
Severe auto accident outside Jack's Firearms & Ammunition. Note Tracy's Cougar (still not removed the skis) and Tilly Masterson's Mustang making up half of the four-car wreck (note the overturned Trax Models Opal Series Holden EH, which was a factory defective and the Simca 9 Aronde with simulated damage to the side [not visible in this picture, but you will eventually see it]) and also the Brazilian Chevrolet C-10 Ambulance. The presidential limo is Barry Goldwater's.
The gun shop's parking lot. Here you can see President Goldwater's limo, the Secret Service limo assigned to escort it, a Holden HQ Monaro GTS 4-door with Lee-Enfield SMLE in the trunk (and driver with a multi-thousand dollar drilling in his hand), Western Models 1969 American Motors AMX Coupe (the woman standing next to it is meant to be my girlfriend and the '69 AMX in Big Bad Blue is my dream car; although I myself do not make an appearance on this layout, I hint at it), Solido Police Cadillac (yes, I know no such thing existed in real life, but it's 1/43 and looks pretty nice), vandalized RAF-2203 Soviet Game Warden's minibus, 1953 Mercedes-Benz 220S Dealer Promo made by Minichamps, Franklin Mint 1956 Contintental Mk. II, Minichamps 1954 Bentley R-Type, and Minichamps 1958 Edsel Bermuda Station Wagon (which, until I get the Galaxie Country Squire and Code 3 it, will be "Jack's Car"; for you see, my grandfather's first name was Jack).
Spot the three JBCC cars in this picture! It also features a rare Dinky Toys Guy Van in mint condition, a woman arguing with a cop over a parking ticket (the Ertl Ford Tudor that's next to the Dinky Lincoln Contintental, which is in turn next to the Guy Van), a Soviet street-cleaning truck (ZIS-150 PM-8) behind Count Lippe's Ford Fairlane Skyliner, one of Vanguards' "Hidden Treasures" series in the absolutely trashed Triumph Stag, a Trabant P601 by Vitesse (crude, but uncommon) in its natural habitat, as I like to say (being repaired...), right next to that a Morris Minor underneath a tarp undergoing restoration, and you can also best see the Dinky Toys Code 3 I did by making a Kynoch ammunition truck.
Look hard enough and you can spot six Bond cars here. Also note the uncommon Barkas B1000 Panel Van "Neues Deutschland" (which was basically East German Pravda), which seems to have only attracted a Soviet taxi and nothing more.
Spot the three JBCC cars in this picture! Unfortunately, this area of my layout is the worst right now; the most overcrowded. As you can see, though, I did sort of re-do the OHMSS Mercedes-Benz 600 SWB into Japanese diplomat's car (I had plans for a Japanese embassy, but was ultimately forced to scrap them).
City Hall (which is actually Independence Hall in Philadelphia). Featuring the corrupt town mayor exiting to his Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman and the JBCC Rolls-Royce Phantom III Sedanca de Ville featuring another corrupt politician sitting in the back. You can also see the Ebbro Daihatsu Midget Japanese Postal Car, which I thought was really neat, plus, next to City Hall, the Alsatian Christmas Tree Store (and yes, I know the pickup truck is a Soviet GAZ-21 Volga; I needed something with a Christmas Tree in the cargo bed, plus an excuse to buy another Volga, hah! And speaking of Soviet vehicles, directly across from the 600 Pullman is a pre-War Moscow City Bus; a GAZ-03-30 based on the GAZ-AA truck, which in turn was a license built Ford Model AA truck).
The traffic on the left side of the picture is actually SUPPOSED to be jammed. Some guy stopped in the middle of the road with a flat tire and is blocking all traffic. Making the situation worse (and explaining why those are all Australian cars out there) is Irish-Australian Heritage Night at the local pub; 50% off all beer and whiskey (and before someone calls me on this, I myself am a good portion Irish and proud of it, too, and two Australians actually suggested the idea to me! Plus, you'll see how I honor the Aussies a bit later on [I think it's the second-to-last photo, but you will appreciate it if you're an Aussie].).
Two angry Australians and their Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase III confront a traffic cop who at this point is just trying to protect the car with a flat. Also note the kegs in the Ford Falcon XL Ute.
The cause of the problem: a motorist taking his time to change his Peugeot 203's flat tire, not pulling over, and basically pretending the Aussies don't exist. His wife merely stares at either the trolley (when I have it parked there) or the trolley station (which is directly across from the trolley).
Hah, thanks! I'll get to de-cluttering it as soon as I can get up the other layout (probably in mid May; I just need one more table). Like I said, there are a few things that are supposed to be cluttered (the Australian cars stuck behind the guy with a flat tire, and also the East Bloc cars due to numerous checkpoints, although the diplomatic convoys are WAY too crowded and will be fixed), but not very much.
Hah, thanks! I'll get to de-cluttering it as soon as I can get up the other layout (probably in mid May; I just need one more table). Like I said, there are a few things that are supposed to be cluttered (the Australian cars stuck behind the guy with a flat tire, and also the East Bloc cars due to numerous checkpoints, although the diplomatic convoys are WAY too crowded and will be fixed), but not very much.
Is that our elusive "Anglia" I spy at the Gunshop parking lot????? ) ) -{ :007)
Nope! Slightly blurred image of the old Vitesse Trabant P601 (naturally undergoing repairs) from the service station across the railroad tracks. Although for you to confuse the two cars...wow, did U.H. maul the heck out of the Anglia!
If you get another layout/table, please promise it will be dedicated to the Australian theme... how about a Ford Falcon that breaks down in the outback? Will be a nice contrast to the packed layouts on your other tables! )
Nope! Slightly blurred image of the old Vitesse Trabant P601 (naturally undergoing repairs) from the service station across the railroad tracks. Although for you to confuse the two cars...wow, did U.H. maul the heck out of the Anglia!
I'm afraid the old eyes ain't what they used to be!!!....Come to think of it! they were never that great!!!! -{ :007)
I've just picked-up issue no. 104 from the newsagent. The Zil 117 is pretty good. It's bigger than I thought and quite a tight squeeze in the standard box.
The magazine confirms that issue 105 will come the Ford Country Squire from Goldfinger.
"If you get another layout/table, please promise it will be dedicated to the Australian theme... how about a Ford Falcon that breaks down in the outback? Will be a nice contrast to the packed layouts on your other tables!"
Ah, gotta love opposites in the extreme! )
But here are the next ten photos...
More clutter, although on the side of the trolley tracks closest to you, that actually is SUPPOSED to be cluttered. Alas, the rest of my layout is not. Look carefully to spot six JBCC cars in this photo, plus the Minichamps GF Aston Martin DB5.
Ed's Red Automobiles. A communist car dealership, the name is actually sort of a non-sexual double entendre. In firearms slang, "Ed's Red" is a crude, home made mixture to remove cosmoline that is highly corrosive and gives off noxious fumes. Oh, and he's being audited by the Tax Police, there's a KGB car (Red Grant's Citroen) blocking his Moskvitch 2141 Aleko's exit, and he's being spied on by both MI5 (the '59 Morris Oxford) and the CIA ('57 Chevy Bel Air not visible in this pic). And it's all being broadcast live by ABC TV (the rare Dinky Toys mobile control room being present...you can see said roof in the lower left of the picture). Sort of "man, am I having a bad day!"
The "burning Chayka" accessory, which actually works. Just feed in some smoke fluid and it looks like it's on fire. Also, the cars in that line I'm going to keep jammed, although probably remove at least two. Traffic is totally stopped by a car wreck.
The aforementioned car wreck; a driving school GAZ-24 Volga (made by Agat) has just taken out a street sign. The driving instructor gets out to assess the situation and is attacked by a lady's dog.
Spot the JBCC car in this photo! Also one of the less cluttered areas of the layout. The GAZ-52-04 TVG-15M made by Vector Models of the Ukraine is one of my favorites. The bucket goes up and down, the boom assembly can fold onto the truck, and you can also adjust the side mirrors. The Divco Milk Truck, while significantly less expensive, is also quite nifty. I actually have 1/43 scale milk cans in there to go with the Lionel Operating Milk Platform.
A joke on the cluttered nature of my layout are the three cars shown nearest the camera. The Trax Opal Series Ford Falcon XA GT Four-Door Sedan has food and refreshments in the trunk, with everyone getting out, the Corgi Fordson Thames Traveller has the rear doors open with the driver going to the picnic with two people who've literally camped out on the road with their Renault Dauphine Ondine (I actually Code 3'd an entire diorama from the La Route Bleue series to get this).
Another view of the unnecessarily-cluttered (for now) Communist Compound.
And another view, same thing.
And another view.
Okay, this one isn't cluttered. The band playing in the background is for someone else, but the JBCC Mahindra Jeep just features a guy fiddling around with a jerry can (I was going to have him siphoning fuel from the can into the gas tank, but couldn't find a rubber hose that looked convincing).
I must say you have a very impressive collection going on there.I like the fact,that you are not afraid to display your models and enjoy them,as opposed to hoarding them unopened,as some collectors do.
Back to the JBCC,you hear the Ford Country Squire might be on newstands on 8/4/2011.I hope your source is correct on that news.Please keep us all informed on any developments ,regarding this model Mr.D. Cheers.
I have to categorically protest against Mr Dalkowski's total misrepresentation of the Eastern Bloc motoring history! As a person raised behind the Iron Curtain I can attest that such a colourful collection of varied models can only be a product of a bourjois state of mind. In the real Eastern Europe you would see mostly the same make and model everywhere, something like this:
Dear Mr Dalkowski - please pack up your collection immediately and forward it to me. Instead, choose one or at most two cars from the Polish and/or Russian partwork collections and order 500 of them. And please, remember that our communist streets were never so crowded. Not too many people could afford the 650 cc Fiat 126, and even then petrol was strictly rationed!
(....)Dear Mr Dalkowski - please pack up your collection immediately and forward it to me. (....)
)
Anyway, that is the most desirable piece of "clutter" i will ever see, reminds me of my early childhood, when my dad made me a playground-ish layout for my toy cars
Anyway, BoT: now, I KNOW this isn't the correct year, as the wood on the side is a tad different ( the weels and colour do not count, as they were both special order, the colour being "Mustang" Poppy Red.), but here's an impression of the Country Squire:
Looks nice, and the fact that it will be coming from IXO turns me from "can't be bothered" to "Wow, I want that one!" instantly ;%
"Back to the JBCC,you hear the Ford Country Squire might be on newstands on 8/4/2011.I hope your source is correct on that news.Please keep us all informed on any developments ,regarding this model Mr.D."
No problem! I won't hit the guy up every day for information, but I will ask him for a photo once April 9 has come and gone (he said the model would be released the 8th, but didn't think he'd have any pictures until the 9th). I'll also be sure and ask him to take a look inside the back cover for Issue 106 (I'm wondering if it's going to be the Consul or not...that thing's been pushed back and pushed back and pushed back some more).
"In the real Eastern Europe you would see mostly the same make and model everywhere"
Categorically untrue! In East Germany, for every one hundred or so Trabant P601's, you had a Wartburg 353! ) And besides, your own photo shows the 126P Maluch with BOTH metal bumpers AND plastic bumpers.
"And please, remember that our communist streets were never so crowded."
To be briefly serious, I wouldn't doubt that in Poland due to the scarcity of cars in general (you had the 126P Maluch, the 125P, and a few imports, plus what managed to survive the rusting from the Warszawa and Syrena days and the occassional Polonez that probably belonged to somebody connected to the government), but in the Soviet Union, you did actually have nightmarish traffic control up until about the early 1970's, which is where I got the idea in general. I also know second-hand that Romania, at least in Bucharest, was a nightmare of similar proportions. On the other hand, I can tell you China had even fewer vehicles on the road; cars or trucks. And yes, some older Chinese cars make an appearance on the layout. It's the Communist Compound, remember, not the East Bloc Compound.
But, back to my layout! You'll appreciate the first photo, at least, Jag.
Ever figured that some other unlucky CIA guy owned the ZAZ-965A Zaporozhets before Jack Wade?
Closeup of Felix's T-Bird. Also worked in the fictional Russian Nationalist Militsia (just old model cars from Agat with current markings). To the rear of Felix's T-Bird is a Replicars "Cold War Series" '47 Ford Fordor with DC license plates, also intended as CIA.
The Bentley and the '63 Chevy Impala. Also note in the extreme upper right of the photo a mint condition Gamda Willys Panel Van made in Israel during the late 1950's. The last one of these I saw at auction went for over $500 (back when the dollar was still worth something, no less!) and it is probably my rarest car. You can also make out an ICV Models Moskvitch 432 with LUMZ-945 Refridgeration Unit at top left, which is also pretty rare (albeit modern in its manufacture).
You can make out five VB cars in this photo; the unaltered JBCC just barely (the doors in the top left of the picture), but the Code 3 is sitting next to the Ixo for Foxtoys model (in turn sitting next to an Abrex Skoda 120L, and we see a GAZ-24 Volga [alphanumeric code A170] close to the camera).
I've still not removed the ski racks from the Cougar. Also, note the GF Ford Mustang and check out the detail on the "side-swiped" Simca 9 Aronde.
The West Side Station. In the parking lot, you can see (left to right): Vector Models RAF-10E Luxe Minibus, Corgi Ford Consul Cortina wagon, JBCC 1964 Lincoln Contintental, Yat Ming 1957 Chevy Nomad. And yes, most of the platforms I grew up with on the old Metro-North Railroad in NY WERE in fact this dirty, so I've chosen to just let them collect dust. When it gets too thick, as opposed to brushing it off, I just blow excess the dust off.
Far side of the road: Ixo Checker Sedan (most people have ridden in the cabs and the airport limos at least once in the US, but the rare sedans? I got that unique privilege once), Dinky Bedford Refuse Truck (from Dad's childhood), Ebbro 1955 Toyopet Crown. Near side of the road: Franklin Mint 1949 Ford Tudor Station Wagon (you can just barely make out the front), JBCC Sunbeam Alpine (one of my top favorites, despite the completely wrong license plate number), French Dinky Toys Scaldia-Moskvitch M408 Elite (which, by the way, if you examine the REALLY early Saratov [before they were using the Radon trade name], was completely knocked off and gave rise to the Radon and Agat Moskvitch 408's and 412's still made today! Also a tough model to find in its own right and one of Dinky's few true 1/43 scale cars.). You can also see the number plate of the Corgi Vanguards Vauxhall PA Cresta in front of that.
'57 Chevy Bel Air from the JBCC I converted into a CIA surveillance car watching Ed's Red Automobiles. Also note the Toyopet Masterline Pickup by Ebbro on the other side of the tracks, which I just yesterday finally gave some cargo (in the form of a small metal generator made by Lesney).
The Mercedes-Benz 190 Binz Europ 1100 Ambulance. That part of the layout is SO crowded it bugs even me...:))
If you can find Ourumov's GAZ-31029 Volga in this picture, you've got good eyes (and yes, technically, the GAZ-31029 WAS a Soviet car, albeit briefly...it was introduced during December 1991; I can't remember if it or the first series of VAZ-21099's were the last Soviet cars to be designed)!
Please stop making fun of the Maluch! They were even exported to Australia (as Fiat Niki) and now have a cult status here. You still see them every now and then, especially in Italian suburbs. And back in Poland my ex, her sister, their parents and dog would go camping in one every summer. There was no trailer for all the stoves, tents and sleeping bags - just a roof rack. Don't ask me how they did it - if you remove the front seat and drive from the back seat you still do not have much legroom!
Jag...quite the contrary. To be honest, the Polski Fiat 126P Maluch was probably the only decently-built small car in the East Bloc, save maybe the Zastava 750 and Zastava 101 (which were also Fiat-derived...the Yugo 45/Zastava Koral had severe problems with the axle design). Sure it was incredibly cramped, but it did function and far better than the mechanical disasters that were the Zaporozhets series put out by ZAZ, the Trabant in all of its forms, the Mikrus MR-300, the Moskvitch 400-420 and 401-420, the Syrena in all of its forms (recall the first one being made out of wood?), etc. If anything, I would in fact say that it is truly Poland's definitive "cult auto."
By the way, the Niki had some kind of a bumper modification in addition to being RHD and having a different suspension. If you don't mind me asking, what was it (I can't recall off the top of my head)? However, I do reserve the right to make fun of the Polski Fiat 126P BIS...you know, the one with the water-cooled engine and "sporty" hubcaps from the late '80's that looked great on paper but never worked?
Most export versions of Eastern-European cars were somehow modified. In fact, any product you could buy was thought to be better if it said "export quality" on the label! I never had a very good look at the Niki, but you are right that the bumpers look slighly different from the domestic version. Maybe it was done for appearance purposes only, or in order to meet Aussie specifications.
Comments
With my Bond cars, this is different unless either the movie scene calls for it or I'm intending to buy the car to put on my layout (in which case, I will take out figures, but replace them with others unless the car is parked). For example, the 1957 Chevy Bel Air convertible and FRWL Bentley are cars I'd consider good examples where no figures are needed. The Maserati Biturbo with its trunk open showing Stinger missiles also makes perfect sense with no figures.
"except maybe in my modest collection of F1 cars it's nice to have the right helmet design"
I definitely agree with this! Especially when you get the awful-looking guys in motorcycle helmets, it makes me REALLY want a correct figure from the factory.
"I like the term "Dinky 48-ing"!"
Thanks! I'll remember to keep on using it!
"I thought the Bentley and Hispano Suiza might be OK as they are quite big cars, but it's not a massive surprise that they're too big."
I completely agree. Ironically, when I got the MP Lafer and Rolls-Royce Phantom III, I was expecting them to be too large as well, but they seem fine.
"As for the Escort, I would not be surprised if Neo makes one, and if given another 5-10 years or so, Vanguards as well"
I completely agree about Neo (and about their prices...I'll buy all the Volgas they make, plus their Amphicar, Volvo 164, AMC Pacer, Pontiac Bonnevilles, Cadillac S&S Ambulance and Hearse and Dodge Monaco, but some of their more recent stuff is available at better prices from Spark or Minichamps). They seem to seek out models that have a clear audience, but that have just never been done before. Vanguards? Probably, but I have two words: sequin headlights. It's not bothersome to the point of me not getting a model, but it is a tad annoying. I've heard that pulling out the sequin and painting the back yellow or silver makes it look quite a bit better, but have never personally tried this. Ixo is also a possibility what with their starting to do partworks (with DeAgostini) for iconic cars from different countries.
"That's fairly off topic, but after a busy few weeks I am having a day thinking about model cars and looking at eBay!"
Aren't we all?
"Happy collecting"
And you too (unless you're bidding against me
"Mr.Dalkowski can I ask your opinion on this model?If I was to put one model out of sight, it would be this one."
The paint is too light (should be olive drab green instead of pea green), but otherwise, it's a very good model. You may want to consider painting it as an Indian Army jeep, as they did use a very similar design. Alternately, you could just repaint it the correct color, making sure the paint you use is glossy. My one big disappointment with it is that you can't fold the windshield up, but I guess I could just get another model, remove the (very delicate) windshield, and scrape off the glue so it could fold. It's a good model, I'd say, and worthy of display.
"Also, I am very surprised to hear that you haven't got/Do not intend having a Bondola in your collection."
Just doesn't fit with what I have. Basically, if I can't find a place for it (no matter what "it" is) on the layout or a potential place for it on the layout, I generally avoid it. I do have a narrow river on my layout, but it's the kind of thing where you'd expect to see 1/43 and 1/48 scale recreational boats and rafts, not a Venetian gondola.
Forgive me if you already have posted some (and I hope I'm not being rude), but I'd love to see some pictures of your train layout.
Oh, that's hardly rude! In fact, I love nothing more than showing it off!
EDIT: Okay, I snapped some new ones! Now to edit, crop, and select out the good ones...expect them to be here by tomorrow at the latest.
EDIT AGAIN: Okay, well, can't hurt to give you a teaser...
can't wait to see some more!
From the post describing my layout (and the same will be true of the "satellite layout") on page 84...
"My layout, as all layouts do, exists within its own world. Mine is rather dystopian and features a very evil Soviet Union on consistent brink of the Cold War going hot with a substantial Russian Nationalist movement that frankly isn't much better, but at least is willing to cooperate with NATO [...]
"The US President in my dystopic layout is a second term Barry Goldwater. As a bit of a joke, I took Lyndon Johnson's presidential limo, removed anything and everything pertaining to Johnson, and parked it next to my kit-bashed gun shop (replete with US Secret Service personnel). Regardless[...], I just took the NATO-member countries, gave them the majority of the layout, and took the communists and them a small but visible and substantial minority."
Incidentally, for those of you who wanted to see a dead body in an open trunk, there is always the Radon or now Agat (that's who makes it today) model. The trunk opens up and it has a spare wheel inside. It's rather hard to remove and ruins the value of something that costs quite a lot of money if you just cut it off, so I'd recommend just keeping it there. The trunk is so huge that you could fit two 1/43 scale bodies in there, anyway (I considered as an alternative to the "pulled-over Chayka" with body in the trunk; believe it not BEFORE CR came out!) and keep it propped open.
As you may have noticed while my collecting interests are different to yours, I quite envy you the room and the tables... 8-)
We still have the Anglia to get?
"Go ahead Dal... your 1/43 people seem to live quite a high-density 1/43 lives and have to put up with a lot of 1/43 noise though, so I am glad that where I live is not so crowded."
As I said, one of the big problems was that the layout itself became overcrowded in anticipation for another one, which has been held up. I tried displaying as much as possible; the problem will be rectified when I can get another table for my other layout (I need one more to complete it).
"As you may have noticed while my collecting interests are different to yours, I quite envy you the room and the tables..."
Heh, thanks. The room is because I live in a ranch house and can afford to have a room all to my own. And if you're wondering, when I bring my girlfriends in, we generally stay upstairs...as for the tables themselves, one (the main one) was actually custom-made (knowing a carpenter is a good thing). The other two...those with the Allied military base and the Communist Compound...are actually converted desks from the Indiana University Surplus Store. It's one of these desks I hope to use to convert and then finish my other layout.
But anyway, pictures of my layout...the first ten (I'll make it 14 on the last day)...
Closeup of the Allied Military Base. In the foreground, we see the rare French Dinky 155mm Howitzer (which, although it's about 1/50 scale, still works as an artillery piece in general). In the background, you see two more Dinkys: the pre-War troop truck (from Dad's childhood) driving up a ramp to be loaded onto a flat car and perhaps the most coveted military Dinky of all: the 1/45 scale Brockway pontoon bridge truck (with ALL of the original parts there), which can indeed deploy the pontoon bridge!
Communist Checkpoint #1. Involves the rather unwilling cooperation of the Bulgarian Police (whom I decided to make neutral, simply because I have so little of their stuff) as well as a friendly GAZ-14 "Chayka" (the model was actually made by GAZ and is quite rare and desirable) with two KGB agents. The minibus is a Barkas B1000 with Polish license plates from the Kultowe Auta PRL-u series.
The Czech Nationalist Police and the CIA stop a Wartburg 353 Trans Pickup carrying a mortar and .30 caliber machine gun. The "Czech Nationalist" police car is simply an early post-communist Czech police car; in this case a well-used GAZ-24-01 Volga made by Ixo for Foxtoys (and good luck finding one for a reasonable price...). The Wartburg Trans is Ist Models. The figures, although they're usually painted by Dad, we see here to be a mixture: only the soldier was painted by Dad. The police officer and the dog seperate from the figure are Lionel, I'm not sure about either the hands up figure or the kneeling figure, and the CIA agent with dog is from the Replicars Cold War Series.
And we see the media covering the above event, too! The trucks represent all three Dinky Toys BBC trucks, including the fragile and usually broken folding mast truck. You'll also note the Lionel operating cattle car and cattle corral. The two Dinky Toys horseboxes are actually pretty nicely done to scale. Next to them are two Dinky Stakebed Lorries my father's had for an eternity. Next to them is a rare Lomo-AVM GAZ-AA Truck that looks close enough to a Ford Model AA Truck to justify me keeping it there. And next to that, of course, is a bit of a Code 3 I did with Oddjob's Ranchero. New driver, plus it now has a hay bale instead of the crushed car. You can also spot Felix Leiter's T-Bird in this photo.
This is the problem I'm having now; things are just backing up and getting clogged, as I said. That row of NINETEEN cars isn't even really supposed to be there! Note the 1/48 Lesney Avelling-Barford Front-End Loader, though. Some decals and paint chipping, but otherwise quite nice and fun.
Severe auto accident outside Jack's Firearms & Ammunition. Note Tracy's Cougar (still not removed the skis) and Tilly Masterson's Mustang making up half of the four-car wreck (note the overturned Trax Models Opal Series Holden EH, which was a factory defective and the Simca 9 Aronde with simulated damage to the side [not visible in this picture, but you will eventually see it]) and also the Brazilian Chevrolet C-10 Ambulance. The presidential limo is Barry Goldwater's.
The gun shop's parking lot. Here you can see President Goldwater's limo, the Secret Service limo assigned to escort it, a Holden HQ Monaro GTS 4-door with Lee-Enfield SMLE in the trunk (and driver with a multi-thousand dollar drilling in his hand), Western Models 1969 American Motors AMX Coupe (the woman standing next to it is meant to be my girlfriend and the '69 AMX in Big Bad Blue is my dream car; although I myself do not make an appearance on this layout, I hint at it), Solido Police Cadillac (yes, I know no such thing existed in real life, but it's 1/43 and looks pretty nice), vandalized RAF-2203 Soviet Game Warden's minibus, 1953 Mercedes-Benz 220S Dealer Promo made by Minichamps, Franklin Mint 1956 Contintental Mk. II, Minichamps 1954 Bentley R-Type, and Minichamps 1958 Edsel Bermuda Station Wagon (which, until I get the Galaxie Country Squire and Code 3 it, will be "Jack's Car"; for you see, my grandfather's first name was Jack).
Spot the three JBCC cars in this picture! It also features a rare Dinky Toys Guy Van in mint condition, a woman arguing with a cop over a parking ticket (the Ertl Ford Tudor that's next to the Dinky Lincoln Contintental, which is in turn next to the Guy Van), a Soviet street-cleaning truck (ZIS-150 PM-8) behind Count Lippe's Ford Fairlane Skyliner, one of Vanguards' "Hidden Treasures" series in the absolutely trashed Triumph Stag, a Trabant P601 by Vitesse (crude, but uncommon) in its natural habitat, as I like to say (being repaired...), right next to that a Morris Minor underneath a tarp undergoing restoration, and you can also best see the Dinky Toys Code 3 I did by making a Kynoch ammunition truck.
Look hard enough and you can spot six Bond cars here. Also note the uncommon Barkas B1000 Panel Van "Neues Deutschland" (which was basically East German Pravda), which seems to have only attracted a Soviet taxi and nothing more.
Spot the three JBCC cars in this picture! Unfortunately, this area of my layout is the worst right now; the most overcrowded. As you can see, though, I did sort of re-do the OHMSS Mercedes-Benz 600 SWB into Japanese diplomat's car (I had plans for a Japanese embassy, but was ultimately forced to scrap them).
City Hall (which is actually Independence Hall in Philadelphia). Featuring the corrupt town mayor exiting to his Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman and the JBCC Rolls-Royce Phantom III Sedanca de Ville featuring another corrupt politician sitting in the back. You can also see the Ebbro Daihatsu Midget Japanese Postal Car, which I thought was really neat, plus, next to City Hall, the Alsatian Christmas Tree Store (and yes, I know the pickup truck is a Soviet GAZ-21 Volga; I needed something with a Christmas Tree in the cargo bed, plus an excuse to buy another Volga, hah! And speaking of Soviet vehicles, directly across from the 600 Pullman is a pre-War Moscow City Bus; a GAZ-03-30 based on the GAZ-AA truck, which in turn was a license built Ford Model AA truck).
The traffic on the left side of the picture is actually SUPPOSED to be jammed. Some guy stopped in the middle of the road with a flat tire and is blocking all traffic. Making the situation worse (and explaining why those are all Australian cars out there) is Irish-Australian Heritage Night at the local pub; 50% off all beer and whiskey (and before someone calls me on this, I myself am a good portion Irish and proud of it, too, and two Australians actually suggested the idea to me! Plus, you'll see how I honor the Aussies a bit later on [I think it's the second-to-last photo, but you will appreciate it if you're an Aussie].).
Two angry Australians and their Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase III confront a traffic cop who at this point is just trying to protect the car with a flat. Also note the kegs in the Ford Falcon XL Ute.
The cause of the problem: a motorist taking his time to change his Peugeot 203's flat tire, not pulling over, and basically pretending the Aussies don't exist. His wife merely stares at either the trolley (when I have it parked there) or the trolley station (which is directly across from the trolley).
Back tomorrow with ten more!
Is that our elusive "Anglia" I spy at the Gunshop parking lot?????
I'm afraid the old eyes ain't what they used to be!!!....Come to think of it! they were never that great!!!!
The magazine confirms that issue 105 will come the Ford Country Squire from Goldfinger.
Gary.
Ah, gotta love opposites in the extreme!
But here are the next ten photos...
More clutter, although on the side of the trolley tracks closest to you, that actually is SUPPOSED to be cluttered. Alas, the rest of my layout is not. Look carefully to spot six JBCC cars in this photo, plus the Minichamps GF Aston Martin DB5.
Ed's Red Automobiles. A communist car dealership, the name is actually sort of a non-sexual double entendre. In firearms slang, "Ed's Red" is a crude, home made mixture to remove cosmoline that is highly corrosive and gives off noxious fumes. Oh, and he's being audited by the Tax Police, there's a KGB car (Red Grant's Citroen) blocking his Moskvitch 2141 Aleko's exit, and he's being spied on by both MI5 (the '59 Morris Oxford) and the CIA ('57 Chevy Bel Air not visible in this pic). And it's all being broadcast live by ABC TV (the rare Dinky Toys mobile control room being present...you can see said roof in the lower left of the picture). Sort of "man, am I having a bad day!"
The "burning Chayka" accessory, which actually works. Just feed in some smoke fluid and it looks like it's on fire. Also, the cars in that line I'm going to keep jammed, although probably remove at least two. Traffic is totally stopped by a car wreck.
The aforementioned car wreck; a driving school GAZ-24 Volga (made by Agat) has just taken out a street sign. The driving instructor gets out to assess the situation and is attacked by a lady's dog.
Spot the JBCC car in this photo! Also one of the less cluttered areas of the layout. The GAZ-52-04 TVG-15M made by Vector Models of the Ukraine is one of my favorites. The bucket goes up and down, the boom assembly can fold onto the truck, and you can also adjust the side mirrors. The Divco Milk Truck, while significantly less expensive, is also quite nifty. I actually have 1/43 scale milk cans in there to go with the Lionel Operating Milk Platform.
A joke on the cluttered nature of my layout are the three cars shown nearest the camera. The Trax Opal Series Ford Falcon XA GT Four-Door Sedan has food and refreshments in the trunk, with everyone getting out, the Corgi Fordson Thames Traveller has the rear doors open with the driver going to the picnic with two people who've literally camped out on the road with their Renault Dauphine Ondine (I actually Code 3'd an entire diorama from the La Route Bleue series to get this).
Another view of the unnecessarily-cluttered (for now) Communist Compound.
And another view, same thing.
And another view.
Okay, this one isn't cluttered. The band playing in the background is for someone else, but the JBCC Mahindra Jeep just features a guy fiddling around with a jerry can (I was going to have him siphoning fuel from the can into the gas tank, but couldn't find a rubber hose that looked convincing).
Ten more tomorrow!
More like "I'm sure the old flashbulb ain't what it used to be!"
Back to the JBCC,you hear the Ford Country Squire might be on newstands on 8/4/2011.I hope your source is correct on that news.Please keep us all informed on any developments ,regarding this model Mr.D. Cheers.
http://pl.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Plik:Maluch_Legnica.jpg&filetimestamp=20070107011358
Dear Mr Dalkowski - please pack up your collection immediately and forward it to me. Instead, choose one or at most two cars from the Polish and/or Russian partwork collections and order 500 of them. And please, remember that our communist streets were never so crowded. Not too many people could afford the 650 cc Fiat 126, and even then petrol was strictly rationed!
Anyway, that is the most desirable piece of "clutter" i will ever see, reminds me of my early childhood, when my dad made me a playground-ish layout for my toy cars
Anyway, BoT: now, I KNOW this isn't the correct year, as the wood on the side is a tad different ( the weels and colour do not count, as they were both special order, the colour being "Mustang" Poppy Red.), but here's an impression of the Country Squire:
Looks nice, and the fact that it will be coming from IXO turns me from "can't be bothered" to "Wow, I want that one!" instantly ;%
No problem! I won't hit the guy up every day for information, but I will ask him for a photo once April 9 has come and gone (he said the model would be released the 8th, but didn't think he'd have any pictures until the 9th). I'll also be sure and ask him to take a look inside the back cover for Issue 106 (I'm wondering if it's going to be the Consul or not...that thing's been pushed back and pushed back and pushed back some more).
"In the real Eastern Europe you would see mostly the same make and model everywhere"
Categorically untrue! In East Germany, for every one hundred or so Trabant P601's, you had a Wartburg 353!
"And please, remember that our communist streets were never so crowded."
To be briefly serious, I wouldn't doubt that in Poland due to the scarcity of cars in general (you had the 126P Maluch, the 125P, and a few imports, plus what managed to survive the rusting from the Warszawa and Syrena days and the occassional Polonez that probably belonged to somebody connected to the government), but in the Soviet Union, you did actually have nightmarish traffic control up until about the early 1970's, which is where I got the idea in general. I also know second-hand that Romania, at least in Bucharest, was a nightmare of similar proportions. On the other hand, I can tell you China had even fewer vehicles on the road; cars or trucks. And yes, some older Chinese cars make an appearance on the layout. It's the Communist Compound, remember, not the East Bloc Compound.
But, back to my layout! You'll appreciate the first photo, at least, Jag.
Ever figured that some other unlucky CIA guy owned the ZAZ-965A Zaporozhets before Jack Wade?
Closeup of Felix's T-Bird. Also worked in the fictional Russian Nationalist Militsia (just old model cars from Agat with current markings). To the rear of Felix's T-Bird is a Replicars "Cold War Series" '47 Ford Fordor with DC license plates, also intended as CIA.
The Bentley and the '63 Chevy Impala. Also note in the extreme upper right of the photo a mint condition Gamda Willys Panel Van made in Israel during the late 1950's. The last one of these I saw at auction went for over $500 (back when the dollar was still worth something, no less!) and it is probably my rarest car. You can also make out an ICV Models Moskvitch 432 with LUMZ-945 Refridgeration Unit at top left, which is also pretty rare (albeit modern in its manufacture).
You can make out five VB cars in this photo; the unaltered JBCC just barely (the doors in the top left of the picture), but the Code 3 is sitting next to the Ixo for Foxtoys model (in turn sitting next to an Abrex Skoda 120L, and we see a GAZ-24 Volga [alphanumeric code A170] close to the camera).
I've still not removed the ski racks from the Cougar. Also, note the GF Ford Mustang and check out the detail on the "side-swiped" Simca 9 Aronde.
The West Side Station. In the parking lot, you can see (left to right): Vector Models RAF-10E Luxe Minibus, Corgi Ford Consul Cortina wagon, JBCC 1964 Lincoln Contintental, Yat Ming 1957 Chevy Nomad. And yes, most of the platforms I grew up with on the old Metro-North Railroad in NY WERE in fact this dirty, so I've chosen to just let them collect dust. When it gets too thick, as opposed to brushing it off, I just blow excess the dust off.
Far side of the road: Ixo Checker Sedan (most people have ridden in the cabs and the airport limos at least once in the US, but the rare sedans? I got that unique privilege once), Dinky Bedford Refuse Truck (from Dad's childhood), Ebbro 1955 Toyopet Crown. Near side of the road: Franklin Mint 1949 Ford Tudor Station Wagon (you can just barely make out the front), JBCC Sunbeam Alpine (one of my top favorites, despite the completely wrong license plate number), French Dinky Toys Scaldia-Moskvitch M408 Elite (which, by the way, if you examine the REALLY early Saratov [before they were using the Radon trade name], was completely knocked off and gave rise to the Radon and Agat Moskvitch 408's and 412's still made today! Also a tough model to find in its own right and one of Dinky's few true 1/43 scale cars.). You can also see the number plate of the Corgi Vanguards Vauxhall PA Cresta in front of that.
'57 Chevy Bel Air from the JBCC I converted into a CIA surveillance car watching Ed's Red Automobiles. Also note the Toyopet Masterline Pickup by Ebbro on the other side of the tracks, which I just yesterday finally gave some cargo (in the form of a small metal generator made by Lesney).
The Mercedes-Benz 190 Binz Europ 1100 Ambulance. That part of the layout is SO crowded it bugs even me...:))
If you can find Ourumov's GAZ-31029 Volga in this picture, you've got good eyes (and yes, technically, the GAZ-31029 WAS a Soviet car, albeit briefly...it was introduced during December 1991; I can't remember if it or the first series of VAZ-21099's were the last Soviet cars to be designed)!
By the way, the Niki had some kind of a bumper modification in addition to being RHD and having a different suspension. If you don't mind me asking, what was it (I can't recall off the top of my head)? However, I do reserve the right to make fun of the Polski Fiat 126P BIS...you know, the one with the water-cooled engine and "sporty" hubcaps from the late '80's that looked great on paper but never worked?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm6vKBn5Q9U
Most export versions of Eastern-European cars were somehow modified. In fact, any product you could buy was thought to be better if it said "export quality" on the label! I never had a very good look at the Niki, but you are right that the bumpers look slighly different from the domestic version. Maybe it was done for appearance purposes only, or in order to meet Aussie specifications.