Two Mack Bulldogs and a Mack H-63

On our way to Auburn yesterday to catch up with the rest of the family for Thanksgiving. We stopped at one of our favorite stores in Seneca Falls, Sauders. It is a Mennonite run country style store offering all kinds of food stuff.

I was on the way out, when I spotted a basket with a sign above, "FREE CALENDARS". I took one
titled, "TREASURED TRUCKS".

It is from that calendar these pictures come. They were taken by a well known "cover photographer" named Ozzie Sweet. He is renown for his quality photographs.


MACK H-63 1954-56

1947 MACK LFT




1972 MACK R-685T

















Great picture of neat trucks!!!!

Peterbilt 359 x 2

What does one do when they don't have any truck models to take up some "hobby" time? Well in my case that's not hard. I go looking for great pictures on the net.

I found these two through Hank's Truck Forum (see my truck links). There are some neat trucks there, and some links to other truck related sites. I liked these two because of the way the picture was taken - allowing me to remove the background and artistically render the trucks.

I wish I could find more pictures of trucks with trailers - taken with a "corner perspective". The tractors alone are cool, but a trailer load makes it so much better.

My picture offering was modified once again in Photoshop. Two Peterbilt 359's - the beer truck can stop at my house any time!!!

As Homer Simpson would say, " HMMMMMM Beer!"

AMT Mack Cruisliner - BROWN NOSE

This is another post about the AMT Cruisliner Kit from Stevens' International. One thing I didn't like about the build of this kit was the way the wheels attached to plastic "stub" axles. Back in the old day AMT used metal axles that ran through the axle housing. Of course there were some modelers that ran them through their fingers or palms - so they were discontinued.

So, last night, with nothing better to do, I removed the wheels in an effort to free them up so they would rotate more easily. I do miss those metal axles. Anyhow after it was once again put back together, with nothing better to do, I created this from a picture of what I now call -------

BROWN NOSE

Yet another Peterbilt 352 COE

I will admit to the "trucker" readers of this blog that I am no expert at truck "aging" or even proper truck identification's. I get a little lazy when it comes to those details.

I believe this is about a 72 Peterbilt 352. I may be wrong, so feel free to correct me. The picture was found on the web and like the blue Pete of the previous post, I just liked the way it looks. I'll
admit a partiality towards the Peterbilts of that era 60's - 70's. They look like trucks - tuff, yet they invoke an art through their lines. So here, retouched in Photoshop again, is what I think is a great representative truck of that era - perhaps a 1972 Petebilt 352.



My thanks to C.J. Hall for his picture.

While looking through my "Pete Photo Files" I came across this Peterbilt 352 - so I'll go for a little Pete overload!!!

Nice trucks!!!

Peterbilt 352 COE - Blue me away

Here is yet another truck I really enjoy. Back in 1972 I built a model of this truck, the kit was by AMT. It came with the trailer, and when built up it was a Budweiser truck.
That's another one of those models now long gone - given away when we moved here 24 years ago. I wish someone would re-issue that kit.

Well, I was on another truck site searching for pictures. I came across this one of a nicely done Pete 352 - simple elegance with just the right amount of pin-striping. I couldn't resist. If ever I find a 352 kit, I want to build it like this one.

Here is the picture as found ----

Here is how I did it up in Photoshop ----

Thanks to Hank's Truck Forum for the picture - special thanks to the submitter!!!!




UPDATE OF 5/30/09

Thanks to Jarrett Hallvin for his comment and sending me this picture of the model he built of his dads' truck --- subject of this post!!

69 Peterbilt Photoshop Transformation

This is a post about how I transform some of my photos using Photoshop CS3. The subject in this post is my AMT Peterbilt 359 "California Hauler". It has been the subject of other post as well.

The first picture was taken with a white sheet as the background:



The image itself was sharpened in Photoshop, then the background was removed by a combination of cut /paste and flood fill of a solid color:



This picture was then softened using the "unsharpen mask", then artistically rendered using the poster edge and ink outline features. The result of all this changes the picture from a photo into a work of art. If only I could do this by hand -----



Of course, I already think this Pete is a work of art ----

Always Looking For Trucks - Leave Comments

I am always searching for new truck models, and photos or illustrations of old trucks. If you have a site to share about trucks, or truck modeling, please include it in your comments. I will do my best to add the link to this page.

Tell me what you think. I'm having fun doing this..................

Paint and decal scheme for Revell / Germany Peterbilt

Susies Fords

Was sitting having my traditional coffee and apple fritter with my friend and fellow bus driver, Susie Shoemaker. She was showing some old family photos and we came across these two. The first is a 1940's Ford COE Coke truck



The next set shows some 1958 Series Fords used in local Delivery.

Chevrolet LRDG 30cwt

OK, I hear some of you asking what does LRDG and 30cwt stand for. This post is due to a book that was recommended on Straightstack ( see my side bar) . The book is called "Killing Rommel" by Steven Pressfield. It is a novel about the British "special unit" known as the Long Range Dessert Group or LRDG. Their objective was to go after Rommel, to kill or capture him during the North African Campaign of WWII. The book is based on the memoir of R. Lawrence Chapman, who fought with this group.

Early in this groups existence, they used Ford trucks. But after 1941, they switched to, and preferred the Chevrolet 1 1/2 ton (or 30cwt). This was a Canadian built Chevrolet supplied without the cab and modified for dessert war fare.

As my friend on Straightstack pointed out, imagine driving one of these in sand and when temperatures during the day were over 110 F. My hats off to those that did.

1941 Chevrolet 30 cwt LRDG

"They Drive by Night" - Sterling Truck?

I found another picture of a truck mentioned in an earlier post about the Bogart / Raft movie, "THEY DIVE BY NIGHT".

When I looked closely at this picture, I noticed what appears to be another set of wheels behind the rear duals. I checked other pictures, and the only one that shows that this might have been the way the truck was set up, is the picture used in the earlier post.



If you look closely behind the left rear dual, you can just make out the shadow of another tire. I wonder if this is how the truck was set up? Anyone know?

UPDATE: ---- Recently the model used in the accident scene was sold at auction -- sale price was $25,300. Below is a picture from the sale --

And here is some info I found on the model before the sale --