The idea to built this truck, came up af few month after I created this website, first the site was dedicated to
Mobile Cranes, but after a while I found out I had to try to built other kind of models.
The idea to built this truck, came up af few month after I created this website, first the site was dedicated to
Mobile Cranes, but after a while I found out I had to try to built other kind of models.
The result of my work is this truck. It is my first truck in this scale, and I have had a lot of fun creating the model. The reason for selecting this Mercedes Benz as my first model, was the ease of getting data, pictures and details of the original one, since my father is driving the truck everyday.
The truck is from the company Gustav Larsen & Son A/S in Sandby, Denmark. It is built for the only purpose, to transport straw and hay. The truck is made as a 4x2 combination, and capable of carrying 12 bales of 500kg, the two-axle trailer is also capable of carrying 12 bales of 500kg. A total of 24 bales, 12 tons.
The truck is a Mercedes Benz, Actros, 1840 with a 6 cylinder engine. The truck is equipped with a tarpaulin which can be
pulled over the load to prevent the straw and hay from beeing dropped on the street. The bales are also securred
with straps.
The tarpaulin is put on the load manually, by entering the top of the load right behind the drivers cabin, or at the rear
end of the trailer. After the tarpaulin is put on, it is secured with a number of rubber-straps, and 6 heavy straps.
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The primary purpose is to transport straw and hay from farmers around Zealand, to different powerplants and produceres
of solid fuel, like the Powerplant at Avedøre, Copenhagen, and Junckers solid fuel production in Køge.
Loading the truck is both at the farms, and directly on the fields right after the harvest. The farmers
apply loading-equipment like, cranes, tractors, trucks, etc.
The unloading process is handled by the powerplants with special made cranes for this particular load. The large cranes unload
12 bales at a time, first the upper layer, and then the bottom layer. It takes around 20 minuttes.
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The data of the original truck.
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As mentioned it is my first 1:13 truck model, it is a very popular scale, since the large Technic wheels, 24x43 fits this scale. The scale gives a lot of opportunities for creating a lot of details on the models. Sadly the models are often to heavy for the axles, which means no playing with the models afterwards. But the fun of creating the models compensates for this. Since my father is driving the truck everyday, it was rather easy to get some data for the model. I didnt find any good drawings of the truck, but half a day with a camera and a tape measure gave me the necessary data.
The truck is made on a 4x2 chassis, with a short version drivers caben, named S, to give the necessary space for the bales of Straw. On the chassis is built a floor for carrying 12 large bales.
The chassis is built of to longtitudinal frame sections, with supports in between.
The frontaxle is made as the original with parable-suspension and shock absorbers, the front wheels can turn and they are equipped with
an Ackermann connection to turn the innermost wheel more than the outer to give the right direction when turning.
The rear axle is equipped with airsuspension, a working differential and propeller shaft to the gearbox.
Around the rear wheels there are mudgards and all width flaps. Rear most you find the coupling for the trailer.
On the left side of the frame there is a locker for tools, straps and other repair parts.
In front of the toolbox there is a box for batteries, airtanks, filters, etc.
On the right side behind the bicycle-guard the dieseltank is placed.
Around the chassis I have put work-lights, airhoses, etc.
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The engine is made of 3 parts, the block with gearbox, inlet- and outletsystem.
The engine is a V6 with working crankshaft and pistons. On the rear is the gearbox, where the rotation from the
propeller shaft is directed to the crankshaft. The engineblock is equipped with cooler, intercooler, manifold (inlet and outlet)
and a turbo.
The inletsystem, begins from above the driverscabin, through a long channel behind the cabin, to the airfilter behind
the right front wheel, and from the airfilter to the inlet-side of the turbo.
The exhaustsystem consists of pipes from the outlet-side of the turbo, to the silencer behind the left front wheel.
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In the front of the frame the bumber is placed, on the front side in the bottom, there are 4 lights, and in the middel
there is a small leaf with a step, behind the leaf the drawhook is placed. Above this, the frontlight and turnsignals. Above this
the licenseplate, which also is mount on a leaf and this step is used for cleaning the frontwindow.
In both sides there are the front part of the mud guards, and 3 steps for entering the cabin.
The cabin is mount on a junction in the front and supported by suspension in the rear above the turbo.
In the front there is a large leaf, to enter the engine from the front, to refill water, oil. etc. This leaf has to be
opened if the cabin is tilted for engine-service. In each side the doors can be opened. They are equipped with mirrors, one
in the left side, and two in the right side + the near-sight mirror. The left door is equipped with a mud flap to make the
upper step dry from water, so the outdoor-shoes can be placed here, when driving, like the original.
On the roof there is a sun visor with toplights, work lights, flash lights, sun roof, and non-skid surface for working when
placing the tarpaulin on the bales of straw. Behind the cabin on the left side, there is a ladder, to enter the roof to be able to
put on the tarpaulin.
Inside I have made, dashboard, seats with armrests, a lot of small places for papers and stuf, place for cards, CB-radio, airhose for
cleaning, coffie-cup, coffie-can, bottle of water, sun visors, gear-rod, stearing wheel, pedals, etc.
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The floor is mount on top of the chassis with an extra frame, around the edge it is equipped with hooks for the net
and straps. 3 rollers for the straps, and side-markinglights.
In the front there is a heavy frame, to support the bales when driving. On top of the frame the tarpaulin is mount, when the truck
is empty the tarpaulin is placed in two baskets, and held tight by several rubber straps. In front of the frame there is a system
for taking off the tarpaulin it is two small winches operated by a handle placed in front of the airfilter.
The tarpaulin on the model is made by the company Hvalpsund Net A/S in Jutland.
It can be pulled out to the full length of the floor, and it is equipped with rubber straps and 3 heavy straps for securing the bales.
In the rear of the floor, the licence plate and tail-lights are placed.
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The trailer is built on two singletyre axles, with a floor for transporting 12 bales of straw.
The chassis is made on two longtitudinal frames, eqipped with supports in between. The two axles are equipped with
airsuspension, shock-absorbers and brakes. In the front the drawbar is mount on the chassis. It can be extended 1 meter,
sometimes the bales are too long, and therefore it is necessary to extend the drawbar a half or a whole meter to be able
to turn. That gives the whole truck a length of 19.65 meters.
On the left side there is a support-stand which kan be lowered with a handle. In the rear there is a chock for holding the
trailer when it is parked alone.
On the rear in front of the wheels there is a bicycleguard, and behind the wheels the is a sparewheel and another chock.
On the rear the taillights, licenseplate, and triangles are placed on a bumper.
I have equipped the trailer with a lot of details like, working lights, valves for the suspension, tools for wheels, etc.
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The floor is made like the floor on the truck, just inverted, the frame for support is placed on the rear. On the rear
frame there is a ladder for entering the load, when putting on tarpaulin. Winches for the tarpaulin is also placed like on the truck. The handle
for the winches is placed right in front of the bumber on the left side.
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The model is equipped with a lot of stickers and logoes, I have made on my computer. Some of them are homemade, others
are made from photes I could retouche, like, company logoes, license plates, weights, mud flaps, etc.
The stickers are made on an inkjetprinter on white labels.
The final data of the LEGO model.
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A little conclusion on the project. It is my first 1:13 model, but absolutely not the last one, I have had a lot
of fun constructing the truck, and I guess the future will bring more 1:13 models to my collection.
During construction I needed some extra bricks, and therefore I tried Bricklink
for the first time, to extend my collection of bricks.
I am rather satisfied with the model, it is not the most difficult model I have built, but it is the first one
I have put that much time in creating a real copy of the original.
I have a lot of pictures of the model, below I have put a few of them. If you like to see more of the model or the original truck, dont hesitate to contact me.
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Sonday the 14. of November 2004 I was interwied at the hauler Gunner Larsen & Son A/S, together with the hauler herself Mariann.
The result can be seen below, posted in the danish newspaper Holbæk Amts Venstreblad
monday the 15. of November 2004.
I am sorry its in danish, maybe a translation will follow some day.
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