Sometimes you just get a silly idea and have to see it through to the end.

While I was doing some online research for another modeling project, I stumbled across this photo of a converted GMC 2.5 ton WWII truck turned into a garbage truck. I thought it was super cool as a modeling subject and spent 10 minutes googling to see if this conversion existed. if it does, I couldn’t find it.

So I started looking at it through Fusion Goggles… and turns out, it seemed easy enough to recreate. In record time, I had the bulk of the CAD work done and started printing test models. I followed the references I could find as closely as possible, but also made some creative and creative compression choices to keep things moving.

I think I have printed 12 of the garbage truck bin at this point, but each version got me closer to the final. Funny part is that the dimensions it needed to be just BARELY fit my Phrozen S0nic 8k Mini printer. Just barely. In fact, it was so tight that I had to come up with another plan for the side lights since that pushed the size over the top.

Louvered engine panels

One of the things I have long hated, deeply significantly hated is how the louvered engine panels on basically all trucks that have them are molded so damn poorly. They are air flow grills that we can’t see through at all in the plastic kit parts. And the photoetch replacements are a damn joke… I have yet to see or even hear about anyone making really great louvered panels out of the flat brass and a ballpoint pen. On the barn diorama truck, I actually carved out the backside of the engine panels and it looked OK, but certainly not perfect.

Activate: Fusion Goggles!

After asking some of the SMCG folks for thoughts on how to make my own in Fusion, I was off and running. Only took a few minutes to recreate the kit part and the first test print was damn close to perfect. I went back and made a few minor tweaks, but the second print run is what you see on the vehicle. And now I have them forever! Damn this makes me happy.

 

More information coming as this project progresses. Check back soon!

 

 

References

• https://www.refusetruckphotography.com/Bowles-Archive/Container-Delivery-Trucks
• https://www.classicrefusetrucks.com/rest.html
• https://www.classicrefusetrucks.com/albums/HE/HE06.html
• https://www.classicrefusetrucks.com/albums/albumpool7/rHE.html
• https://www.classicrefusetrucks.com/downloads/HEdown.html
• https://app.sketchup.com/app?3dwid=a8329040-3bd7-415f-813a-080414bbb9a7
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFD8n4O8Nzw

Additional notes

• From an online forum discussion: “Last Active Duty G-508 I witnessed was a CCW GARBAGE PACKER that was assigned to Ft Devens , that was also 1960.”
• Online discussion has pointed out that the CCKW garbage truck was a great idea, but not a great execution. From this post:
  • “CCW was a good idea, and if used in ideal conditet off road and it was suicide for the truck. What would happen is that in soft going there was insufficient gearing to get torque to the rear axles and the truck engine would have a short life, the heavier the d. The two speed transfer made a difference. I witnessed a CCW Garbage Packer in sandy soil at a Military Base Landfill for 3 consecutive days, the going was just too soft and the truck was geared too high even in 1st and Reverse gear to give the rear axles power to move. After 3 days of revving and much clutch slipping the engine developed a knock. It averaged 3 trips a day to the landfill. The next time I saw this very same truck, it was about 8 months later, and was at a surted to CCKW configuration.”
• More information about the problems with this configuration
• Online discussion about where these show up and the technical manual associated with it:
  • “The Publication confirms the sightings of these trucks at National Guard units in Maine, and Massachusetts up to 1959-60, and at Ft Monmouth and Ft Dix NJ in 1961.”
• More online discussion