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(PICS) Although IXO (and its subsidiaries) produce many 1/43 American trucks................
The real 'high end' precision diecast truck manufacturers seem to have mostly stuck to 1/50 scale, I suppose because that scale is the defacto one for construction equipment diecasts as well. Up until 2013, the most prolific of the precision diecast American truck manufacturers was TWH/Sword who also made lots of incredible construction diecasts. Some of their American truck models seem to have been carried on by WSI, who usually make 'high end' European truck models.
Following are some examples from TWH/Sword's glory days. Their models typically had a plethora of opening and articulating details and yet their 'shut-lines were always super-tight. Their models were not inexpensive, but they were, at the time, quite reasonable considering the exceptional quality and somewhat limited production.
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Sword's Mack Granite trucks with bitumin spreader, field equipment lubrication, and flatbed/dump bodies
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Seagrave articulated ladder truck, two Pierce Quantum pumpers, and an Oshkosh Striker airport fire emergency truck
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A couple of Oshkosh airport sweeper trucks
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Oshkosh Airport snow-blower, Oshkosh ant-eater style cement mixer, and Oshkosh dump trucks
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Vermeer 'tub-grinder with Peterbilt tractor
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Oshkosh heavy equipment transport and Oshkosh HEMTT
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Peterbilt field equipment service truck and Peterbilt National Crane truck
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Kenworth and Western Star heavy prime movers with ballast boxes. These two diecasts were done by WSI, a current manufacturer who also seems to have carried on some of the TWH/SWORD models.
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Remarkable collection of specialized trucks
Clifford,
While not a collector of trucks, I do appreciate the extraordinary detail and execution of your collection. Both remarkable and I assume quite space consumptive.
An area of collecting I never got involved in. But I can see the allure, the detail is incredible.
John Kuvakas
Warrenton, VA
that's what I would call "heavy metal" awesome....
A very impressive collection of highly detailed models.
Amazing nice models and good pictured. I like those trucks
Those are great Clifford. I have given up on most construction equipment, but...
...not the fire engines. I have these (images left wide to show detail):
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TWH did several Honolulu engines but I chose #10 after finding an online photo of this one in action.
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One nice thing about Sword is their sales and warehouse is 5 minutes from me. Every once in a while
I stop in to have a look at their products. Totally mind-blowing as your pics show. They also helped me a few years ago coming up with ringfedders. I was able to look at a few and then fabricate some for a friend in OZ in 1:43 by taking pics of the ones on their transports.
The technical detailing on those models is eye-watering.
I imagine these specialist-interest models were produced in relatively small quantities, and it makes you wonder how they could afford the time and effort to reproduce all the endless small details of the bodywork, chassis and accessories.
Great stuff. Thanks for showing.
Graeme.M. Ogg
London U.K.
Graeme - My fire trucks were LEs of 500 except the yellow Honolulu.
It was an edition of 399, but there were multiple engine numbers (mine was for the Aeia Station). So I don't know if the 300 applies to all Honolulu units or each station's rig.
The airport crash tender came in multiple liveries, I chose the Vegas unit since I've been to McCarran a few times. Speaking of which, here's a fire fighting unit from Las Vegas that has not been modeled:
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Truly a devoted group of skilled people who produced these wonders.
Spectacular collection and photos! Thanks for sharing these amazing replicas.
Hard to believe these are 1/43. Lots of care went into producing these