bricknerd
There's a New Truck In Town
When it comes to North American freight car trucks, you've probably heard of Bettendorf, AAR, Andrews and archbar trucks. But did you know about the Paint Roller truck? No? Well, here it is :-)
Joke aside: I like archbar trucks for their more delicate look compared to those relying on cast sideframes. Point is: modeling them in LEGO requires using elements thinner than plates or the usual 3mm bars.
For my first shot at an archbar truck I used droid torsos, but to be honest the shape of the two symmetric torsos has it look more like a Bettendorf T-section type, and the missing journal boxes were nagging on me, making me fiddle around with all sorts of Minifig utils, weapons and body parts until I ended up with the paint roller (BL 12885).
The parts for both the M-shaped (left) and U-shaped (right) versions are available in black and light bluish grey (tough the latter might get way more expensive).
Of those two versions, my favorite is the U-shaped one for its over-all look, especially in combination with the bucket handle, but it reflects a fair amount of artistic freedom ;-), while the M-shaped one is somewhat closer to the prototype.
Please let me know what you think of the idea in general and which version YOU prefer. Feel free to pick up the design from here and develop it further, and make sure to share the outcome!
There's a New Truck In Town
When it comes to North American freight car trucks, you've probably heard of Bettendorf, AAR, Andrews and archbar trucks. But did you know about the Paint Roller truck? No? Well, here it is :-)
Joke aside: I like archbar trucks for their more delicate look compared to those relying on cast sideframes. Point is: modeling them in LEGO requires using elements thinner than plates or the usual 3mm bars.
For my first shot at an archbar truck I used droid torsos, but to be honest the shape of the two symmetric torsos has it look more like a Bettendorf T-section type, and the missing journal boxes were nagging on me, making me fiddle around with all sorts of Minifig utils, weapons and body parts until I ended up with the paint roller (BL 12885).
The parts for both the M-shaped (left) and U-shaped (right) versions are available in black and light bluish grey (tough the latter might get way more expensive).
Of those two versions, my favorite is the U-shaped one for its over-all look, especially in combination with the bucket handle, but it reflects a fair amount of artistic freedom ;-), while the M-shaped one is somewhat closer to the prototype.
Please let me know what you think of the idea in general and which version YOU prefer. Feel free to pick up the design from here and develop it further, and make sure to share the outcome!