Model Mania — Peter White’s Aussie Atkinson

Peter White describes building an Australian Atkinson 3800 model, photographed by Kim Ashton.

Words by Peter White. Photography by Kim Ashton.

Our resident model writer Bob Riley has been in contact with one of the world’s most renowned model experts, Truck Model World magazine’s founding and longest serving editor, Peter White.

“I’ve always had a liking for Atkinson trucks,” Mr White wrote.

“I have built a few, mostly Borderers and Defenders, but anything with a big A on the front interests me.”

“For a recent birthday, a long-time good Aussie friend sent me a resin Atkinson 3800 cab casting from Charlie Eden’s The Backyard Shed.

He also sent the suggested donor kit, an AMT GMC Astro, for the chassis.

I found a website called Aussie Atkinson which was invaluable for ideas and as it seemed no two were alike, a bit of modeller’s licence was in order.”

After an initial clean-up of the resin, the internal cab walls and the engine cover were detailed with a textured Plasticard to create a leather effect.

The dashboard instruments were picked out in paint to highlight them, and a CB radio from the spare parts box was installed on the centre console.

The GMC kit’s wheelbase seemed correct and didn’t need major work apart from relocating the steering box and steering column to the right hand side. Five spoke wheels with Big A hubcaps were fitted to the steer axle while new fuel tanks, chromed rear quarter-guards, photo-etch tread plate, grab handles, air and electrical lines and new rear wheels and tyres, were also fitted.

Cab mounts from the spare parts box were modified so the cab could be properly mounted. Once that was resolved, a scratch built ‘headache’ rack was built and fitted behind the cab to support the twin high rise exhaust stacks, which were fitted with photo-etched shields and polished aluminium pipes, and the twin high rise air intakes which were fitted with resin air-ram air intakes.

The air filter barrels under the half sleeper came from the spares box and were fitted with flexible pipe joints made from ‘bendy’ drinking straws.

A mixture of kit, scratch built and kit-bashed parts formed the exhaust and air intake pipework that connected back to the engine. A dummy radiator was made from textured Plasticard and Evergreen strip and installed before the Big A badge fitted.

The blue and white paint scheme was achieved with spray cans and detailed using Kit Form Services’ pinstripes and emblems and some signwriting from spare decals box. The stone guard, running lights, the photo etched steps and the bullbar also came from the spares box as did the roof mounted air conditioner which was detailed with hoses that run down the back of the cab.

While only one trailer is shown here, two trailers and a dolly were built as this rig was always intended as a road train. Both trailers were built from Revell kits and were equipped with scratch built front and rear gates, rope rails, tool boxes, spare wheels racks and marker lights. The lead trailer was loaded with a mix of general and a container while the dog trailer was loaded with pipes.

Cab mounted aerials, West Coast mirrors, driving lights, road train signs, numberplates, photo-etched Atkinson mudflaps, Do Not Overtake signage on the back and road train signage are amongst a host of added details.

The model was displayed at the 2018 ‘On the Road’ model show at Jabbeke in Belgium where it won the Best Vintage Truck sponsored by the Czech Republic’s IPMS.

“Considering it’s an Aussie truck built by a Brit, it has a truly international flavour. It’s also one of the best birthday presents I’ve ever had,” Peter wrote.

Rear Vision: where are they now?

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