In many countries, trucks with oversize loads, like the transformer transport I built several weeks ago, are commonly accompanied by escort vehicles. They warn other road users and their drivers can help the trucks’ drivers to navigate tight curves or narrow streets.
In the UK, such escort vehicles are usually vans. Obviously, these tend to have high-visibility markings, which, to me, makes them attractive as Lego builds. My latest two models represent two rather different examples: a Ford Transit and a Mercedes Sprinter.
The white Transit van is operated by the British heavy haulage firm Allelys. This is also the operator of my transformer transport, which is why I picked it. Ford has been selling Transit vans in the US since 2015, but mine is an older, rather boxier variant. It has a few warning lights on its roof, chevron markings on the back (more about those later) and a neon-yellow stripe down its sides, but otherwise it seems pretty much standard.
The dark red van is a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. US readers may know this model as the Freightliner Sprinter. Whilst searching for suitable vehicles to build, I found only two pictures of this particular van, sadly without any further information. However, I suspect it is owner-operated. It looks as though somebody takes a lot of pride in its appearance. It is tricked out with protective metal bars, floodlights, light bars and a bunch of antennae on its roof, as well as a nice set of alloy wheels and little Scottish flags applied to the sides. Furthermore, it has a chromed radiator grille and rearview mirrors. That is definitely not standard.
I base the scale of my vehicles on the height of Lego minifigures, so that they look good with the figures standing next to them. This makes the cabs of my trucks seven studs wide. To match them, I decided to build the vans with five-stud wide bodies. Mudguards and tiles mounted on the sides increase the overall width to about six studs. This size leaves space for a minifigure driver inside, positioned slightly off-centre.
Much of the construction of both vans consists of fairly straightforward studs-up building. However, they may look simpler than they are. Getting their front ends to look right, at such a small scale, required building structures sideways or upside down. Building the Sprinter, in particular, also involved judicious use of half-stud offsets.
In common with many utility and emergency vehicles in the UK, both vans have a pattern of reflective chevrons applied to the back. For larger-scale vehicles, I’d build that using a pattern of small plates. On these small vehicles, however, this would have looked far too pixelated. Furthermore, it would not have allowed any curvature. So, instead, I bought a vinyl sticker sheet (intended for RC cars) from an online store in the UK, to cut into the desired shapes. A few other small custom-made stickers with writing or logos finish the look. Stickers are a compromise, but they help to make these vans look like proper little scale models instead of mere toys.
The post With great trucks come little vans appeared first on The Brothers Brick.
Leave a Reply