Having grown up in the eighties, the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of a Transformer is a vehicle that changes into a giant robot. In the real world, though, a transformer is less exciting. It is a device that changes the voltage of an electric current. Transformers can range from small enough to fit on printed circuit boards to massive industrial units weighing hundreds of tons. My latest LEGO model represents a mid-size example, of about 50 tons.
I’ve been building minifigure-scale vehicles lately, and a transformer seemed to be a suitable load for a nice heavy-haulage truck. The Mercedes Arocs truck is a model that I have been planning (and buying parts for) for quite a while. It should pair nicely with a Goldhofer modular trailer.
Here we have the finished tractor unit. Or I should really write heavy-haulage lorry, given that it is British. Custome decals show that it is in the livery of the British heavy-haulage firm Allelys. This company is well known for transporting trains, so it should have no problem carrying my transformer unit.
For the Goldhofer trailer, I built two modules: one with five axles (10 sets of wheels) and one with three (6 sets). The sets can be rotated individually, to navigate corners. On the real vehicle, that is done hydraulically. On my model, I have to do it by hand. My truck is really not a toy, as this is a laborious chore! In real life, the modular trailer is wider than the truck. On my scale model, it worked out to a width of nine studs.
The trailer is properly modular. In principle, I could add even more modules that would slot in-between. For the coupling mechanism, I tried to copy the real model as much as possible, as I figured that the people who designed the original knew what they were doing.
And here it all comes together: a Mercedes Arocs in the livery of the British heavy haulage firm Allelys, pulling a modular trailer that carries a transformer.
It may not transform into a robot, but I like how colourful the whole combination is, with blue and medium azure parts on the cab, the red and yellow of the trailer and the sand green I used for the load. And what do you know, there’s even some room left for a few Energon Cubes!
The post Transformer, roll out! appeared first on The Brothers Brick.
Leave a Reply