Oxford Diecast's new dumper trucks look the part

PRICE: £22.95 each
REF NO: 76ACD001 (Wimpey) and 76ACD002 (NCB)
SCALE: 1/76

The AEC Dumper Truck or, to give it its full title, 1965 10 cu.yd. 690 Dump Truck, was also produced on both Aveling Barford and Scammell LD55 chassis. The trucks would have had a badge on the front bar or grille denoting AEC, AB or Scammell allegiance, but, to make full use of the new tooling, the badge has been omitted so Oxford can produce all three variants.

The specifications listed in the sales brochure of the period gave the in-depth details of vehicle components and operational attributes. The engine was a 4-stroke, 6-cylinder, vertical, direct injection diesel. Output was 192 bhp, at 2,000 rpm, with a maximum torque of 557 Lh-ft (77kg-m) at 1,100 rpm. The clutch was a hydraulically-operated, single dry-plate 16” diameter unit, while the gearbox featured five forward speeds and one reverse gear, all constant mesh, direct-mounted with the engine. The front suspension had 3 ½” wide, inverted, semi-elliptical leaf springs with rubber pump stops and telescopic double acting hydraulic damper. The rear bogie had 3 ½” wide, inverted, semi-elliptical leaf springs pivoted at their centres on a transverse tube, mounted in cast steel brackets bolted on to the chassis frame.

The frame was of bolted construction and the standard wheels and tyre equipment comprised 14-ply Dunlop ‘Roadtrak Majors’ on the front and ‘Dunlop Powergate’ 20-ply on the back. The twin-ram, 3-stage tipping gear gave a 70 angle of tip in 12-14 seconds with double-acting cylinders on the last two stages. The hoist control gave four positions – lift, hold, power down and float. An emergency brake contributed to the safety features, mechanically operating the brake shoes on the rear bogie by means of a multiple pull handbrake lever. Oxford Diecast's first release of the new tooling, 76ACD001, is a detailed model, registered SCK 36K, and contains all the physical features of the original and appears in a black and orange scheme, as used by Wimpey, the famous British construction company whose name is printed in black on the cab doors and on the sides of the tipper body. The cab roof, nudge bars and the bumper are painted white in sharp contrast to the black chassis and wheels, which have been treated to silver inserts. There is a beacon on the roof too, although that's not really visible in the photos here. The truck interior is finished in black.

The second release of this excellent, heavyweight construction truck model appears in the bright yellow and black colour scheme of NCB (National Coal Board), carrying the vehicle registration number, EWJ 45J. On this version, depicting the Scammell LD55 variant, the cab roof, nudge bars and the bumper are painted yellow to match the main colour of the truck. Again, the cab interior is painted black.

It is easy to imagine this chunky vehicle working in a mining environment where it would be in its element although we suspect its pristine appearance would be short lived with all the coal dust and slag heaps around.

This pair display really well together and will no doubt find their way onto plenty of OO 'gauge' model railway layouts. In these instances, some judicious weathering could be very appropriately applied to these hardworking vehicles.

There will be plenty more liveries to follow too.  

www.oxforddiecast.co.uk