Life has been busy as always, but I wanted to continue with the latest trucks and trailers. Today I will write about a quite simple truck with not so simple trailer:
The truck is basically the same one as is the first tractor truck. Only difference is in the doublecab build and COE design. From features perspective, it just lacks the toolshak from the back. In our Lego wasteland we have plenty of trucks with tools and we just needed a truck with midrange power and to simply pull a trailer with a crane which at the same time had enaugh power to pull the trailer with full loaded containers and also could accomodate both a driver and a crane operator. Small list of features of the tractor truck:
- front bushbar;
- front winch;
- two extinguishers;
- long range antennas;
- glow in the dark lights;
- suspension on the last axle;
- rear facing worklight/backup lights.
More pictures or the truck itself:
I have not yet published the instructions of this truck since there are few minor changes still coming to it, but those are not that much noticable. And since the truck isn't that much different from the first tractor truck, then I'm not in that hurry to publish it too.
But the main thing about this truck is the trailer that it pulls :P :
The main attraction and play feature is obviously the crane. The crane designe went through many iterations and the final proper playable result can be seen on the image below with it's all features:
As can be seen from the image, the crane boom can be tilted and extended. There are additonal support legs to prevent the trailer from tipping while lifting containers. The cabin is accessable without any need to remove any parts and even with the boom in down position. From posing perspective, the crane does lack enaugh friction to hold the crane in the up position with a container attached to it while extended, but as the main goal was playability, then the that was the outcome. It is possible to make it with more friction, but my son got a bit frustrated, because it wasn't pleasant and the crane did not "work well" according to small experts :D. The crane can be turned on the trailer and is capable of covering the whole bed so it can actually lift containers to their designated places.
Regarding containers, it can fit two large Lego containers or three small Lego containers - loading in action:
From minor details, the crane has 180° worklights at the front and some beacons and engine details. The whole "superstucture" is very sturdy and it will not break off from the trailer nor break apart itself either and can withstand quite rough play. The support legs are somewhat flmsy, but not too much so it would become frustrating. Only thing that my son did change, was by swapping those 2×2 tiles with one stud that were intended to hold the containers in place with 2×2 tiles without stud. Supposedly this made the loading easyer and operating the crane also smoother. The trailer also has a small tow hitch at the back so this whole thing can in addtion tow one doublebed trailer for the minifigs to sleep =). And as always - the trailer has glow in the dark studs in the front and the back of the trailer.
Some renderings of this whole thing:
WIP (work in progress) pictures with the almost final desing:
Forgot to mention, but the trailers rear axle is also with suspension, so what ever the terrain, all wheels are touching the ground =).
Instructions for this container trailer with crane can be found here in ReBrickable .
To smooth this post up and as a bonus thing, then a more simpler trailer was also made which lacks any kind of special play feature. This is just a simple container trailer for either four small Lego containers or two big containers and one small container:
The build is quite similar to the crane version and it is a bit more manouverable in the Lego world due to the axles being more towards the front of the trailer. Instructions for that can be found also on ReBrickable here .
To be continued with the third truck and trailer...
