Straco Express Layout, Part 57 - Data Dump

Read all the installments of the Straco Express layout project here.

Two years ago I found the first variation to the cattle truck I owned as boy (Part 42 - Express Duality). Now all of a sudden, it seems as if there's no end to the ways in which this truck chassis was used.

Two weeks ago I shared my discovery of a flatbed version (Part 56 - Trucking Transition?). And now here's another!

The dump truck uses the same chassis as the three previous trucks in this series. It has a very simple lift mechanism. Just turn the lever and the bed tips up (sometimes it needs a little help).

The lift mechanism is simply a tab connected to a lever. Simple, but it works.

I'd already sketched out a timeline for the vehicles I had. It appeared to me that there were three different phases.

• First generation: Rivet head hubcaps, flat chassis bottom, six securing tabs.
• Second generation: Solid hubcaps (cheaper to make and install), rounded chassis bottom
• Third generation: Four securing tabs instead of six

So where did this dump truck fit in? I think it's a first generation vehicle.

These two vehicles have identical chassis, which suggests they were
made at the same time. 

The dump truck has the riveted axles and the six tabs securing the body to the chassis. And the chassis has the same shape as that of the Express van.

All four trucks in chronological order, left to right. 

And how does this dump truck fit into the Straco Express display layout? Quite well. There is one thing, though. These trucks look proportionally correct next to the (mostly) H0 gauge trains. But they make some of the other friction vehicles look a little strange.

In order to get the shot below to look good, I had to use some of the bigger cars. and trucks.  

Layout construction:

• Pegboard: $4.95
• Flathead Screws: $0.40
• Molding: $2.49
• SilClear: borrowed from a friend
• Green Paint: leftover  from another project
• Wood Screws: $3.60
• Felt Pads: $1.99

Power Pack: $5.90
Small Houses: $3.00
Testor's Gray Paint for road: $1.29

Bandai Areo Station: $8.99
2 tinplate signs: $1.00
4 tinplate signs (with train) $5.99
Cragstan HO Light Tower $20.49
4 nesting houses $4.99
Tinplate gas station: $5.00

Vehicles:

• Two Japanese toy cars: $2.00
• A.W. Livestock truck: $4.99
• Taxi: $2.99
• Ambulance: $2.99
• Two Japanese patriotic cars: $6.99
• Haji three-wheel sedan $3.00
• Haji three-wheel tanker $5.00
• 1950's sedan $2.99
• LineMar Police Car $9.00
• LineMar Pepco Truck $8.50
• LineMar Bond Bread Van $8.00
• LineMar Fire Engine $4.95
• LineMar Dump Truck $12.99
• LineMar GE Courier Car $10.98
• LineMar County School Bus $9.99
• Nomura Red Sedan $5.00
• Nomura Police Car $2.52
• Nomura lumber truck $3.48
• 6 Nomura vehicles $16.99
• Shioji Express Truck $10.00
• Shioji Covered Truck $12.50
• Shioji Dump Truck $9.95
• Orange Sedan $10.99
• King Sedan $9.95
• Indian Head logo sedan $4.99
• Indian Head (?) convertible $18.00
• Yellow/red Express truck $9.99
• Red limousine FREE

Total Project Cost: $279.80