Thornycroft lorry

A quick project. That's what this will be.

Clayhanger Yard needs road transport. Road transport suitable for a layout set between the wars. Not an era well supported in the RTR diecast world who prefer the post WW2 period as more potential buyers might remember the prototypes.

Anyway, in the back of the cupboard is this Memorable Models whitmetal kit for the Thornycroft 30cwt flatbed. Just what I need.

Now, I don't know much about lorries so I've been digging around on the web to find out more. I think this is a JJ type first produced in 1927. The cab design would certainly mark it out as a very early vehicle.

I found this fantastic history on the Hampshire Museums website.

If I'm right then it's just what I need to stand by the goods shed awaiting a load.

The good thing about the inter-war period is that we didn't worry about MOTs or anything like that. Car brakes were pretty hopeless anyway but mostly speeds were low so it didn't matter. If you were the owner of a sporty number of course, you had to learn to drive it properly since there weren't any of those namby-pamby seatbelts, airbags or crumple zones so you either got it right or paid the price.

All of this means that vehicles hung around a lot longer than they do now, so as long as my van was built before the layout is set, it's appropriate. Sorted.