Building model trucks is an enjoyable hobby; the build process, even the problem- solving, is part of the fun and an inevitable source of happy memories.

At the late end of 2022, we celebrated our good mate Pin Te Huia’s birthday by building him an R-model Mack combination in Thames Freightlines livery (New Zealand Trucking magazine, September 2022). The Te Huia family feature heavily in the history books of TFL, so it was a fitting gift, stirring some great memories. But when I finished the project, I had a strong feeling that building this memory stirrer would result in a couple of orders for similar builds from others who were also part of the TFL family, namely our editorial director Dave McCoid, as well our group curator Peter ‘Mitch’ Mitchell.

You can only stand so much listening to grown men begging and pleading. I relented and accepted the task for peace’s sake.

For Dave, it was all about boyhood memories of sitting at the farm gate in the evening, watching the TFL fleet passing by as they headed home to the company depot at Kopu, just south of Thames. “Fleet No.7, a tractor unit pulling a flat-deck three-axle self steerer, was the one that did it for me – an iconic truck in the fleet,” says Dave.

For Mitch, it was a more personal connection, his own truck, No.9, a truck that he remembers fondly. “I loved taking that truck up to the Cape at the top of the peninsula to deliver fert; a cool-looking truck complete with its green canvas tarps,” explains Mitch.

In the showcased photos, you’ll see that I have utilised the build techniques detailed within these pages over the past few years. The process, particularly when dealing with 1:64th scale, is straightforward. As with Pin’s model, the foundation for these models are DCP First Gear R-model Macks and Highway Replicas’ five-axle flat-deck road-train trailers, all sourced from Model Barn.

Building a model of a truck with a personal connection is a remarkable experience. Witnessing its evolution, especially when the livery is applied, can profoundly impact you. You cannot help but find yourself staring at it, remembering the trips you experienced in the real rig and the people you met along the way. The experience provokes a flood of great memories. I cannot recommend strongly enough that you have a go; it is extremely rewarding.