Model News

This 14 ft (4 m) long model of a king GTL 150 low loader trailer, constructed entirely from the Meccano educational engineering construction toy, was built by UK model maker Pete Pyefinch. The 1/9th scale model has five axles, hydroneck and power steering. It is complete with a Canadian Western Star 10x8 heavy haulage tractor unit.

Pyefinch, who has been building models of construction equipment since the age of four, first approached King Trailers in 2000 and was given technical drawings and blueprints that he scaled down.

More than 2000 nuts and bolts were used to construct the model that is valued at UK 6000 (US$ 11250). One of the problems Pyefinch had to overcome was to find suitable parts of the right size, for example, the tyres, which he sourced from 'Action Man' model Jeeps. Pyefinch describes the making of the trailer as a “labour of love”.

In addition to the GTL 150 trailer, Pyefinch's model collection includes Meccano replicas of a Douglas Aircraft towing tractor and a military bridge launcher.