The Minstrel Boy: State police

Monday, 12 May 2025

New Old Vehicles

In my recent blog, "The Streets of Glenndon" (March 4), I mentioned I wanted to increase the number of contemporary vehicles for such "gangster games." After the Hot Lead convention, I ordered a few vehicles from Dobbie's Hobbies ( https://www.dobbieshobbies.net/), a company that sells 3D printed vehicles and the like. I looked at the "Inter-war", WWI, and WWII vehicles and found a few great ones. The company's service was excellent and the products were just fine, one being quite flexible.

This offering will serve as a civilian car or some sort of
unmarked police vehicle.

It is actually an Italian Command Car from the WWII range.
Quite a vehicle on its own. Basic black seemed best.

Listed as a GAZ truck from the USSR WWII vehicle range.
A number of machine guns are included but they weren't appropriate
for a civilian vehicle, whether it were for the bootleggers or for
delivery of groceries.

The GAZ factory was set up by the Ford Motor Company
after the Revolution so the GAZ vehicles are more-or-less
Russian/Soviet Fords at the time.
The kit includes a cover that can be added to the stake body.
I simply relied on gravity to keep it in place.

The third vehicle is listed as a Jeffreys/Nash truck in the
British WWI roster. This is the "stake body" and the kit includes
a box body, a low covered body, and a tall cover to be placed over
the box body. It has a nice "Roaring 20s" look about it.

The box body or the stake body will take a number of barrels
or crates in the back. I've used some tape to keep the body options
in place since I want the flexibility of being able to change them at need.

These models are from a more futuristic range, but they have the look and feel of a no-nonsense State Police crew. I painted the first and didn't much like it so I repainted it in a darker grey. I was going for a cross between the Pennsylvania State Police and the New Jersey State Police.