In kit form

If you're not familiar with the line of vehicles that Athearn is producing these days, you're missing some great models. I've already shown a few that I've altered and even one almost identical to the one shown here in the Ford F850 boom truck. But as good as they are, I find the paint job from the factory a bit heavy. I know this because we now have the opportunity to get some of these models in kit form. They are reminiscent of the large scale plastic kits we all built as kids (and maybe still do!). The castings on this Ford are crisp and clean and there is no lacking of detail for the scale. One of the reasons I like them in kit form besides the fact that I no longer need to strip the model, is that it enables the modeler to paint sub assemblies before putting the model all together. For this particular truck, I built handrails and racks out of .025" styrene rod to make the truck a reinforcing rod delivery truck. Aside from that the truck is built according to instructions. I should add that Trip Aiken of Truck Stop Models sent me this kit and a set of instructions that he wanted me to proof read, add to and/or alter to make it an easy build. So I had a slight hand in the creation of this piece to the public albeit a very small hand. Everything is assembled using plastic solvent glues. I painted it with Testors Acrylic with surprising results. Acrylics are very touchy to spray with an airbrush. I had no problems here and I believe the results speak for themselves. I should add that there is a very thin coat of clear flat lacquer over everything here before installing the glass. I really must find a more suitable cable material.