No more Jordan's

 

 It would be impossible for me to show all of the Jordan Highway Miniatures that I have built in one posting. You can look back in the archives to find many of them. These models were unique to 1/87 scale vehicle modeling in that they offered a highly detailed kit of injected molded plastic much like what larger scale modelers have available and what most of us are familiar with when we first all started building model kits. They came on a sprue and were assembled with a solvent type glue that welded the parts together to create a sturdy model when completed. The craftsmanship exhibited in the Jordan kits was second to none and the detail can't really be found in any other medium with the exception of after market photo etched parts.

   I would like to comment on the fact that the Jordan molds are to be destroyed. Rumor has it that it was in Jordan Jacksons' will that this happen. I find this to be a terribly sad commentary on the legacy of someone whom offered the modeling community some of the highest quality and diverse products that we so highly value.  Were it me, I would have wanted the talented efforts to continue and be remembered.  That said, I wish to express my sympathy and prayers to Jordan Jacksons' family and friends and wish that his memory survive beyond his models.
   I show here just a few of my most recently finished kits and bemoan the fact that I have only but a very few left. One of my favorites was the Bucyrus Erie B2 steam crawler that came in two configurations. One being a shovel and the other shown here a crane. I leave the side boarding off of these when I build them to show the magnificently detailed workings of the steam engine.

Another Jordan kit I have built many of is the Ford Model TT. This kit is a favorite of model railroaders  and represents a popular era many represent on their layouts. The original kit is configured in a stake bed that I have often changed to offer a wider variety.  Here, in my most recent TT build, I merely placed a wooden flatbed and "wrecked" it by placing a front wheel on a cinder block and weathered it appropriately.

In a fit of whimsy, I built a rat rod of the TT truck with the help of another Jordan kit, involving the use of the flathead V8 from the '40 Ford sedan. Not my best effort but a pretty wild little piece.

I was given this next kit to build in return for some accessory parts and thoroughly enjoyed the trade here. The Model A pickup may be the most popular of all the Jordan kits and this one was built box stock and without my (what has become) signature weathering.

And so an era in 1/87 scale vehicle modeling comes to an end. I envy those of you hoarding Jordan kits and wish you happy modeling as you go about completing them. I suspect the kits will be fetching amazing prices on ebay as time goes on and rightly so I suppose. I will sorely miss the 1922 Packard, the Ford Model AA and the deuce coupe mostly but there are so many great kits out there that I would love to be able to include in my modeling future.

In closing, I would encourage all to show their appreciation to those they love. Spread the hugs!

Moving Forward.

 I approach this weekend with disappointment at the fact that I will not be attending the Train show in Springfield, Mass. that started today. I enjoy viewing all of the efforts made by those members of the 1/87 Vehicle Club that have decided to display there and wish this year was not the exception. But more, I will miss seeing the modelers themselves, many of whom have become my good friends. My hope and prayers go out that all have a safe and enjoyable time.

Among them is a man I have mentioned here before that offers modelers a wonderful selection of resin cast model kits by the name of Don Mills. For several years now Don has listed on his web site a Kenworth Narrownose tractor that has been labeled "coming soon". Well soon has come to pass and he did not disappoint in this kit. My good friend Joe Enriquez has been showing me his efforts to turn this model into a class act for quite some time now and I applaud his work that contributed to the Don Mills kit.

I made some changes to the kit that are not readily apparent but bear mentioning here. Because of the crispness and quality of Ratcliffe Model castings, I decided to utilize his suspensions front and rear as well as the wheels. The wheels and tires are also slightly larger than the ones that come with the kit. Added aslo are quarter fenders and mudflaps in cast metal from Alloy Forms. In the photo below you will notice a photo etched crossover deck that comes from the very impressive collection of photo etched details of Pitstop87. A visor has been fashioned from sheet brass.

Lastly is a photo etched heat shield on the muffler from Masterbilt models. A big thanks to Bob Johnson for it. It has been mentioned some time ago by another modeler that builds bright shiny models that I, and those like me that weather our models, are doing so to cover mistakes and flaws. In other words that we don't do meticulously clean vehicles because we can't.  For him I offer up the last photo here to show the results of my airbrush talents before weathering.  I weather simply to provide what I believe validates them and when photographed in a scale setting gives a sense of reality. 

Another model worked on recently has been the Wiking Peterbilt. This particular model came in a wrecker configuration But I always thought needed a good wrecker unit than the one it comes with. So I decided to utilize the fantastic Holmes unit that comes with several of the Athearn trucks. It was a simple matter really of cutting the molded fixtures from the Wiking bed, applying a photo etched diamond plate deck and mounting the Holmes. I re-cabled the Holmes unit to be more prototypical, put Dennis Aust wheels on it and added stainless mirrors to the rig. The headlights were change from the quad units to single lens and the rear of the Athearn bed was fitted.

Do have a good remainder to this winter, thanks for looking!