VEHICLES TO 1:48 SCALE are not that common, as it is not a traditional car or truck scale, which is usually 1:24/5 or 1:32. But 1:48 is a common aircraft scale, and is also the American model railroad O gauge, so having road transportation like this Atlantis Chevrolet Stake Truck is a bonus.
Mat Irvine: Atlantis Models continues with its amazing growth in kit releases, by reissuing the old Revell '55 2 Ton Chevy Stake Truck. The kit has an added bonus, as it now includes clear parts for the truck cab window glass.
When Revell first issued 1:48 scale truck kits, the inclusion of window glass was not common. This even applied to the larger 1:25 scale car kits. At most you got a sheet of clear acetate from which to cut out window shapes. This was more to scale so far as thickness went, but was a rather fiddly process. Now Atlantis have supplied a new clear runner with four components – windshield, and windows for the two doors and cab rear. These parts are thinly moulded, so come pretty close to the actual glass scale thickness, and they also fit precisely.
Otherwise the kit is the same as the original Revell production. The cab is multi-piece, as was common at that time, though it can be assembled ‘as one’ for painting. The stake bed has separate wooden side sections, which can be fitted in place or left off, depending on how you want your load to be positioned. Underneath the truck, you get a full chassis, drive chain and axles, plus an engine under the hood.
The wheels have tyres moulded integrally, so no separate vinyl tyres are supplied. Each wheel needs painting in whatever colour you choose, then the tyre has to be painted separately. It’s a careful and slightly laborious task, but not a difficult one.
As with all these early truck kits, figures are included; here two men are depicted in the task of unloading the flatbed, its cargo consisting of two barrels and a stack of boxes. There is also a new set of decals, including a set for ‘Deer Park Salvage,’ Deer Park being the area of Long Island which is home to Atlantis Models.
Summation
Congratulations to Atlantis for reissuing this kit, and for adding the transparent components, which have also been supplied for the White Gas Tanker, reviewed in SMN here.
Revell originally made four truck kits, and Atlantis has yet to release the Ford F-1 Pickup and Kenworth truck and Fruehauf trailer, assuming the tooling can be located.
Scale stats
Atlantis Models: ’55 Chevrolet 2 Ton Stake Truck
Scale: 1:48
Parts: 57
Assembled length: 133 mm (5.25 in)
Manufacturer’s ref: H1401
I placed my completed model (below) on a suitable base, with the two supplied figures. Decals are supplied for the for the boxes and two barrels, plus markingss for the cab doors.
Parts layout (below). The components are moulded mostly in a bright blue.
Box base (below) shows a useful photo of an assembled truck.
And here's the engine (below) placed under the removable hood.
