After several days of work, it is finally complete.
For those unfamiliar, the Mack U series was basically a shortened R series (to make it easier to drive in cities and whatnot), and this meant that the engine protruded into the cab a bit, making it so there was no room for the driver’s feet. Their solution to this problem was to shift the cab a few feet to the left, hence the distinctive asymmetrical design. I love these unique trucks, so I decided to make a tribute to them in the form of this Lego scale model!
This is the second-largest Lego vehicle model I’ve ever made (the largest being a model of the Spirit of St. Louis I made years ago with a two-foot wingspan, but that’s a story for another day), and the scale presented a lot of fun challenges. The most tricky part was probably the structure that supports the passenger-side rearview mirror, which is even more complex on the real truck, but I think my solution gets the idea across well enough. It’s stronger than it looks, too.
Both doors open, although the interior on my model is fairly basic with just a couple seats, a shifter, a steering wheel, and a slope on the floor to simulate the fact that the passenger has no legroom. The notch below the door on the driver’s side is something I saw on some of the real trucks, a step perhaps?
The red and white livery on mine is based on several real trucks once operated by the now-defunct NEMF freight company.
Phoebe for scale :)
I may have taken a few artistic liberties with the hood ornament...