Weekly Photo Fun 9-18/9-24

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Thanks. It still has a ways to go. I still have to make the top hatch and put it and the ladder in place the I'll start with the detail paint job.
 
The City of San Lomas (my freelanced SOCAL town, on my switching layout) has received a "new" Ford E350 Ambulance. I'm reworking the truck with new wheels (the Life Like ones look like Doughnuts!), and I plan to add some RPS code lights to the front, and some Ricks Decals accessories. The wheels are the hard part. The E350/450, and F350 chassis Ambulances have 16" wheels. The closest model, I can find (so far) is the 18" Argent wheels from RPS.
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The local Ready-mix company is experimenting with some large batch haul mixers, trailer mounted. I'm not sure I like it's overall height, once I get the 2nd mixed body in the mail, I'll scratch build a lowboy chassis for it, then to decide if I want to replace this high chassis...
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Lastly... Mayor Beaufort T "Justice" Hastings, and the school board quickly came to agreement on the purchase of a new vehicle for the School Resource Officer (I like to call him the Truant Officer). "Brand new" PT cruiser, parked with one of the city's Dodge Charger's in the school gym, on display for the open house/parents day.
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Much more to come, soon...
 


UP2CSX said:
Josh, check at http://www.policecarmodels.com/index.html in the 1:87 section. They have a nice selection of LED lightbars in different colors and the set include spotlights and a pushbar for just $6.00 PoliceCarModels is a great resource for emergency vehicle modelers.
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The River Point Station sets?
http://www.riverpointstation.com/products/accessories_vehicles/vehicles_accessories_emergency.html

You can find them cheaper elsewhere, however I'll most likely order mine from Truck Stop Models. I think I'll go with either the all Red bar (537-5251.01- R-C-R-R-R-R-C-R) or the "clear" bar (537-5251.21- G-C-G-G-G-G-C-G). Looks like MOST Ambulances in California have red bars, but clear with red LED's with becoming more common too...

I'm going to use 537-5250.41 with the Ricko style B-C-B-B-R-R-C-R bar on my RPS Ford Expedition, to match the Charger posted there. Think I might get the blue and amber too at the same time, for other vehicle ideas...

The problem I'm finding now, are the square accessory strobes... Seems like Rick's Decals is the only one who makes any decent ones... I'd like to replace all the strobes and lights on the Life Like model.

Herpa makes a "techno" design (the V bars).
 
UP2CSX said:
Smiley, you're hilarious. A solar powered train going through a town permanently stuck in the 60's :D
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There are stranger things still rolling out of the car works... let's just say that a reefer has more than one meaning on this railroad.
 
Josh, those are the ones. If you can get them for less that $6, let me know where since I have abunch of light bars to swap out and some Crown Vics and Excursions that I've been waiting to do until these came out.

The "stealth" lightbars are becoming more common everywhere now for law enforcement but ambulances still tend to use the colored lenses since they want to be seen. The use of clear lights on ambulances is sort of a murky area in California. Ambulances are allowed by the CVC to use red and amber but the only use of clear that has been codified is for spots, takedowns, and alleys, e.g., steady burning only. It was common to see ambulances in southern California to have half-red, half-amber light bars. Schaefer used to have thier whole fleet equipped with the old Federal Twin-Sonics in this scheme and I thought it was pretty effective. It's been since 1975 since I spent time in southern California as a deputy so my knowledge is pretty out of date.

The "V" shaped bars are Federal Vistas. They never were very popular with ambulances because of their high cost and the fact they provide a lot rear warning power that's useless to a box body ambulance. They are fading fast from police work also because of their high maintenance costs and huge power draw. I was on a 7-11 holdup call once and forget to turn off the dang Vista. Battery was completely dead in 15 minutes. :eek:

I did find a source for the square ambulance side strobes and floods. They come in clear plastic so you can tint them any color you need. I'll have to dig around in my files.
 
smiley said:
There are stranger things still rolling out of the car works... let's just say that a reefer has more than one meaning on this railroad.
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Oh, I'm sure it does. There will also be some pretty black and white cars with all sorts of flashing lights around too. :)
 
Thanks Jim!

The use of a clear light bar, with colored LED's seems to be becoming more common. The two trailblazers we have at work have clear bars with colored LED's, and some San Diego Sheriff cars have them as well.

SDPD: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/96/276480630_2c9c840a38.jpg?v=0

SD County Sheriff: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/227/511772490_2f62477ede.jpg

In any case, I'm noticing most photographed California based Ambulances only use red. I like to use this guy's photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/southerncalifornian/ I know the only authorized use of blue is law enforcement.
25252. Every authorized emergency vehicle shall be equipped with at least one steady burning red warning lamp visible from at least 1000 feet to the front of the vehicle to be used as provided in this code.

In addition, authorized emergency vehicles may display revolving, flashing, or steady red warning lights to the front, sides or rear of the vehicles.
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Here's the Ricko fire charger:
http://www.rickoricko.com/products87.php?seg=2

Here's the prototype:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/southerncalifornian/2139592713/in/set-1287830/
 
25258. (a) An authorized emergency vehicle operating under the conditions specified in Section 21055 may display a flashing white light from a gaseous discharge lamp designed and used for the purpose of controlling official traffic control signals.

(b) An authorized emergency vehicle used by a peace officer, as defined in Section 830.1 of, subdivision (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), or (i) of Section 830.2 of, subdivision (b) of Section 830.31 of, subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 830.32 of, Section 830.33 of, subdivision (a) of Section 830.36 of, subdivision (a) of Section 830.4 of, or Section 830.6 of, the Penal Code, in the performance of the peace officer's duties, may, in addition, display a steady or flashing blue warning light visible from the front, sides, or rear of the vehicle.
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25259. (a) Any authorized emergency vehicle may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear.

(b) A vehicle operated by a police or traffic officer while in the actual performance of his or her duties may display steady burning or flashing white lights to either side mounted above the roofline of the vehicle.

(c) Any authorized emergency vehicle may display not more than two flashing white warning lights to the front mounted above the roofline of the vehicle and not more than two flashing white warning lights to the front mounted below the roofline of the vehicle. These lamps may be in addition to the flashing headlamps permitted under Section 25252.5.
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So basically, Red on all emergency vehicles, amber for tow trucks, blue on police vehicles, and a max of two clear on any emergency vehicle.

So the Red LED bar from RPS will work fine, as will the clear (replicating a bar with a clear lens but red LED lights). Same goes for the fire equipment.

Note: these laws are applicable for California. Other states are different. I know Florida uses blue only for police.
 


Josh I like your ready mix trailer. They were tried out here about 15 years ago with meyer meterial but they decided they were not very practical. they can carry a little more mix with the extra axels but they cant get around a job site very easy. they also get stuck easy with 3 dead axels and only 2 drive axels. they were better suited for road/bridge work or job sites that had level hard ground where they would be pouring. the trailers were more top heavy than the straight trucks as they had to be built on frames above the 5th wheels so your model might be just fine in the hight dept?
 
Josh, shows what happens when you're retired for five years. 25259 (c) is new and finally clarifies the white light issue. Section (b) was put in to allow flashing alley lights.

The new LED bars are incredibly expensive but the guys like the low profile so they can sneak up you better. :) They are a huge advantage in use since they draw so little power compared to halogen light bars. You can run those light bars for an hour and with the engine off and still start your car. Beats two batteries and an extra alternator. SDPD still has the halogen bars and, except for the power issues, I think they are still the most effective bars ever made. Is that a new scheme for SDSO? If so, it's really ugly. ;) I can't really understand why a Fire/Rescue agency would run a slick top though. I really wish the guys would learn to use the day/night switch on those newer LED bars. The full brightness setting at night is blinding.

Either the red bar or clear bar should work for your ambulance or fire vehicles since no one can tell what color the clear bar is until you light it up.
 
lmackattack said:
Josh I like your ready mix trailer. They were tried out here about 15 years ago with meyer meterial but they decided they were not very practical. they can carry a little more mix with the extra axels but they cant get around a job site very easy. they also get stuck easy with 3 dead axels and only 2 drive axels. they were better suited for road/bridge work or job sites that had level hard ground where they would be pouring. the trailers were more top heavy than the straight trucks as they had to be built on frames above the 5th wheels so your model might be just fine in the hight dept?
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It might not be too tall, but I've never seen a truck with a straight frame mixer trailer, seems to be more European, and judging by it being a Herpa model, that explains allot.

UP2CSX said:
Josh, shows what happens when you're retired for five years. 25259 (c) is new and finally clarifies the white light issue. Section (b) was put in to allow flashing alley lights.

The new LED bars are incredibly expensive but the guys like the low profile so they can sneak up you better. :) They are a huge advantage in use since they draw so little power compared to halogen light bars. You can run those light bars for an hour and with the engine off and still start your car. Beats two batteries and an extra alternator. SDPD still has the halogen bars and, except for the power issues, I think they are still the most effective bars ever made. Is that a new scheme for SDSO? If so, it's really ugly. ;) I can't really understand why a Fire/Rescue agency would run a slick top though. I really wish the guys would learn to use the day/night switch on those newer LED bars. The full brightness setting at night is blinding.

Either the red bar or clear bar should work for your ambulance or fire vehicles since no one can tell what color the clear bar is until you light it up.
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All the Sheriff vehicles look like that now. Plain B&W. Been years since the Green & white (never seen one myself, outside of classic cars)...
 
Josh, it used to be almost standard in California the municipla departments were black and white and sheriff's vehicles were some combination for green and white. I know ours alwys were, at least from whne I started with them in 1977. The only B&W sheriff's cars were LASO and I think that was the LAPD influence. I think Ventura and few other southern counties also had B&W's but that was about it. That giant star with the otherwise plain B&W just doesn't look very attractive.

This was my ride for a good part of my time with the department - no light bar. :)



That scoop on the ambulance looks like some kind of fake add-on. I think someone was having some fun. I would try to mount the lightbar on the body as in that picture. Leaves the roof clear for antennas.
 
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I plan to install my light bar, on the first truck at least, on the body. The only ones I see w/o it installed on the body are the federal trucks (FFD and US Marine Corps trucks). Reason being, on the latter, is a large AC unit on the front of the box.

SDSO still uses a green & white chopper...
 


Josh, that Icee truck would make a great surveillance post for the FBI :) Which department is the FFD? I'm not familiar with them. Is that the Federal Fire Department and, if so, where do they operate out of and which facilities do they serve? That's a really old box on the back, which is why they need the external air unit for the patient compartment. The newer ones have the A/C ducted from the engine back to the patient compartment. That sure would be an easy one to decal - I don't think I've ever seen an ambulance with less markings.
 
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