1:72 WC-43 (T-215) Telephone Installation And Maintenance 1/2 Ton Truck

The WC-43 truck for building telephone lines, 1:72 scale

This plastic kit from the ACE brand represents an American-built utility truck of the early 1940s that carried equipment for setting up and repairing telephone lines. The name designates it as the WC-43 on the T-215 chassis with a payload of half a ton. The body with its closed box and the tools on the roof makes the vehicle a rewarding subject, because it differs markedly from the ordinary trucks of this class.

The half-ton series in signals service

Trucks of this series were built in many conversions: from open command cars through ambulance versions to workshop and signals boxes. The version for the telephone service carried winches, a ladder and crates of material so that the crews could run lines between posts and keep communications up in the field too. These trucks moved mainly in the rear areas, so they often appear in photographs with civilian landscape in the background, which is pleasant for a diorama.

Building and painting

In 1:72 scale the parts are tiny, so separate them with a cutter rather than by twisting. Assemble the chassis dry and check whether all four wheels sit flat. Paint the inside of the body box before closing it up. For the exterior a matte olive green works well, onto which you later settle dust with a lighter pigment; leave the fenders and the underside dirtier than the upper surfaces.

Who the kit is for

• collectors of American equipment in 1:72 scale
• builders of rear-area and signals scenes
• modelers looking for an unhackneyed subject
• makers of smaller dioramas with vehicles

You get the truck as an unassembled model without paint. Paints, glue and the other supplies needed for the build are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.