1:72 Skoda-Sentinel

The Skoda-Sentinel steam truck in 1:72

A model of an unusual utility vehicle that in interwar Czechoslovakia represented a dead-end but technically remarkable branch of the development of freight transport. Instead of a combustion engine it was driven by a steam engine, and its characteristic silhouette is determined by the boiler placed right behind the driver's cab.

A British license in a Pilsen form

The vehicle came about after a British original of the Sentinel marque, production of which the Pilsen works of Skoda took over in the nineteen twenties of the last century. The design relied on a vertical boiler, a drive to the rear axle and a robust frame that bore very heavy loads. Operation called for a stoker and a supply of fuel and water, but the vehicle offered enormous pull from zero, which is why it proved itself in ironworks, sugar refineries, breweries and in municipal work. With the coming of more powerful diesel engines steam vehicles gradually disappeared from the streets, and that is exactly what makes them a rewarding subject for collectors today.

Building recommendation

Before gluing, clean the seating surfaces and try the whole dry, above all the seating of the boiler and the cab. It pays to build in sections and to leave the chassis accessible until you finish the wheel wells. In color reach for dark working shades with a hint of soot around the chimney, and after painting accentuate the steel wheels with a dry brush. Leave the lettering and the company signs for the end; on a smooth and varnished base they hold best.

Whom we recommend the model to

• anyone interested in the history of domestic utility equipment
• builders of industrial and town scenes
• collectors of unconventional vehicles in 1:72
• modelers looking for a subject outside the mainstream

The model is sold unassembled and without a coat; prepare paints and glue according to your own procedure.