In all my years of building models, I have never built a semi-truck or trailer. But I decided to try when I saw this.

Again, it's a 1944 Pacific M-26 "Dragon Wagon" as used by the US Army during the last two years of WWII. They were designed to haul in disabled Sherman tanks, but were also used to carry captured German tanks and other heavy equipment. I'm a big fan of Tim Alhborn and all of his truck models, and now I have greater respect for him, and for Charley Rowley (who probably will scratchbuild one in 1/25 scale now).

I'm still waiting for some paint to dry, and to install the rear view mirrors but mostly it's done. By the way, these were built in my hometown of Billings, Montana during the war. Pacific built about 300 here.

And here is the basic platform for the trailer (another ongoing exercise in "Where the heck does this go?"). This is a big model. If I have time (our contest is in September), I'm going to build a burnt out Panther tank to go on the trailer. Near the end of the war, when German armor ran out of ammunition or gas, they would set fire to their tanks to keep the Allies from capturing them. The US grabbed 'em, anyway.

Onward...

Terry