Pegasus Post: May 05, 2022

6 Thursday May 5 2022
Big rigs, cranes and tanks – all moving
• By John Cosgrove
THEY HAVE all the bells and
whistles and when viewed from a
low angle, they really do look the
part – right down to the lugs and
chains and their sound effects,
and yet they are only 1/14th the
size of the real thing.
But that doesn’t stop scores
of keen radio-controlled model
trucking enthusiasts from turning
out on the fourth Sunday of each
month to drive their pride and joy
on the RC Haulers club site with
their multi-use scale roads in the
red zone on the corner of New
Brighton Rd and Brooker Ave.
The club has installed on-site
200m of concrete roads, also built
to scale, complete with road signs
and garages to reverse into or
store spare trailers in.
RC Haulers club secretary
and co-founder Kris Heslin, of
Halswell, who doesn’t drive trucks
professionally, said the club has a
strong following both nationally
and internationally.
“The attraction is to be creative
and share a passion for trucks, I
can tinker around at home and
then come out and have a bit of
fun,” he said.
He said a radio controlled
model truck might cost over
$1000 to outfit.
“But 80 per cent of the fun was
in making it, and customising it
how you want it to look and then
(Clockwise from above), RC Haulers club members check connections on
their 1/14th scale model trucks as they prepare for another day out. Club
member loads up his scratch built trailer unit. Secretary and club co-founder
Kris Heslin, of Halswell, guides his truck and trailer unit carrying a large
working scale excavator, past another road train.
sharing it with everyone,” he said.
On show were many semitrailer
trucks, light trucks, cranes,
a working dirt processor, diggers
and excavators.
All were intricately detailed
and created from model kit sets
or scratch built to replicate the
original long haulers and the
loads they carry.
There is even a M1 Abrams
tank and a police car.
While marveling at their
detail, the many spectators on
hand couldn’t help but notice
the sheer size of these model
trucks.
They are big; with some road
train outfits well over 1.5m long.
All motor around the scale
roads, crossing over a bridge or
driving through the tunnel to
deliver their loads into garages
or one of two scale quarry sites at
the venue, all while making the
appropriate noises on cue.
They start up, they idle, and
then move away, forward under
power or reverse complete with
hazard lights and beepers.
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