Commissioned by KTL Trucking, this 36-inch-by-60-inch acrylic painting of a W900 Kenworth roaring down I-80 outside Sacramento, Calif., was done by Keith Hopkins.  ​

Other stories in the Jan. TT&C 2013 are:
• Don Grimes the truck and trailer man by Cindy Ladage
* Fred Stute A Bull Haulin’ Man by Larry LeMasters
* Mack Trucks Puts on an Extravaganza by Mark Macreading
• Collector Update Checklist by Ray Crilley

Modelers, at times, try to be artists as they paint special models or layout displays. But truly special things happen in modeling when the collector is an actual artist. Take for example Keith Hopkins of Sacramento, Calif.
Hopkins, retired from an earlier furniture career, now earns a living as a fine artist, working in both acrylics and watercolors. 
Of his art, Hopkins said, “Through my paintings, I try to evoke a scene of memory that goes beyond the scope of everyday life. If I can touch someone by the means of painting something that at one time enriched their soul, then I have accomplished my giving back to life which may have been lost with time.”  
His giving back to life is especially apparent in his commissioned paintings. Hopkins is often commissioned to paint trucks or cars for owners.
A good example of his work is the W900 Kenworth tractor pulling a 53-foot reefer trailer that Hopkins painted for KTL Transportation Corporation of Sacramento. This 36-inch-by-60-inch beautiful acrylic of a KTL truck roaring down I-80 just at dusk now hangs prominently in KTL’s conference room.
Hopkins does more than paint trucks though; he is also a model truck collector. “My collection now numbers about 150 pieces,” he said. “But, at one time, it was almost 800 pieces with about half, or 400, of the pieces being trucks. I felt that the collection was getting out of hand, and since I didn’t own a warehouse to store it in, I sold off quite a bit of it over time.”  
Several pieces of his collection are scratch built, including one of his favorite models. “I have a needlenose Kenworth model, valued at about $800, which is set up for hauling hay. This model was scratch built and signed on the bottom by Lou Krock, who is truly a famous modeler. 
“I have been fortunate to buy several scratch-built models at different shows, including a couple of tankers that I really like. I also have a hay hauler built by Erick Oehme, another famous modeler.”
Using both his artistic and modeling talents, Hopkins has also scratch built model trucks for other people.  
“I’ve been a hobbyist for well over 35 years and have been asked to build several trucks on consignment. I’ve always been interested in customizing trucks. Sometimes the customizing is as simple as making loads for trailers, while other customizing projects involve fully customizing trucks.”

Gene Gregory has scratch built scale models for nearly 20 years, but his latest creation has set a new standard for quarter-scale radio-controlled trucks.
The Loudonville, Ohio, builder’s first endeavor was a limited-edition Silver King pedal tractor. Over the next several years, he built an additional 10 pedal tractors. Gene is a fanatic about realistic features, so each subsequent model became even more detailed. Those associated with collecting pedal tractors agree that Gene’s crafted tractors set a new and challenging standard.
Through the course of building pedal tractors, Gene gained a new focus. Although the pedal tractors were limited editions, he desired one-of-a-kind scale models for his personal collection. And, Gene wanted to operate them. 
“Building pedal tractors got to be a job. I wanted my scale model work to be enjoyable. I wanted to build something that was unique and strictly mine. I also wanted to take the model outside and be able to operate it. Scale model engines can be temperamental, so I decided to build something different and make them radio-controlled,” he recounted.
Gene’s first highly detailed creation was a radio-controlled (RC) John Deere 8020 diesel farm tractor he built in 2006. Following that masterpiece, Gene built a John Deere 5010 diesel with a John Deere pan used for construction work. He then built a CAT D5N bulldozer on a high track. These were all scratch built in 1/4 scale.

Vision for a big rig
​Through crafting those three pieces, Gene had covered a wide gamut—a tractor for farm use and two model construction units. He began visualizing something a little different. 
“I had been looking for something to build when I saw two Peterbilt trucks on a calendar at a local business. The trucks had the signature Peterbilt long nose that sets them apart from other big rig trucks. That picture caught my fancy, so I considered building a radio-controlled version in 1/4 scale. Soon, I noticed a Peterbilt 379 day cab parked next to a gas station/convenience store in the nearby community of Hayesville. I thought the truck would be easy to fabricate, so I focused on that truck model,” Gene noted.
Gene then gathered his camera, tape measure and notepad and planned a visit to study the truck. 
“I thoroughly examined the underside of the truck, including the steering. I also noted details top to bottom and front to rear. I do not make sketches or drawings before I start building. However, I took over 50 pictures and made countless measurements. These were necessary references as I began constructing the Peterbilt in 1/4 scale,” he commented.