The Oliver Equipment Company moved into the crawler tractor business with the purchase of the Cleveland Tractor Co. in 1944. The Cleveland Tractor Co. (Cletrac) was known for their crawler tractors used in the logging, construction and farming industries. One of their smaller successful tractors was the Cletrac HG crawler which was built from 1939 to 1951. The Oliver OC-3 tractor was built from 1951 through 1957 with the same basic 22-horsepower, four-cylinder Hercules engine as the older Cletrac HG model in the same Cleveland, Ohio, factory. Sometime in 1955 the tractor’s look changed to a flat nose design of the Oliver 55 farm tractor.

The Oliver-Cletrac OC-3 was a samll construction or farming utility crawler that could be quipped with an optional PTO shaft, belt pulley or a variety of loader buckets, dozer blades and a V-type snowplow. Other options included four track widths, a number of track treads, cabs, electric lights, etc. The standard OC-3 Industrial with 42-inch track width came with an electric starter, but the lights were an option.

This is a hand assembled, detailed model. Details include functional individual link metal tracks, throttle linkage, correct yellow low luster paint and decals.

When asked about his toy fire truck collection, Larry Miller is quick to point out, “I collect emergency vehicles. I have a lot of fire trucks, but I also collect police cars and ambulances.”
Larry’s interest in toy vehicles stems from his day job. Larry has owned World Auto Parts & Dismantling in Glendale, Calif., for 40 years, specializing in “good used Subaru auto parts.” 
Larry’s auto store not only provides him with a living, it doubles as his personal emergency vehicle museum. “I have over 3,000 toy emergency vehicles. Most are kept in glass bookcases—lawyer’s bookcases—at my auto parts store so that dust and dirt don’t damage them.  
“I’m particularly proud that about 50 of my vehicles are on display at the Los Angeles Fire Department Museum and Memorial in Hollywood. A lot of people have told me how much they enjoyed seeing these toy vehicles.” This museum is located in Old Engine Co. No. 27.
Emergency vehicles were not Larry’s first collection. “As a kid, I was very interested in collecting stamps. Then I discovered baseball cards and after that trains. I’ve always been a collector.”
Larry began his emergency vehicle collection in 1984 while patronizing a toy show in West Los Angeles. “I saw some Conrad fire trucks from West Germany for about $65 each and simply fell in love with them, especially the Mercedes-Benz pumpers and ladder trucks. I had to have one, so I bought several. By the time I got home, I was hooked on fire trucks.” 
The Conrad fire trucks Larry purchased were die-cast in 1/50 scale. Conrad specializes in re-creating vintage, 1920s-era fire trucks. “I now own about 20 Conrad antique-looking fire trucks.
“I bought my first toy fire trucks to add depth to my train layouts. I collected and displayed trains for years and enjoyed building layouts. I thought the fire trucks would add an interesting touch to the towns I built.”
After buying his first toy fire truck, Larry pillaged through the Matchbox and Hot Wheels toys his three sons had. “I took what I wanted and added them to my collection. From there, the collection has grown.”

​​To read the rest of this story, call (701) 883-5206 or 1-800-533-8293 to order the Oct. TT&C 2011 issue.

Other features included in the Oct. 2011 issue:
• It Put Horses Out To Pasture by Richard Marmo
• 2011 Capitol City Fire Fest in Dublin, Ohio by Larry Phillips
• Das Awkscht Fescht Nostalgia Mixed with the New by Mark Macreading

  Brian Almeida, of Linden, N.J., is a well-educated and diverse tattoo artist, graduating from the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, N.Y., with a bachelor’s degree in illustration. He now owns and operates “Exclusive Inkz,” his own tattoo shop. 
He also started his own clothing line while still in high school. “I did a lot of custom airbrushing and hand painting on all types of clothing and shoes,” he said. 
Then he opened his own custom body/performance shop called “Exclusive Imports.” “I raced and competed in car shows for four years, winning 50 first-place trophies,” he beamed. About four years ago, Brian closed his body shop and became a serious, full-time remote-controlled (RC) modeler. 
“I’ve always been into model building, particularly RC models,” Brian said. “I wanted to try something new, and being part of the fast-growing RC model world fascinated me.”
Brian began by selling small toolboxes and accessories. “I started advertising my work on Facebook, and people instantly loved it. I began receiving orders for custom work, and the business took off from there,” he said.
He now builds, according to him, “everything and anything under the sun that has to do with scale cars, trucks and garages.”​

Having built and operated model railroads for decades, I was always a little disappointed in just displaying my Tonka truck collection on shelves. I guess I wanted to play with them like I do my trains, but carpet trucking is a little harder now than when I was 10 years old. 

I suspect my imagination is not as keen either. Maybe it’s harder for me to pretend that a cardboard tube is a culvert or maybe I’m just demanding more realism. Either way, I decided to build a diorama to enable me to play with my truck collection as an adult.

Several years ago, I built what I call a hobby table. It measures about 5 feet by 14 feet and stands 2 feet off the floor. It was intended as a versatile platform suitable for a variety of toys. It could be used to set up my two sons’ Star Wars action figures and vehicles or maybe the Playmobil sets they had acquired. The low height and sturdy construction would allow them to climb up on the table and play. 

Casters helped the table to be easily moved. As it turns out, the table was built a little late in their toy journey. Music and video games had by then occupied most of their free time. Like any good father, I had a backup plan, and I set up a 1/32 scale slot car track to cover the platform. That was a lot of fun, but my truck collection continued to call out to me.

My Tonka collection started when I was about 4 years old. We lived in Tucson, Ariz., and I asked for Tonka trucks each Christmas. About six trucks into my collection, Mom and Dad informed me they were moving to Michigan in a small U-Haul truck. There wouldn’t be room for my toys or even my dog. I thought long and hard about asking them to leave my older sister and brother behind, but decided it would be fruitless. They were needed to help drive!

Twenty years or more passed before I stumbled onto a table of Tonka trucks at an antique show. I had no idea people collected them and they were still available, although not for $5.98 anymore. I started by only purchasing the toys I had as a kid. Then I decided I should have some nicer trucks like my friends had that we couldn’t afford when I was growing up. 
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I also found some neat Tonka trucks I didn’t even know existed before. Everything came back to me, as I remembered the sturdy steel construction and the smell of rubber tires. I didn’t stop at Tonkas either. Smith-Miller trucks were even cooler, and Doepke and Tru-Scale made some nice trucks as well. My trains had serious competition for my hobby dollars.
Finally, on the first day of 2011, I packed away the slot car set and designed a 1/16 scale diorama to allow me to display my trucks in a realistic setting. It would still need to be versatile. 
I wanted to model a concrete foundation under construction and also a gravel pit. There had to be elevation changes and reasons to include my Doepke Heiliner, Euclid and Wooldridge earthmovers. I also wanted a short piece of highway to display various on-road trucks.
My experience with model railroads made scenery building a snap. The first preparation was to make sure the hobby table could be easily returned to slot car use. 

I covered the grass carpeting with heavy gauge plastic, which gave me a waterproof barrier. Following that, is a layer of newspapers which gives the plaster something to adhere to. The elevated area and ramp needed to be constructed of something heavy enough to support the large toys. I used spare pieces of wood to provide the necessary strength. Both the highway and dirt road that runs diagonally through the scene use plywood for their base. This gives me a sturdy area that I can walk on without ruining any scenery. 

The technique I used for scenery construction is called hard shell. Crumpled newspaper, Styrofoam or most anything can be used to form hills and berms. Masking tape holds it all in place. I soaked paper towels in plaster, actually dental lab stone, and draped them over everything on the platform. After the plaster had hardened, I used an old paintbrush to apply an additional coat to the towels which helps hide the embossed texture. 

​To read the rest of this story, call (701) 883-5206 or 1-800-533-8293 to order the Sept. TT&C 2011 issue.

Other features included in the Sept. 2011 issue:
• A Rocky Mountain Highway by Diana West
• Nostalgia Rules In Mike’s Dioramas by Dee Goerge
• Fire Trucks and Firemen Need Homes Too by Richard Marmo
• Collector Update Checklist by Ray Crilley

Editor’s Note…As most of our readers know, Larry Phillips has been writing our monthly column, “The Little Engine House,” for us on a regular basis since March of 1990.  Recently, though, as a result of Larry’s involvement as an field instructor in Hazardous Materials, his company, Signal 10 Group of Jamestown, N.D., became directly involved with J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc., located in Neenah, Wis.  As a result of that initial relationship and subsequent business transactions, and along with the hazardous materials reference materials Larry received (and continues to receive) from J. J. Keller, Larry also began to acquire, along with his company’s purchase(s) of those reference and training materials, numerous 1/64 scale die-cast trucks that were produced exclusively for J. J. Keller, but were not for sale…at any price…they were only available to those individuals and/or companies who placed orders totaling a certain dollar amount with J. J. Keller and all of them were produced in very limited capacity.


Although Larry has sworn up and down all his life that he would never collect anything but miniature fire apparatus, the trucks that started coming his way from J. J. Keller found their way into the very last empty showcase in Larry’s Signal 10 Group office…and, as Larry put it, “…once that empty showcase started filling with the Keller trucks, I just knew there had to be a story to go along with them…somewhere”…which, ultimately, led to the following interview with Glenn L. Huffman, catalog manager for J. J. Keller.  In addition, Larry told us, in the preparation for this interview, that he felt that all the words that you are about to read needed to be included, so Larry’s regular column will continue once again in next month’s Toy Trucker & Contractor.  However, Larry also wanted to make this point perfectly clear…and that’s even though “The Little Engine House” does not appear in our magazine this month, the true spirit of Larry’s writings for the past 21 years, as well as his love for miniature fire apparatus, will absolutely come through with flying colors as he expresses his own comments to Glenn towards the close of the interview…   
So, now let’s listen in as Larry talks with Glenn, and find out just how this miniature truck promotion for J. J. Keller began, and also the reason(s) behind it…
LARRY:  Glenn, can you introduce the readers of the Toy Trucker & Contractor to J. J. Keller and give us a brief history of just what the company is all about?
GLENN:  The company was founded by John J. Keller in Neenah, Wis., back in 1953.  At the time, John was an ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission) practitioner…and he set up a one-man shop and became basically a consultant helping other companies run their transportation operations.  For the first 10 years or so, it was a very small organization…and then they started to get into physical products such as books, manuals, guides, newsletters, etc.; all to assist companies with their transportation permitting, registration, licensing, defined loads, etc…you know, the operational side of the trucking business.  Needless to say, one product led to another, and by the early 1970s, Mr. Keller had a very extensive product line in trucking…he was offering various types of forms and labels…and that, then, naturally led into drivers logs, inspection forms and all facets of trucking safety…and J. J. Keller started to create specialty publications to inform trucking fleets how to best conform with the (then) new safety regulations, which were mandated for all trucks back in the late 1960s and early 1970s…that was our first, real launch into the “safety world,” if you want to call it that…and that now has become one of our primary focal points as a company today…safety…whether it’s for trucking, manufacturing, construction safety, etc.  And they also started to develop and now offer numerous employee training programs, the extensive and required vehicle signage and labels for truck fleets, maintenance forms and components that drivers would be required to use as part of their daily routine.  In the 1980s, we began to develop and offer our own brand of software for regulatory compliance and safety…but, Larry, it’s really difficult to sum this entire company in just a few sentences…
LARRY:  From just one person back in 1953 to today’s J. J. Keller in August 2011…how many employees do you have now?
GLENN: I don’t know the very exact number, but I believe it to be around 1,100, with most of them based right here in Neenah…but we also have a handful of field sales representatives that are scattered across the country…and all of them are based out of their home offices.

To read the rest of this story, call (701) 883-5206 or 1-800-533-8293 to order the Aug. TT&C 2011 issue.

Other features included in the Aug. 2011 issue:
• A Hobby Shared by Christopher Moor
• A Toy Semi-driving Man Tom Lane by Larry LeMasters
• Freight Trucks Galore in Idaho by Bill Vossler
• Build It or Buy It by Richard Yaremko

More photos available in the July TT&C 2011 magazine. Call (701) 883-5206 to purchase.
​

Compact, fast to erect and large lifting capacities with enormous reaches—these are only a couple of facts that are typical for mobile construction cranes. This type of crane became really especially popular in Europe, as well as worldwide.

Companies as Munsters of the Netherlands and Peiner of Germany laid the early roots some 10 years ago. While these names disappeared over time, today the biggest manufacturers of these kinds of cranes are Liebherr of Germany and Spierings of the Netherlands. 

While many crane rental companies highly appreciate these cranes, the range of die-cast models is growing as well since the last few years. After Spierings’ SK599 and Liebherr’s MK 100, collectors can now add also the smaller MK 88 to their own collection. 
Once more, Conrad has presented a superior model with some nice touches and a completely new addition, which I will review here. This crane was one of the Bauma 2010 novelties.

A Mobile Crane Carrier On Four Axles
And just on the undercarriage, we can find the very first great novelties. Conrad changed the material of outriggers, and the MK 88 has now zinc-made outriggers instead of plastic. This is really great, and the crane can stand excellently stable on the ground compared to its bigger brother MK 100, which this one has still plastic-made outriggers.

Conrad also delivers the model with outrigger pads, which will give the model a more-authentic look. While traveling, these pads can be stored safely between the outriggers on each side and do not slip away.
Another amazing detail I found on the second view since it is a little hidden. Look towards the ladder located on the left side right above the pad storage. It can be unfolded and would provide safe access to the carrier. Really a nice touch.

All tires rotate easily, and the model can travel very smooth on any flat underfoot. All four axles can be steered independently, and therefore, all modes of steering can be shown. Additionally, the turning radius is also very close.
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But the biggest novelty we can find with the warning lights on the undercarriage cab—both lights are flashing! This addition makes the crane a great model for a working display and provides an authentic look.
In between the copies of cooler and fuel tank on the real crane, the 408-horsepower Liebherr engine would be located. The MK 88 model has not an engine here but space to locate three small batteries and a switch within the engine compartment. A small plate covers this, and by using a tweezers, I can start the flashing mechanism. Well done!

The Uppercarriage
The well-proven level of details we know from Conrad also exists on the uppercarriage. It is covered by silver-colored anti-slipping plates; a small railing is positioned on the right side. An additional counterweight I need to assemble to the back; in reality it has a weight of 2 tons.

Other features included in the July 2011 issue:
• Gold Star Designs and Details by Steve Butler
• Attention! Now Performing...The Human Cannonball
• Kiegan Customizes Trucks–Big & small by Dee Goerge
• CONEXPO - CON/AGG 2011 International Gathering Place by Richard Schmitter
• Rare Model Trucks Soukup’s Toyland and Museum by Fred Hendricks