While travelling in the USA in May 1995, I paid a visit to the Fire Department of the City of Conover, North Carolina. The reason: Revell wanted to bring out another American fire engine as a model, and the Kenworth W900 was to serve as its basis. This kit, in its tractor unit version, had already served as a carrier chassis for other kits.
We spent two days in the town of Conover. “We” includes my fellow model builder Bertus Backer, who was travelling through the States with me at the time. We photographed the fire truck from all sides and recorded every detail. Of course we also took all the measurements that had nothing to do with the W900 cab. The body came from Pierce and the 50ft. Tele-Squrt from Snorkel. Pictures in the Archive.
If you want to tackle building this impressive fire truck, you can download the drawing in exact 1:25 scale by clicking the PDF button. Pictures in the Archive.
There are plenty of Kenworth W900 kits. It is always one and the same tractor unit, just in different packaging with a new colour scheme and a new article number. The kit on the far left, no. 7538, I will never forget: back then (1992) it served as the basis for Fred Viohl’s Wrecker, the Dump Truck, the Australia version and the Thurn & Taxis rig.
Here are three pages from the original Snorkel brochure of 1995, shown with a 65ft. Tele-Squrt.
