Mike Pigott looks at this small range of diecast military lorries by Australian manufacturer Trux.
With the threat of war looming 1937, Britain found itself with a dire shortage of military multi-purpose trucks. The British government approached Canada to design and produce a line of light infantry trucks, as Canada had a modern and under-used auto manufacturing industry. The result was the Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) lorry, which was designed by Ford of Canada. Most of he vehicles were manufactured by the Canadian divisions of Ford and General Motors. When war broke out, Canada went into full production of CMP lorries, and over 500,000 of them were shipped to allied armies in battle zones around the world. Thousands more were built or assembled in other Commonwealth countries including Britain and Australia.
CMP trucks were tough, reliable and were easy to transport. They were built with a number of different military body styles, including open lorries, tankers, recovery vehicles, personnel carriers and radio trucks, in 4×4 and 6×4 drive configurations. There were also armoured versions that looked significantly different. All versions had a high percentage of interchangeable parts, making them easy to service in the field. The most common version was the CMP Type 13, a normal-control lorry with a very short bonnet. It had opening front windscreen that sloped inwards slightly, so that reflections would not be visible to enemy aircraft. CMP trucks saw active service in several allied campaigns in World War II, including Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Far East. Some historians consider the CMP to be Canada’s greatest contribution to the war effort. CMP lorries continued to be used by many armies after the war, but several thousands were sold off as surplus. They were eagerly sought-after in a world starved of new vehicles, and many found new lives as civilian trucks. They were used for a range of duties, most commonly as fire engines, tow trucks and forestry trucks, where the four-wheel drive feature was most useful, but they were also put into service as haulage trucks, cranes and on farms and circuses. Very common sights in France and the Netherlands, these rugged vehicles lasted in service for decades. In Australia, where the CMP was always known as the Chevrolet Blitz, they were used as tow trucks and fire tankers well in to the 1970s.
TRUX
Trax Models, made by Top Gear Pty Ltd of Sydney, Australia, is a company largely specialising in 1/43 scale models of indigenous cars, such as Holdens, Ford Falcons and Chrysler Valiants. However, in 2002 the company entered the commercial vehicle market, with a sub-series called Trux. The first Trux items were 1/76 buses, similar in size and style to EFE and Corgi OOC models, and these proved remarkable popular. Later a range of 1/64 semi-trailers was added, followed in 2005 by the first 1/50 truck, a Chevrolet Blitz (CMP) fire tanker.
FIRE TANKER
After the war, large numbers of army surplus CMP trucks were modified into fire tankers, and these formed the backbone of many rural fire brigades in Australia. The Trux model was extremely accurate, capturing the snub nose and reverse-rake windscreen of the real truck very well. It was a flatbed truck with a large water tank mounted on the back, and included side guard rails, steps, hose reel, pump and jerry cans. A spare tyre and tool locker were mounted between the cab and tank. The cab featured clear headlights, a photo-etched grille and a pair of horns on the roof. The black chassis included the front bumper with nudge bar, and rear mudguards. The cab was diecast, but the rear tray and tank were in plastic. It was, unsurprisingly, finished in a bright shade of red, and had the markings of a generic ‘Bush Fire Brigade No 1’ printed on the doors and front bumper.
CHARITY MODEL
Trax also produced a special ‘Charity Edition’ of this model. It was largely the same model, and featured the same markings, but had ‘muddy’ tyres. It came in a very elegant red presentation box of thick card. The model was very nicely presented with a photographic ‘bushfire’ backdrop and base. Also included was a pair of volunteer fireman figures.
The idea behind the charity model was very altruistic; it was intended as a way to raise money for rural fire brigades, which were manned mostly by volunteers who often risked their lives fighting horrendous bushfires. The plan was for these local brigades to order fire tanker models from Trax which would then be customized with relevant markings for the district. However, there seems to have been a very poor response to this scheme and it appears that very few orders were placed by fire brigades. Although nicely presented, the charity edition cost significantly more than the standard release, and this may have accounted for the poor sales. Trax produced 10,000 of the charity models, most of which were sold off for a reduced rate on the company website.
MILITARY TRUCK
The second version of the CMP was in its original role as a military truck. The type modelled was a long-wheelbase dropside truck with canopy. This type of lorry had been used extensively by the Australian Army, and the model represented a vehicle used by the 6th Division which saw action in Greece, the Middle East and New Guinea. The Trux model featured a diecast open back and a removable tilt in very thick plastic. The canopy was extremely well detailed, with a realistic texture and included a number of imitation tie ropes coming through ‘eyelets’. Like the fire tanker, it had a spare wheel mounted behind the cab and a roof hatch, but correctly lacked the chrome grille. It was painted with a vivid camouflage pattern of green, khaki and olive drab, and had the division’s ‘kangaroo and boomerang’ insignia on the front bumper. The army truck proved a popular model, selling out quickly, and is now hard to find on the second-hand market.
END OF THE LINE
Poor sales of the tanker meant that plans for a third CMP model, a recovery truck, were put on hold indefinitely. Recent changes in management at Trax have resulted in a change of direction for the company, which has repositioned itself as a producer of low-volume, high priced resin models of rare and obscure Australian cars. As Trax only issues new diecast models infrequently, it is unlikely that any further 1/50 CMP replicas will see the light of day.
Since the Trux models were produced in 2005-6, several more military CMP models have been released, most notable by Oxford Diecast, although these are in the smaller scale of 1/76.
This article appeared in the October 2016 issue of Diecast Collector magazine.
Text and photos (c) Mike Pigott 2018.
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