Mercedes Benz Type 1017 trucks for the Elmslohe Bundeswehr barracks

I am not a military modeller. But I like freight and switching operations on my small layouts and therefore grab every excuse for a new source of traffic: the small town of Elmslohe is home to barracks (a "Kaserne") of the "Bundeswehr" and some of their transport is carried out via the railroad. Recently two Mercedes Benz 1017 trucks could be spotted at Elmslohe station.

The trucks are brand new as they first came into service in the mid 1970s, perfect for period IV operations (I want to build Elmslohe so that it can be operated alternatively in period III and IV).

The MB 1017's are from a Kibri kit (No. 18051) that I bought at the latest event I participated in with my Dutch layout Valkenveld. Amongst others I used the images featured here for the paint job. I used Revell 42 olive-yellow representing the 1970s Bundeswehr base colour, applied in three coats.

I also went through the typical stages of a modeller's roller-coaster of feelings. I enjoyed this little project a lot, especially after working on stuff like the lighting and cabling of the new layout. As I am no Bundeswehr truck expert, I searched the internet for images of details, colours, etc. Then you discover many flaws in the model kit (like the weird fenders on the rear-axle, etc.), questioning yourself whether to fix or leave it, and ultimately losing lots of the original enjoyment of a simple build - until you put it into perspective and move on. As for the fenders: I didn't mount them as of yet and will build my own version of it. Unless the next project tempts me even more...

Immediate next steps in this little project: assembly of the cabin, applying decals, final touches of paint and top layer of matt varnish.

The model as advertised by Kibri (art. No. 18051)

After the third layer of paint and before final assembly. I am happy how the Bundeswehr colour has turned out.

MB 1017 prototype inspiration for the colouring and details. Source: tankograd