I just received the first two (of four) 1/43rd scale Yat Ming Fire Trucks for product review in my column...

The first is the red 1925 Ahrens Fox N-S-4 Pumper for Baltimore's Engine # 1...the second is the cream colored 1938 Ahrens Fox VC Pumper for Boonton, New Jersey. The lettering on this one is gold leaf shaded in blue!

On a scale of 1 to 10, these are totally OFF the chart!

They are packaged in display cases just like Code 3, so display should be a piece of cake...

But...the QUALITY...and the PRICE...Wow!!!!!

Just thought I'd give you a heads up...and for those of you that are waiting for these from your favorite dealer, you will NOT be disappointed...

The next two should follow shortly...and...now that the National Motor Museum Mint has gone to that great Firehouse in the sky, let's hope that Yat Ming will pick up the ball and keep it rolling for many years to come. I have pledged my own full support to Yat Ming for ANYTHING from my own personal resource collection, and we're talking maybe 20,000+ images that go back to the turn of the century. We've already talked about a few 'possible' future releases, but Yat Ming's answer to that each time is to obtain as much information about each potential release as is humanly possible...including seeing AND crawling all over the actual rig IF it still exists...

I don't think that I have to mention that once these little gems hit the streets, it's time to throw our FULL support behind Yat Ming as that's what will get us future releases besides these four. They are just testing the waters with these to see if they will sell...and...at the announced price, we need to buy them for even for the paper boy...

I will have a full product review of the first two in my July column, but I wanted to give all ATEV'rs a heads up on these before that...

And...all I can say is WAIT 'TILL YOU SEE THESE IN PERSON!!!!!

Larry Phillips
TOY TRUCKER Magazine

Location: North Dakota

CAUTION!!!

We just took these two off their display stands to do the studio shoot for my column...

They are attached to the stands with either one or two miniature Phillips screws...no problem there...

But...the ground ladders are held on with a very tightly fitting clear plastic clip...such as the ones on the rear of the Code 3 Tower Ladder booms...and these are tight-tight-tight!

We finally used a miniature modeler's side cutters to get them off...but...be very careful when you do.

But...by any means...do NOT try and just 'flip' these off using just your fingers...they WON'T come off that way and you might end up BREAKING the ground ladders...

Just a thought for those of you that will be taking these OUT of the display cases to display in another manner...

Larry Phillips
TOY TRUCKER Magazine

PS...with a BIG thanks to Robyn who performed the 'surgery' with the side cutters to get the plastic clips off...

(I just couldn't bare to watch, folks...)

Location: North Dakota

Got mine last week, very sharp models incredible details for such a price.

I can't wait to put my hands on the 2 following ones that will be on the market in June; a Maxim and a mack.
As I alredy told; I hope they will make all the ones alredy done in 1:24 scale and sure the newcoming ones that I think will be numerous.

Patrick.

Location: Belgium

I've been looking fowarrd to seeing these in person, and should get my chance at the Lynnfield, MA Muster and Flea Market. I'm sure several vendors there will be carrying these.

Hopefully if sales of these take off, we'll see more in this scale. Although, like many have stated in other posts in the past 1/50 would have been better as it would have better fit in displays with the likes of Corgi and Athearn.

I'm also hoping we'll see some newer apparatus in the future...new like 50's, 60's and maybe some 70's. No breadboxes though!

Hopefully we'll see the '38 Ford, '38 Mack, 39 LaFrance and '41 GMC pumpers in 1/43... love for them to do a late 40's/50's Ward LaFrance

I'm really hoping that Yat Ming does a 500 or 600 series ALF, in either scale.

Larry, can you tell us did they correct to color on the "Baltimore" Fox, or did they just do it in red again? Not that big of a deal, but I didn't order one since I had heard it would be in red, no "Baltimore basket" and Baltimor's rigs of that era didn't have the city name on them. Also Engine 1 in Baltimore was always the rescue squad up until around 1970, then it became a regular engine company.

Location: Baltimore

Rescue 131 - Baltimore...

The Ahrens Fox is solid red with green running boards; BALTIMORE is on each side of the hood in all capital letters; looks like simulated gold leaf shaded in green...the numeral '1' is contained within a simulated gold leaf 'square' on both sides under the simulated black pleated leather seat.

Aside from the gold leaf, and at the price for the model, I'm sure some good, talented kitbasher could add the missing 'white' color where necessary and appropriate...in fact, price wise, these would be great models for anyone seriously interested in getting started (or even taking it to the next level) in kitbashing to even 'practice' on!

And I'm with all of you so far...I would LOVE to see additional Yat Ming models in this 'series' (if you want to call it that) and I will do everything within my power, ability and resources to assist in getting that done!

At present, I am anticipating about 4 - 8 weeks downtime at home after my surgery on June 4th...hopefully, during that time I should be able to dig through my photo resource data bank and send Yat Ming some very 'serious' suggestions for future releases!

Larry Phillips
TOY TRUCKER Magazine

Location: North Dakota

Just to let everyone know that the Distributor is Sold Out of the Ahrens-Fox's and the next shipment is due in the middle of July. The other 2 releases are due in June.

The Fox's have been selling well at the shows, so if you want one now you better grab them.

The 1/24th Scale Ahrens-Fox of Boonton is due August/September and should be a great model with the added details.

At such a price I was sure the first batch will be sold out very quickly.

Patrick.

Location: Belgium

Where can these be found? Thanks in advance.

Can someone post a link to some photos. I know you have some coming up Larry but I'm not sure I can last that long for all the talk about these.

I have enjoyed the 1:24 scale models so if these are similar datail and better price I know I will be adding them to my collection!

Location: Wa

Hopefully, during my 'down' time at home after surgery, besides these words, I'll learn how to also post photographs on this Board...but, for now, I just can't do that yet...

It sure would be great to post some photographs from time to time of some of the great product examples that cross my desk...some of which I can't run in my column because some months there just isn't enough space allotted in the column to do so...

So, hopefully, I'll learn how to do that, and soon...

Larry Phillips
TOY TRUCKER Magazine

Location: North Dakota

Some photos at Fire And Cop Shop
http://www.fireandcopshop.com/Products-Yat_Ming.html

Also Diecast Direct

http://www.diecastdirect.com/asp_modules/catalogmfg.asp?Mfg=YM&Type=&RChar=&Scale=43

Thanks for the links guys - order three of them this evening.

Location: Wa

Photos of these two models:

http://www.fireengines.net/reviews/yatming1_43/