Curious old M49 fuel truck

[Paweł]

Hello!
I'm a modeller and I would like to build a model of this truck:



I have three questions for people who know "the real thing"

1) any idea what that "potable water" inscription is supposed to mean? Looks to me like a kind of a joke, any ideas?
2) do you have any pictures or TM drawings for the pump drive and transfer case PTO? They are missing from the model kit and I would like to build them on my own.
3) am I correct to identify the truck from the photo as M49A1 (three tanks)?

Any help here would be greatly appreciated. I'll post photos when I start building. Thanks in advance and have a nice day

Paweł

 

[Guyfang]

View attachment 935921

I have three questions for people who know "the real thing"

1) any idea what that "potable water" inscription is supposed to mean? (Well, that means is drinkable water. It could mean that one tank had drinkable water in it. I will admit, its strange.) Looks to me like a kind of a joke, any ideas?
2) do you have any pictures or TM drawings for the pump drive and transfer case PTO? They are missing from the model kit and I would like to build them on my own.
3) am I correct to identify the truck from the photo as M49A1 (three tanks)? (I see only two tanks. One a 600 gal. and the oteher 400 Gal.)
(No. I think this is an M50A2, water truck. Read the attached sheet.)

Any help here would be greatly appreciated. I'll post photos when I start building. Thanks in advance and have a nice day

Paweł

I can give you the TM's for the truck. They are large, and I am not even sure if they all are in our forum. So If you want them, tell me and you can send me a PM with your E-mail.

 

[Paweł]

Hello!
Thanks a lot for your comment!
I already have the -10 TM (Operator's), but I'd love to get one showing the PTO, the pump and the shaft connecting them - probably the -20. I'll send you a PM right away.
Thanks again and have a nice day
Paweł

 

[HDN]

I found a few pages in my TM collection that might help you out. They might be a little too close-up in detail as I can't quite figure out where the components in some of the pictures are located. Please find the PDF attached.

When you're done with your model, please share some pictures

 

[Jbulach]

Sure looks like it has 600GAL, 400GAL, and 200GAL stenciled up on the spine of the tank.

 

[Paweł]

Hello!
Thanks a lot for your comments!

@Jbulach - that's what I've seen, too. Plus on the sides of the main tank there are two small doors of the hose compartments:





That's why I suppose we have an M49A1C in the photo.

@HDN - thanks a lot for the TM pages, very interesting. Could you please also post the next ones, about the fuel truck?

Thanks again for your great help and have a nice day

Paweł

 

[msgjd]

I would like to build a model of this truck:
I have three questions for people who know "the real thing"

1) any idea what that "potable water" inscription is supposed to mean? Looks to me like a kind of a joke, any ideas?
2) do you have any pictures or TM drawings for the pump drive and transfer case PTO? They are missing from the model kit and I would like to build them on my own.
3) am I correct to identify the truck from the photo as M49A1 (three tanks)?

1: Potable Water is just that .. It can be put in a pot for cooking, and is drinkable... Some fuelers were used to haul water after getting cleaned out to some extent .. Not the most healthy thing but it happened.. They probably left the flammable lettering in case it went back to hauling fuel

2: the truck in your picture is a gasser, M49C with 3 compartments (200 front/400 mid/600 rear).. It is not a M49A1 nor A2

3: I own two of the real deal and also spent many hours/months in the army handling both the M49C gasser as well as 2-compartment (600gal x2) M49A2C multifuel

4: I can help you with actual pics although the TM's posted here may or may not help... So far the TM pics posted are not for the older M49C in your picture .. The pumps are entirely different as well as the filter, separator, controls, and piping/guts layout in the back ..

5: So I have to ask, are you looking to model the 3-compartment M49C gasser as in your 11th Cav-Blackhorse picture? Or are you gonna model the "guts" of a M49A1/A2C multifuel.. They are different animals in several ways

 

[Paweł]

@msgjd - thanks a lot for your comment!

That's an interesting explanation about that water inscription...

If I can get enough reference, then I would like to model the truck in the picture as close as I can get. I'll say right on, that I will not model the insides of the engine compartment (the hood will be closed) and I will not model the insides of the pump/valve compartment - it's doors will be closed, too. But I would like to get the underside as close as I can, that's why I was asking about the driveshaft for the pump. It's also interesting for me how the exhaust was routed on the earlier trucks.

So, if you would be so kind as to post some pictures here, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance and have a nice day!

Paweł

 

[Guyfang]

Good deal!

 

[msgjd]

@msgjd - thanks a lot for your comment!

If I can get enough reference, then I would like to model the truck in the picture as close as I can get. I'll say right on, that I will not model the insides of the engine compartment (the hood will be closed) and I will not model the insides of the pump/valve compartment - it's doors will be closed, too. But I would like to get the underside as close as I can, that's why I was asking about the driveshaft for the pump. It's also interesting for me how the exhaust was routed on the earlier trucks.

the driveline and frame rails of all three versions are the same and have the same PTO-shaft routing , except ,, the 3-compartment tank body of course has 3 control valves and 3 pipes underneath, one for each liquid compartment ..

Two body details not to miss is that the early trucks have wheelwells pre-formed in the body's underside (see your picture and compare to TM drawing of an A2 body) , thus the tank height is considerably lower on early trucks compared to the later versions .. Go into a sharp corner at speed with a full M49C and then do same with a full M49A2C .. You definitely WILL have a pucker experience with the A2C

 

[msgjd]

@msgjd - thanks a lot for your comment!
So, if you would be so kind as to post some pictures here, I'd really appreciate it.

these pics i had on-hand .. i can get you better underside pics of the tank etc by next week but here's a start to get you thinking..

In the 1960's to mid-70' Monogram (later Revell?) offered a M34 "eager beaver" 1/35 scale truck .. They were fairly accurate and would make a very good base for you to start with .. IIRC the underside detail was good .. You also could modify its early wheelwell-type cargo bed into a tanker body, as the basic rear body features are pretty much the same between the M34 and M49C by design .. If you put hoops and canvas on a real M49C it deliberately looks like a wheelwell-type M34 cargo truck at a distance, they made it that way for a reason back then.. You would have to custom-build dual-wheels instead of the M34's single wheels

1: PTO unit



2: underneath wheelwell



3: Exhaust tailpipe routing / design



4: Exhaust pipe to manifold




5: typical under fender , gasser (vent louvers are different than multifuel)



6: front area driveline , gasser



7: Rear area driveline . Note 3 fuel pipes going to rear compartment, PTO pump shaft is the 4th "pipe" , on the right



8: Top frame view



9: Left wheelwell + hose holders + extinguisher mount



10: Right wheelwell + extinguisher holder



11: Tank Top (thinking about putting another picture here )



12: "Guts" (early version 3-compartment)

 

[Paweł]

@msgjd - hanls a lot! Those pictures are soo cool! A lot better than everything I could find on the 'net so far plus it's really classic truck, and not the A2C that is almost all you see nowadays.

How about that pioneer tool rack, was that a standard location for it?

I have that Monogram kit (reissued by Revell in Europe), but also the AFV Club kit of the M49A2C. My model will probably be a mix of the parts of those two.

Thanks again, you really started me thinking. Have a nice day!

Paweł

 

[msgjd]

How about that pioneer tool rack, was that a standard location for it?
I have that Monogram kit (reissued by Revell in Europe), but also the AFV Club kit of the M49A2C. My model will probably be a mix of the parts of those two.
Thanks again, you really started me thinking. Have a nice day!
Paweł

you're welcome .. you have two good kits to work with for sure ! .. i got an AFV A2C kit 30 years ago , it's still unopened in its wrapper When i was a teen i built seven of the old monogram M34 kits (the only thing available at the time except for an old obscure M62 kit from the late-50's i never knew existed until about 15 years ago) and modified some of the M34's to depict M35A2 multifuels and a M275A2 tractor.. Goofing around with a candle and the styrene "runner" the parts came on, i discovered how to soften and stretch/shape it to appropriate size to make an endless supply of exhaust stacks, late-style "west-coast mirror brackets (and mirrors), hoops (bows) for open cargo beds, mushroom air intake caps, 105mm rounds , pipe loads, etc

Re: pioneer rack. ... standard location on the old wheelwell tanks but most tanks i've seen don't have the rack .. I don't recall any racks on A2C's.
Frankly, I don't like the location in real life due to it being where i've always climbed up on top.. Some muddy wet day it's gonna really
hurt to slip and fall down onto that thing .. Perhaps if Heil had welded it lower it would've made a decent step to get on top