Author Topic: How do they look in real life?  (Read 16233 times)

Offline PrimusPilus

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Re: How do they look in real life?
« Reply #10 on: July 12, 2011, 14:22:00 »
At least in the case of the #4820, I think it's an Atego MB chassis, even though the grill on the PM truck does look like it came from a Scania. However, the Scania is a double cab, and the Atego 1528 is a single cab with that drawer behind the cabin, just like on the #4820. Another fact is that being German, it would make more sense for Geobra to use a German brand like MB instead of Scania, and as far as I know (please correct me here) most big fire engines in Germany are from MB. Does somebody have official information that Geobra did use a Scania as the inspiration?

And what about the ambulance, police car and police bike? I did try to find the ambulance but I saw so many look-a-likes that could have been the basis for the #4221 that I gave up 8}.
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Luciano
  

Offline Wolf Knight

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Re: How do they look in real life?
« Reply #11 on: July 12, 2011, 14:37:50 »
well its obvious the 4221 is based on the ford transit...

Offline PrimusPilus

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Re: How do they look in real life?
« Reply #12 on: July 12, 2011, 15:06:34 »
Sure does look like a Ford Transit:


And what about the new Chinese #5952?

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Luciano
  

Offline flatcat

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Re: How do they look in real life?
« Reply #13 on: July 12, 2011, 15:11:01 »
well its obvious the 4221 is based on the ford transit...

I would to say that it would have to be a Sprinter again, as theis ambulance is based on the DHL van, but I suppose even that looks like a Transit, so I suppose it's up to where you live!



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Offline Wolf Knight

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Re: How do they look in real life?
« Reply #14 on: July 12, 2011, 15:16:42 »
Yeap that could be it as well Damo.

As for chinese made ambulance, its probably based on a US Ford type ambulance.

Offline PrimusPilus

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Re: How do they look in real life?
« Reply #15 on: July 12, 2011, 15:22:36 »
Gordon beat me to it. The Sprinter does look like a very possible candidate, specially because it has this "smoother" separation between the cabin and the rear.

This Transit has a "one piece" cabin and rear:


This is the one that made me think of the Sprinter:


The problem is that these big vehicles (ambulances and fire engines) are bought as a chassis and then a company, like Metz in the case of fire engines, makes the body work based on what the customer wants.
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Luciano
  

Offline playmofire

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Re: How do they look in real life?
« Reply #16 on: July 12, 2011, 16:09:02 »
At least in the case of the #4820, I think it's an Atego MB chassis, even though the grill on the PM truck does look like it came from a Scania. However, the Scania is a double cab, and the Atego 1528 is a single cab with that drawer behind the cabin, just like on the #4820. Another fact is that being German, it would make more sense for Geobra to use a German brand like MB instead of Scania, and as far as I know (please correct me here) most big fire engines in Germany are from MB. Does somebody have official information that Geobra did use a Scania as the inspiration?

And what about the ambulance, police car and police bike? I did try to find the ambulance but I saw so many look-a-likes that could have been the basis for the #4221 that I gave up 8}.

Fire engines can have two types of cab, the normal truck cab which will seat two or three crew (including the driver) or what's known as a crew cab which will seat 6 to 10 depending on size and design.  Normally in real life pumps (the 4821 is a pump) would have a crew cab but the size and cost of this rules it out for Playmobil.  The first two pictures you show are of a pump without a crew cab and a rescue vehicle which usually only has the normal cab.

When it comes to turntable ladders, they usually only have the standard cab and carry a crew of two at most, but some brigades do have crew cabs on ladder trucks where these are fitted with a pump of their own as they can then act as a pump and/or a ladder unit.

Using German vehicles as a basis is what you would expect Playmobil to do and it is what they have done in the past.  I expected that the new fire engines would be based on MAN vehicles and so it was a big surprise to me when the Scania type cab appeared.  German brigades are moving to more foreign chassis nowadays, possibly because of tendering requirements within the EU which set out to prevent purchases based solely on the nationality of the vehicle.  However, as VW have their eyes on Scania, it will all work out OK.   :)

Looking back through the klickywelt posts on the new fire engines, the overall strong feeling is that they are Scanias.

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Offline playmofire

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Re: How do they look in real life?
« Reply #17 on: July 12, 2011, 16:25:08 »
...so I suppose it's up to where you live!





Damo has hit the nail on the head here!  Playmobil produce a generic vehicle in many cases which could be any of a number of vehicles.  The DHL van and ambulance could be Sprinters, Transits, maybe Renaults or Peugeots.  The fire lead car could be a Mercedes G Wagen or a Land Rover.  So wherever you live, you can identify the vehicle with your own country if you want to.  Usually, Playmobil have a small detail which, to the sharp eyed or a fan of a particular make of vehicle, will say what make it is meant to be.  On the fire lead car it was the hubcaps which set it apart as the G Wagen, with the new fire engines its the grille which says Scania.  I've only once seen a Playmobil vehicle with a maker's name on it:

http://collectobil.com/catalogue/items/4420.htm

The Playmboil way of doing things mean that they don't have to pay licencing fees to vehicle manufacturers while the manufacturers get some free advertising (OK it's difficult to quantify it) through Playmobil.
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Offline playmofire

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Offline PrimusPilus

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Re: How do they look in real life?
« Reply #19 on: July 12, 2011, 17:22:17 »
Well, in my eyes at least the #4820 does still look more like a MB Atego then any other truck I've seen so far. The #4821 I really don't know, since I couldn't find a pic of a real truck that looks like that.

But speaking of the #4821, it's only a pump truck? I mean, it doesn't carry no water at all? And if it doesn't carry water, is it only a pump unit or a pump/rescue unit?

And what would be the "official" designation of the 4820, a turntable ladder unit?

It's very important to know what they're called so that I can properly name my fleet :D.
Cheers!
Luciano