Aurora was a pretty big-time maker of plastic kits; mostly ships and planes 
with some 1/48 scale tanks and various autos. They did the Ford twin rear axle 
tractor and the White 3000 "Traffic cab tractor with four different trailers in 
1/64 scale.

Milk Tanker
Gasoline Tanker
Refrigerator Van
Low boy trailer with steam shovel.

They were sold in various color civilian versions and olive drab Army versions. 
Some kits included some pretty nice 1/64 figures as well.

Un-built models in the box often sell on Ebay for close to or over $100-$200 
dollars. Partly built versions can be had for less. Back when they sold new for 
59 cents, people made some nice conversions to straight chassis vans and 
flatbeds. The White cab, BTW, had a much more prototypical shape than the later 
Winross diecast (or the current HO Mini Metals diecast version).

Don Dewitt produced resin versions of a couple of the Aurora kits, and 
'S'cenery Unlimited may have copied the steam shovel.

Winross did a similar tank trailer, usually sold at collectors prices, and 
Hartoy/AHL had a tank trailer as well which is still sold as new-old stock in 
some places and is more affordable on Ebay than either the Aurora or Winross 
tankers. Barry Pazan has some very nice 1940s and '50s tractors which Dick 
Karns recently reviewed in Model Railroad News. These can add considerable 
variety to the usual Hartoy and Matchbox models on S layouts.

Pieter E. Roos


--- On Thu, 7/21/11, trainsjeep88 <[email protected]> wrote:
> The Aurora or copies were of a White
> cab over tractor with box trailer with refrigeration unit
> and a Ford tractor with tanker trailer.  The White and
> trailer are a shade small compared to Ertle/Winross etc and
> the Ford and trailer are a tad large compared to same. 
> They show up on Ebay from time to time.  A box trailer,
> no cab, was on recently.  Sold for $11 or 12 but
> complete units usually $20 or more. 
>    Stan
> 
> --- In [email protected],
> Jeff Sankus <uvrail@...> wrote:
> >
> > Tom;
> > If this is the same truck that I think you are talking
> about...Don DeWitt
> > had one of the Aurora semi-truck kits reproduced in
> resin possibly, 20 years
> > ago??
> > Possibly someone may still have on of these kits
> unbuilt or maybe Don D.
> > still has one laying around?
> > Jeff Sankus
> > 
> > On Thu, Jul 21, 2011 at 2:26 PM, Thomas Baker
> <bakert@...> wrote:
> > 
> > > **
> > >
> > >
> > > Back in the Fifties, hobby shops sold tractor and
> trailer kits produced by
> > > a company that called itself AURORA. I recall a
> gasoline tanker and a semi
> > > tractor and trailer. They were scaled for S. I
> think if I had the dimensions
> > > of the trailer, I could scratch-build one or more
> for my railroad, but it's
> > > been decades since I've seen one. Too bad they're
> no longer being produced.
> > >
> > > Tom



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