5 minute read
MODEL CITIZEN
Model maker Brian Collins has produced beautifully detailed scale reproductions of Dublin Fire Brigade vehicles. L ockdown has meant that we are paying attention to the finer details in life, and for model maker Brian Collins, this is particularly true as he produces 1:76 scale replicas of “Like a lot of children, I was very interested in cars and trucks, but I remember having a Mercedes matchbox rigid truck with trailer, and that got me really interested,” he tells me. “Much later, when I got through some of Dublin’s most iconic vehicles. school and college and started to work, Recently, this has included models that interest had stayed with me and I of a DFB ambulance and Scania fire started buying model trucks, going to engine that are outstanding in their fairs and eventually looking at how I attention to detail and authenticity. could turn my hobby into a business.” An importer by trade, Brian has developed his hobby and collection before embarking on his own business creating and selling them at trade fairs, through model stores and on his own website. Though he first started collecting in 1999, his interest in model vehicles goes back to his childhood.
BUSINESS
The business started in 2008, with Brian showcasing his model collection for sale at fairs and building up a customer base, and he noticed a gap in the market for vehicles that would be recognised and cherished by the Irish market.
The DFB vehciles are the perfect addition to a display.
“I was looking for opportunities and saw that there were no vehicles such as Irish buses coming along from the likes of model manufacturers Corgi, so I approached Dublin Bus and got permission to make a replica model of one their double decker models, the Gemini Eclipse.”
That was in 2013, when all 1,000 pieces sold out, and since then Brian has also produced Bus Eireann and Expressway models, but what will be of particular interest to Dublin Fire Brigade members are his models of a DFB ambulance in 2019 and his recent addition, a DFB Scania fire appliance, both of which are outstanding in their attention to detail.
This adherence to the finer details comes from many months of groundwork put in to ensure he has every aspect of the vehicle exactly right.
DETAIL
“I had previously approached Dublin Fire Brigade about making a model of a D/O Caravelle that at the time was stationed in Dolphin’s Barn,” he tells me, “but it didn’t come to fruition because the manufacturer of the cast at the time only had it in a left-hand drive, and the vehicle was right-hand drive. Apart from increasing the cost, it was that little detail that wasn’t exactly right that meant I didn’t pursue it, because I wanted it to be exactly correct to the scale and to have the authenticity I needed.
“So, I had to park that idea,” he tells me, no pun intended.
“However, I approached DFB again in 2019 about doing the Mercedes ambulance and it went from there. At every stage of its production, from my taking photos of the vehicle to pre-production samples, HQ were happy with what I was doing, and the end product, when it was seen in HQ, was admired. Importantly, it proved that I had respect for the vehicle and the organisation in that I replicated it exactly as it should be, right down to the finest details. I had to make sure it was accurate and authentic so that it reflected the organisation, and the reaction from customers and from DFB when they saw the finished product and the level of detail involved was great.
“I sent a few complimentary models to DFB HQ that they can use as gifts or presentations to various people and dignitaries, a small number to thank them for allowing me to use the vehicle, and the reaction was really good. It is important that I got permission to do the models, and important to show that they have been created with respect to the organisation and the vehicles they use.”
With a day-to-day job as an importer – Brian jokes that you don’t get rich making models - who necessarily needs to have a huge attention to detail and accuracy, Brian admits that he is “a stickler for detail” and this can be seen in both the ambulance and his Scania fire appliance, the design of which involved a visit to Tallaght Fire Station to take detailed photos of the vehicle before sending his plans off to a manufacturer to cast the design.
LABOUR OF LOVE
In all, the production of the two DFB vehicles took between six and eight months each, which Brian says makes them “a labour of love”.
“It is very important that I get enjoyment out of making these models,” he tells me, “it’s a big interest for me, but it is also my business at the end of the day, and I put a lot of work into each model I produce.”
That business has taken a knock because of COVID-19, which has put all trade fairs and shows on hold. “People do like to be able to pick the models up and look at them before buying,” he says,” so I am relying on people to go to my website and buy from there.”
With the DFB fleet being updated regularly, Brian sees a lot of opportunities for the creation of further fire service models in the future. “I would like to do the new models that are rolling out for DFB,” he tells me, “as well as some of the older vehicles.” For now though, it’s a case of “watch this space” and Brian urges anybody interested in collecting model vehicles to visit his website.
The ambulance is limited to 1,500 pieces and the Scania fire appliance to 1,000, so they won’t be available forever, but there is also a great variety of other iconic Irish vehicles in his collection. “As well as the Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann vehicles already mentioned, I also have a new Dublin Bus model coming into stock, and these would be of interest to anybody interested in Dublin City and its transport because Dublin Bus is an iconic brand and vehicle. They are highly collectible in themselves.”
