Thursday, October 5

Preview: A Mini Mobile Workshop from MiniArt - Tempo E400 Railway Maintenance Truck w/Personnel

By combining the railroad staff set of four figures, tools & a decal set of five marking choices, MiniArt have a new kit focussed on the workers of the German rails. See more about this mini mobile workshop from MiniArt in our preview...

Preview - MiniArt's new 35th scale Tempo E400 Railway Maintenance Truck With Personnel

Tempo E400 Stahlblech Pritsche 3-wheel Truck
From MiniArt
Kit No #38063
1/35th scale
The kit contains five marking choices in the box.
Photo-etch & clear parts are included
The Subject: Tempo E400 Hochlader Pritsche 3-wheel Truck 
On September 25, 1928, the sales company Vidal & Sohn was established to distribute the three-wheelers of the brand Tempo in Hamburg. The name Tempo was attributable to the patented three-wheeler design of Gustav Ehlers. Although the cooperation of both parties ended quite quickly, Vidal & Sohn brought its own three-wheeled trucks on the market after a short space of time. The competition was enormous but it turned out that both Hamburger had the right sense for the needs of petty traders. After only two years, in November 1930, the completion of the 1000th Tempo three-wheeler was celebrated.

The Tempo "boy" is an early model of the truck. The “Boy” versions had somewhat smaller engines than the man versions; a 10 hp 244 cc motor in order to qualify its use by a Category IV driver’s license, which was immensely easier and cheaper to obtain.
In 1936 a new type, designated with the abbreviation E400, was introduced. The number 400 signified the rounded up capacity of exact 396 cc and the letter E stood for “Eisen” (German for Iron). In plain terms, the new letter gave information about the state of the car body. The former mixed construction of the driver’s cabin and the chassis out of plywood and steel made way for a complete construction out of steel. Besides the choice of materials also the tire size was amplified by 1 inch to 18 inches in total. 

The E400 restored in modern times
With his brothers – the E200 and E600 – the sales could be additionally pushed and Vidal & Sohn were pleased with full order books. The E 400, also known and available under the name "Athlet" at the dealers, was fitted with a water-cooled two-cycle engine, which was mounted on the steering. The engine had a performance of 12,5 hp, which was transferred through a 3-speed gearbox and a chain to the single front wheel.

A post world War II version of the E400
Although the E400 was very popular it could not reach the success of its small Brother; the E200. Totalled up 3,311 three-wheelers of the E400 were produced at the works in Hamburg during 1936 and 1938.

A 1938 Tempo E 400 by Tempowerk Vidal & Sohn

The kit from Miniart: The feature set of the kit is already known from the first release that we are showing the build preview. 
The features of this kit:
- Two licence plate holder options for customization.
- Two-wheel cover choices and an alternate number plate position on the rear.
- Both the doors and the bonnet can be opened
- The highly detailed engine can be seen through a fine photo-etched grille
- The sides of the tray can be posed up or down...
- The whole structure of the underside of the vehicle is replicated faithfully on this model
- The wooden cargo tray is moulded faithfully to the grainy texture
- Four figures are included in the kit - "German Railroad Staff" Kit No #38012!

The parts of the kit:
Railway tools
Clear parts for the kit are included
Photo etch is included for the thinner parts of the kit & the nameplate also!
The four railway workers here suit these great tools to a tee!
The five decal options on one sheet 
The marking profile of all five railroad workhorses - all very interesting we think.

This kit should be available next month from MiniArt's distributors worldwide. You can see more about this kit on the MiniArt Website...

New #MiniArt Kits Available September 2023:


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