Part 4 Modeling details 1920-56: colors, markings and emergency warning devices.
By Aaron Woods
Parts 2 & 3 discussed the basics of USFS markings. Here I will provide more detail needed to model vehicles from the early “dark green” period.
Reference | Aaronw December 17, 2009 | 
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Part 3 Colors and markings used on Forest Service vehicles 1965-2009
By Aaron Woods
In the mid 1960s there was another change in markings. The red, white & blue shield was replaced with a small (6”) brown & white USFS shield. A solid brown box with white trim replaced the earlier white outline. The use of radio ID numbers started to appear on fire vehicles in the early 1970s.
(International Loadstar, Model 51, Sierra National Forest)
Part 2 Colors and markings 1905-1965
By Aaron Woods
Before getting into specifics it should be explained that from the very beginning the USFS has been run as a decentralized organization allowing the individual regions and forests much autonomy in their operations. As a result there are a lot of exceptions to the rule when it comes to the vehicles used by the agency.
In the early days of the agency, vehicles were often the personal property of the employee and were marked at the discretion of the local forest. Most simply had a removable sign on the front and / or sides to identify it as an official vehicle.
(Pierce Arrow truck, Sierra National Forest)
Reference | Aaronw December 12, 2009 |
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Part 1: The United States Forest Service
By Aaron Woods
(1915 Model T Speeder, Sierra National Forest)
Before I get into the vehicles used by the USFS a little background of the agency is required.
The USFS was created in 1905 to manage the Forest Reserves designated during the 1890s. The USFS is the only Federal wildland fire agency under the Department of Agriculture, the other 4 large agencies (National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife, and Bureau of Indian Affairs) being under the Department of the Interior.
By Aaron Woods
In 1966 Dodge introduced their L-series truck. This was a new medium duty cab-over truck intended to compete with similar offerings from GM and Ford. The new truck used a tilt cab based on the Dodge A-100 van. In 1970 IMC released a model of a 1969 Dodge L-700 tractor, which has now been re-issued by Lindberg. Although the truck was only built for a few years, it offers many options for the modeler.
Reference | Aaronw November 30, 2009 |
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