Why did I start modelling?

I took my time for this story, because I have been doing it for so long (and I am from 1970). As a little guy, I knew all car brands and types of that time. My interest for car has allways been there! The first 'modelcars' were Matchbox and I have played with them for years. My first kitbashing was a tank: a M-47 patton (I believe scale 1:50). I got it as a present from a (modelling) uncle. I was about eight years old. My first 1:87 connection came on my 10th birthday (in 1980): a real electric train (Marklin)
When an uncle and aunt moved to the other side of the Netherlands (about 200km away!!), I came at the highways more often. Then I discovered that more than cars alone were on the highways, I discovered trucks, and more specific: I discovered DAF (and later GINAF)!
When I was about 16, I built my first DAF with trailer, scale 1:25. The enormous dimensions (More than 20 inches!) made me shiver: How could I ever built more than this one, I would immedialtely run out of space! Searching for alternatives, I returned to a familiar scale and I found my first Herpa DAF models. I believe this was a DAF 3600 Space Cab, which I had seen a couple of weeks before at the Bedrijfsauto Rai (Dutch Truck Exhibition in Amsterdam, every 2 years). This would also be my first conversion: it should the prototype of the military heavy transport tractor I had seen at the exhibition. After painting the model very well and putting 2 winches at the back, it was finished. I still have the model, and I like to look at it to see what I learned in all those years: How do I get a model into the right pieces, how do I paint it nice, how do I make a chassis longer, how ...., etc. That is the point of modelling: You learn more and more and the point of satisfaction is put further and further. Nowadays I aim at building as much as possible different chassistypes of DAF and GINAF, collecting the DAFs in the colours of DAF and my collection of Overdorp grows. As much as possible I try to let my models function like the prototype (even when the model is not getting that beautifull as it could be), so: steering wheels, moving parts, etc. This gives me sight on the construction (I am an engineer) and how things works. The best example of it is my model of the GINAF R-2121 with MSTS-Packer1 trash-collector, with which I won third prize in the heavy catagory in 1999.
Now I discovered the internet and I put some of my models on it (that is this site ;-)  )

Somewhere in 1992 I was brought into contact with 2 other 1:87-modellers by my local shop, this contact has grown to 6 or 7 modellers in a nothing must, everything is fine contact. We named us after the local shop, MCH, and gave it another meaning (Modelbouw Collectief Haarlem). We keep each other informed about ones interest, we go together to swap meetings, we are showing our models at different events and on non-regular base we come together for exchanging information (and for fun offcourse)

Have a lot of fun in modelling!!

Arnold Tamminga