Boley's new ambulance comes to the rescue!
By Mike Smith

Boley has done it again with their new ambulance. This model represents a "heavy duty" ambulance or light rescue truck. In today's ever changing fire/rescue scene, departments will try to get more bang for their buck by doing several jobs with one piece of apparatus. A rig such as this could come with basic life support equipment and then be customized with extra tools. Such tools could be vehicle extrication tools (the so-called "Jaws of Life"), water rescue equipment, advanced life support and cardiac care devices. A rig like this would be at home in a small town or a large city.

The Boley model is very well done, with well-formed light bars at the front and the rear. The smaller, square warning side and corner lights are also nice because they are molded in clear colored plastic. This feature would make it easy for the purchaser to add light bulbs and flashing units if they were so inclined. The cab is the same new-style or old-style cab that is common to the other Boley offerings. The under carriage is simple, with the drive train and front suspension well molded with some rudimentary lower engine/transmission detail, yet it does the job well as the underside of the vehicle would not be seen in most cases.

Overall, this is a very good model, but I did notice a few drawbacks. The wheels are the same "spoked" heavy-duty rims you see on most of the Boley releases. I think this vehicle would have looked a little more prototypical with a "perforated" disc style of wheel. The other drawback I noticed was the "ride height" of the vehicle. From my experience, loading a patient on a gurney into the back of this rig would be difficult at best.

This ambulance is another brilliant offering from an up and coming HO scale vehicle manufacturer. By responding to the need for inexpensive models of common North American vehicles, Boley is offering serious competition for more expensive, old European manufacturers like Herpa, Bush, and Wiking.

Please visit Boley for more information.

About the Author
Mike Smith, 30, of Rochester, New York, is a frequent contributor to RAILROAD.NET. A life-long model railroader, he is an experienced hobbyist. While his main interest lies in railroading, Mike also constructs models of vehicles, airplanes, and military equipment.