The old proverb “Necessity is the mother of invention” held true for Marathon of History’s Mat Johnson while working on a Second World War display for a museum in Ontario. Mat needed a couple of dozen Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) trucks for the diorama portion of the display but couldn’t find an affordable solution. The answer seemed obvious, we’ll design and build our own.

Mat’s father Gary, a life-long model builder and woodworker, taught himself 3D design and eight months later the first CMPs rolled off the line and into the museum. New designs and further refinements were made and a year later their Heritage Toy Series was launched. Today the series has expanded to more than 60 miniatures in 1/48, HO and N scales, with a special emphasis on military vehicles.

The military line includes tanks, armoured vehicles and trucks dating from the First World War to present day. In addition to the CMP (in standard, 3-ton and fuel truck versions) you’ll find many Canadian vehicles, including a Ram tank, AVGPs (Grizzly, Cougar & Husky) and a Ford Military Truck and Halftrack variation. There is also a long line of vehicles used by the Canadian Army during the Second World War, including the M4 Sherman (and Firefly), Churchill, LVT-4 Buffalo and Universal Carrier.

Both Mat and I built scale models as teenagers and both returned to the hobby later in life. What was once an inexpensive pastime involving a cheap kit, a tube of glue and a selection of brushes and paint has transformed into a billion-dollar industry promoting highly detailed models built from plastic, photo-etch and resin. The kits and the tools required to build them are a sizeable investment for any prospective builder. However, this is not the case with the Heritage Toy Series. Mat’s focus is on providing durable models that can be played with, detailed and/or collected … and at a very affordable price.

Marathon of History works with institutions as well as private businesses to design and build exhibits for museums and offices across Canada, and as such they provide customized packaging and volume purchases for businesses. Their line of models is currently for sale at the Juno Beach Centre in Normandy, the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa and at many museums across Ontario. And of course they are also available for purchase online in the Marathon of History Shop.

Mat is always adding to the series. A 1/48 Ferret scout car has just been released and a line of German vehicles are currently in the works. If you, or someone you know, is interested in Canadian military history and would like to support a Canadian manufacturer I strongly encourage you to visit their website and check out their Heritage Toy Series. I have a Sherman Firefly, Churchill and LVT-4 Buffalo on their way to me and look forward to detailing the Buffalo in the coming weeks.

For more information on Marathon of History check out their website and YouTube channel!