english text - baggermodelle · ring truck in five different colour ... scheme and the liebherr 954...

English text

2BAGGERMODELLE 1-2011

Translation of page 3

With verve and vigourinto the New Year

I hope that the New Year started well for you. I would like to take the opportunity to wish you health and lots of fun in our common, multi-faceted hobby in 2011. With this issue, BAGGERMODELLE is starting its second year of publi-shing. I am thankful to all that have kept faith in the magazine and sup-ported it. Without you our success would not have been possible. I am committed, together with all the team of authors, to continue to pu-blish a varied and interesting ma-gazine of the highest quality pos-sible as we move forward into our second year. For the New Year the-re are two internet sites you should take note of:

First in YouTube: at www.you-tube.com/baggermodelle we will show short movies about the ma-chines featured in the current issue of the magazine. This allows you to see the machines we write about in action and you can hear the mo-tor sound as well. Among the favo-urites for example you will find a short film clip about the Komatsu

PC8000 and the Caterpillar 660, a perfect match to this issue of the magazine. The site on YouTube is public, it is not necessary to regis-ter or log on.

Under www.facebook.com/bag-germodelle it is possible for you to look over our shoulders. You will find pictures and reports of the day to day goings on at the office, to al-low you to look behind the scenes. Please do not forget to click the “like” button so that your friends also get to know us. The face book site is public, no registration is re-quired unless you want to send us a comment or want to get in touch with us.

Both of these services are there to augment the magazine. They are also there for you for your view-ing enjoyment. Our articles and pictures however will still only be available in printed form. I hope that you have a lot of fun reading this current issue.

Daniel Wietlisbach

Editorial


Translation of pages 6 – 9

FM-Modellbau 1:50

The A91 is an excavator in the 10 tonnes class. The lower carri-age is available in three different versions. The “Mobil” has two driving wheels and two detachable running wheels which are mounted on the telescoping support struts. In the 4x4 version even the small wheels are powered; the 4x4 plus version has four even sized wheels. The very compact upper carriage contains a John Deere four cylin-der motor producing 104 kW (140 hp), and no less than four hydraulic pumps for the different hydraulic circuits.

A good four years after the A91 “4x4 plus” hit the market, FM-Modellbau has released three new variants. They are the already well known “4x4 plus” but now in the updated design version (limited to 1000 pieces) and the “Mobil” in the new and old design (the later limited also to 1000 pieces). Eight hydraulic cylinders are necessary to give the lower carriage the nee-ded flexibility in movement, com-pared to the 12 necessary in the “4x4”. The newly designed sup-port feet and the small wheels are made in the usual high quality and the struts can telescope.

The upper carriage, dominated by the operator’s cabin as in the prototype is detailed very nicely and carefully. It is painted in four colours and has fine window wi-pers, spot lights and rear view mir-rors. Because of the new design of exhaust stack, the hood to the motor compartment can now no

longer be fully opened. The mock up of the multi-coloured motor is visible inside the compartment. The boom and telescoping jib have three hydraulic cylinders. All hyd-raulic hook ups and lines are there as well as the connectors to the jib. The connection the well known grading bucket with tilt function has one line connected to it, as in the prototype. A different sho-vel would have been nice for the change artist among excavators. The sharp, crisp paint job and let-tering is faultless.

The models are available at your dealer or direct at FM-Modellbau (www.fm-modelbau.ch).

GMTS 1:50 scale

In the very popular series of his-torical dumpers made from resin, the Krupp SF360 6x6 front stee-ring truck in five different colour schemes is now available in limi-ted release. The power full, roun-ded form of the cabin has been copied very well. Door and hand grips, rear view mirrors, window wipers and spot lights are separate-ly mounted detail pieces. This goes also for the radiator grill, a lovely etching, and the “V8” logo. First class! The all wheel dumper runs on the well known tires with diffe-rent treads on the front and back. The dumping bin can be operated with a three part column and stays upright in this position without any further help. The next model in this series is the Krupp hooded AK1060 4x4. Available directly at: www.gmts.de

Bush 1:87

A Weimar mobile excavator in the grey paint coat of the VEB Energie, and a set with the Fort-schritt Tractor and trailer unit with a two cable roll load, have been re-leased. This makes it possible to si-mulate many interesting situations on construction sites.

Conrad 1:50

A strong machine for the heavy duty transport has appeared from Conrad. It is the MAN TGX41.680 10x4 unit powered by a V8 engi-ne. The unit has the very attracti-ve paint scheme of the firm, Kahl. Both front axles as well as the rear axle are steerable. The cabin can be lifted backwards. Ballast Bridge, heavy duty connecting tower arm and the fully functioning front cou-pling unit make this a model for the heaviest action use.

First Gear 1:50

The superb, unchanged model of the Allis-Chalmers HD-21 is now available in orange. This makes it a perfect companion piece to the TS300 Scraper from the same ma-ker.

Siku 1:87

A fully functioning drag line ex-cavator in this scale, is it possible at all? Siku makes it possible and it is quite good too. One winch ope-rates the boom and the other one operates the shovel. The shovel

New on the market


can be opened with finger pressu-re. A spring closes it back to the original position when the load has been dumped. Boom and supports are made from solid plastic and so insure that the model survives the hard use when played with in the kid’s room. The Liebherr HS845 was the prototype for this release.

Herpa 1:87

The Actros tractor with swing out lowboy trailer in the “Heg-mann” paint scheme as well as the Mercedes Sprinter BF3 as an ac-companying support vehicle have


arrived. Sporting chromed hubs and a very intricate airbrush finish the Scania R dumping fifth wheel trailer tractor combo in the “Sperl” scheme and the Liebherr 954 “Zür-cher” are great companions for the already released low boy transpor-ter models in the same paint sche-mes. The Scania R concrete beam transporter for the firm “Hoch-Tief” and the Actros LH08 loaded with further parts for single family house construction compliment the offerings in the program. As well there are the semi low boy trailers, in three and five axle versions, now available by themselves.

Tekno 1:50

Just released is the third model for the firm of Wittwer Transporte, situated on the shore of the Lake Thun. It is the Scania R 164G with a V8 engine producing 580 hp. It pulls a Goldhofer-combina-tion trailer XLE made up from a swan neck connector, three axled wheeled unit at the front and five axled at the back, plus a swing out low loading platform for excava-tors. This makes it useable even for the heaviest loads and can fulfill many heavy transportation chal-lenges.

Collector‘s guideSo that you do not miss any of the new model announcements, the latest releases are listed here in short form.

Typ Scale Producer Available at Additional information

Bucyrus Erie 15-B shovel 1:24 CCM Dealers www.ccmodels.com

Terex AC500-2 white 1:50 Conrad Dealers www.conrad-modelle.de

Liebherr MK100 «Felbermayr» 1:50 Conrad Dealers www.conrad-modelle.de

Liebherr TA230 new Version 1:50 Conrad Dealers www.conrad-modelle.de

Service personel Sandvik 1:50 Conrad Sandvik www.3pr.se/scalemodelshop

Euclid R-30 Dumper 1:50 Dan Models direct www.miniatur-models.com

Scania R 8x4 with Hiab and Goldhofer 4axle «yellow» 1:50 Tekno setec htm www.setec-htm.ch

Kenworth T908 / Drake 8x4 and Dolly 8x2 1:50 TWH Drake shop www.thedrakeshop.com

«Doolan», «Lampson», «Tenkate»

Faun dump truck 4axle (only 10 pieces) 1:50 Weigel Modellbau direct www.weigel-modellbau.de

Actros Titan LH 8x4 «Big Move» group: «Wallek», 1:50 WSI Dealers www.wsi-models.com

«Bloedorn», «Gutmann», «Schmallenbach», «Geser», «Giebel»

MAN TGA 8x4 «Wagenborg» with Scheuerle Intercombi 1:50 WSI Dealers www.wsi-models.com

Ginaf X5250 TS dump truck 5axle 1:50 WSI Dealers www.wsi-models.com

Set Scania 141 «Mammoet», «Van Seumeren» 1:50 WSI Mammoet www.mammoetstore.com

Terex MHC 5150 harbour crane 1:50 Terex shop www.terex-construction-shop.com

Liebherr L580 «red» 1:87 Herpa Dealers www.herpa.de

MAN TGS cement part semi trailer «Riwatrans» 1:87 Herpa Dealers www.herpa.de

Actros L‘02 roll-off dump trailer «Wertz» 1:87 Herpa Dealers www.herpa.de

Actros L‘02 low boy semitrailer «Friderici» 1:87 Herpa Dealers www.herpa.de

Heavy duty set with 3 trucks «P. Adams» 1:87 Herpa Dealers www.herpa.de

wind turbine transport

MAN TGX XXL heavy duty 8x4 «whites» 1:87 Herpa Dealers www.herpa.de

Goldhofer TU3 «yellow» 1:87 Herpa Dealers www.herpa.de



Bergischer Modellbau 1:43

For the road builder there are now cobble stone sheets, side walks and curb stones in a variety of styles. This makes it easy to model older streets. The parts are made from a plastic material that can be slightly bent. This product was developed for the model railroading fraterni-ty, but the small difference in scale should not make a big difference.

Wiking 1: 87

Three old favourites appear in a new colour scheme. The Grove

mobile crane is now available in the famous Rosenkranz lettering, the Krupp-Ardelt drag line exca-vator with demolition ball and the Zettelmeyer site dumper in the imaginary color scheme of Wimo-Bau. In our opinion the chosen co-lor combination of green with red lettering is very attractive indeed.

WSI 1:50

The three Zaxis 870LC’s from Hitachi could be called a small revolution in the model excava-tor production. We show here as a place holder the version with the

excavating shovel. These models set a new standard in model ma-king and deserve a closer look in a future edition of this magazine.

Viessman 1:87

Matching the new mining mo-dels is in the series of eMotion – the world of motion, a miner wor-king with a pick has been released. The upper body is moveable and so makes it possible for the miner to use his tool continuously.



the course was changed to ‘Const-ruction Machine Mechanic’.

The dealership for International Harvester IHC for the eastern part of Switzerland and the country wide dealership for Northwest, the firm of AG für Baumaschinen, was his place of apprenticeship. Both of those great names have unfor-tunately disappeared from the field but, understandably, have a place of honour in his collection.

Infected

The beginning of his apprentice-ship was not only the start of his professional career; it also marked the beginning of his collecting hobby. A co-worker, who already owned some construction machi-ne models from NZG, introduced him to the hobby. The collecting virus infected him, and soon he had two models to show off in his room: a Demag H41 with bucket scoop (NZG 113) and an Acker-man H25B (NZG 148). Thereafter

many more models were ordered jointly. In the beginning they were ordered directly from the big ma-nufacturers, later on from specia-lized dealers. Since the availability of models was still manageable, many of the new releases found their way into his collection. The prices were reasonable even for one on apprenticeship wages.

After completion of the appren-ticeship in the 80’s, Ivo got a job maintaining specialized machines for pile driving in Iraq, on the new North-South Highway. It was in Bagdad were he came in to contact for the first time with the specia-lized machinery used in civil en-gineering. Soon he made himself a name in maintaining drag line excavators, especially those made by Northwest. He returned from Iraq due to an accident; after his recovery he continued working in this field. Then, at the end of the 80’s he changed jobs a few times until landing at Fietz+Leuthold as Chief Mechanic responsible for

Ivo Meier has collected since 1974

Extraordinarilyconsistent

Forty years ago Ivo Meier started his collec-

tion. All models he acquired at the beginning

are still in his remarkable collection …

by Daniel Wietlisbach

Ivo Meier belongs to the kind of collectors who were inoculated

with the construction machine vi-rus in their childhood. His family photo album contains pictures of his father at work with his Bay City on a minimum of 20 job sites. La-ter, when his father was employed in a gravel pit operating a dragline excavator, Ivo accompanied his fa-ther to the site and learned, step by step, how to operate the excavator. When he was only 14 years old (to-day this would hardly be possible) he was able to replace his father at work as the holiday replacement on a Demag B 406. It worked in his favour that Demag machines were operated only by using le-vers; pedal use was not required. He was also able to operate a HD-6 and HD-11 tracked loader by Allis-Chalmers. It came as no surprise when he declared that this was his career choice.

It was a decided choice, even though his school teacher showed no understanding at all and said that he “should learn a real profes-sion” first. Ivo Meier was among the first to sign up for the newly created career of ‘Heavy duty truck mechanic B’. Later on the name of



the maintenance shop and all the machinery of the firm. A few years after that, when the need arose, he started to operate civil engineering machinery himself. With his wide- ranging experience with machines from Bauer, Delmag, Casagrande, Liebherr-Messman, Soilmec and other he is very much in demand.

Civil engineering machinery

You may ask: what about his collection? The answer is simple; it grew and now follows the spe-cialized field he is working in: highly specialized below grade ci-vil engineering machinery. In this market segment there were only a handful of models available: the Soilmec R-10 on a Cat 215 (NZG 358) is the most recognizable model of that time. To satisfy the need of the very specialized field for model collectors, there was a collector and later model maker by the name of Rossinelli who built endless augers and fully functional diaphragm wall grabbers. The mo-dels were of as respectable quality as can be seen in the other models gracing Ivo Meier’s display cases.

Later on, the larger suppliers of CCM, Smith and ATM, even la-ter EMD entered the market and

started to produce models that where only dreamt about by mo-dellers. It goes without saying that a Northwest by Smith or the very latest CCM-Modell, the legenda-ry Manitowoc 4100 have arrived in his collection. This collector is especially happy about the new offerings from Bymo, the Bauer BG24H, Bauer BG40 and BC40, and Liebherr LRB 255 and LB 28 from NZG. The next acquisition planned is the R-100 by Soilmec.

A great variety

Despite all the models described above, it cannot be said that the main focus of the collection is on civil engineering models; there is no single main interest in the coll-ection. Ivo Meier collected machi-nes that he personally liked when they were released and those he still likes today He enjoys collec-ting machines that he encountered in his professional life and still is encountering today. This means he does not own a “favourite mo-del” and enjoys every one of his pieces in the collection to the same degree. In the beginning he also collected truck models, but the of-fering of new releases became un-manageable, both money wise and

space wise, and so he stopped bu-ying new ones. Despite this there are still many truck models in his display cabinets today. The same goes for the wheeled loader collec-tion, these fill many shelves in his collection, but he will no longer buy the newly released ones for the same reasons. Like many other collectors he is still on the hunt for a Lima 2505 by NZG (147) and the Westerhütte HW70 (101). Such models however demand astrono-mical prizes in today’s markets, prices Ivo Meier refuses to pay.

That the collection gives a well balanced appearance and leaves a lasting impression is due to the fact that Ivo Meier has constantly coll-ected models and kept them.

The models he started out his coll-ection with are still in his display cabinets today. All original boxes for the models are stored in the at-tic of his father’s house. After the basement in his father’s house was re-finished, specially made display cabinets for 800 of his models were installed and can be admired the-re. A further 100 models are dis-played in his apartment. Among the remarkable models to be seen are: the very sought after Cat 988 (NZG 134), Cat 621/ Athey PR621 (NZG 132) and many older CCM-Modelle. As an absolutely exotic model we discovered a Weimar M 700 by a maker known only to a few experts. In addition to the models in 1:50/1:48 Scale, Ivo Meier owns a few in 1:25, 1:35, 1:40,1:64 and 1:87. This is only because the mo-dels he likes are “not available in the “right” scale yet. Very often co-wor-kers have been interested in touring the collection and have left awed by the almost professionally displayed exhibits, just as we were.

The collector

Ivo Meier is 53 years old. He is a trained construction machine mechanic and worked with several firms in the trade. Today he is a mechanic with AG für Baumaschinen and regularly operates drag line excavators in Switzerland and abroad.

He also is an active competion bowler and has been the Swiss champion twice in the last 10 years. He lives with his girl friend in Kaltbrunn/ SG.



These new models mark a new delivery policy from Norscot.

Regarding the time between an-nouncement and delivery: new items will be announced every couple of months followed by re-lease a few months later. Both mo-dels described here arrived on dea-lers’ shelves about 8 weeks after being announced.

Caterpillar 772

This dumper is a complete new development from the Caterpillar stable; it is quite a distinctive loo-king unit due the operator’s cabin which sits in the middle of the lead unit. The power plant for this ma-chine is a six cylinder C18 diesel engine producing 399 kW (543 hp). When fully loaded with a 46.2 tonnes payload, the dumper has a total weight of 82.1 tonnes. These machines are mainly used in quar-

ry operations and can also be seen on large construction sites.

The new model from Norscot is very well executed. All measu-rements, when checked against the prototype are spot on with the exception of the width: it is 2 mil-limetres too wide, but this is hard-ly noticeable. The tires are nice as well and so are the exquisite rims which are partially pierced through. The parts for the housing are made of metal and finely en-graved, and the thinly applied paint job does not hide the cast on de-tails. The glazing in the cabin fits perfectly and the corner posts of the windows are cast in metal and, just like the prototype, have inte-grated ROPS window struts. The manifold, tiny plastic hand rails and grips on the model are pushing the limits of what is possible with this material. Perhaps if Norscot used metal instead, they could be made even finer. The standard mo-del is equipped with a flat bottom

dumping body; the original had a choice of the flat or double V dump body. Unfortunately, the dumping bin can be lifted only to a third of its height, by a single hydraulic cylinder. The prototype had two such cylinders. The lettering is very nice, sharp and crisp, even the little ACERT stickers on the side of the engine hood are there.

Caterpillar 320DL

It probably would have been easier to build a larger excavator in this small scale. It is therefore a nice surprise that Norscot cho-se a Caterpillar model of the 20 tonnes class. The prototype, with a total operating weight of 22, 6 tonnes, has a power plant produ-cing 103 kW/140 hp. The mostly metal model conforms to the pro-totype in most measurements. The jib, when in transportation mode, lacks 2 millimeters of downwards play. The reason for this is due to construction methods used in the making of the cylinders. The rest of the jib and boom assembly are completely in scale when checked against the prototype. The lower carriage is nicely detailed; the rubber tracks are well done and deserve special mention. The size of the base, among the many optio-nal widths available, was the scale

Cat 772 and 320DL from Norscot in 1:87 scale

Fast and great!

Great new additions to any collection of con-

struction machines are the new 772 dumper

and 320DL excavator model from Norscot …



width of 800 millimeters, and just as on the prototype, suits the model extremely well. The upper carria-ge has many cast on details. Addi-tional details are the exhaust pipe and the walk way on the right side which came out a bit oversized. The new Cat-Cabin, used here for

the first time on a model, has a cast on hand grip and rear view mirror. The search lights are not functio-nal and are painted to simulate the light; the glass for the cabin is a one piece insert.

On the boom, jib and shovel details the unobtrusively pain-

ted rivets are a nice feature as are the “chromed” hydraulic cylin-ders. Despite the compromises of the model when in transportation mode, it is fully operational in both function and reach. The paint job is a bit on the heavy side but the lettering is sharp and very legible.

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by Urs Peyer

The origins of the development of the PC 8000 can be traced

back to the legendary DEMAG H485. When it was first introduced in 1986, the 560 tonnes hydraulic excavator was considered the lar-gest in the world, leaving the nea-rest contenders far behind. The first H485 was used in the surface coal mining industry in Scotland, and, equipped with a shovel capacity of 24 m3 could scoop up more than 1300m3/hr. More than 20 units were sold over the next ten years, with a solitary backhoe unit going to Saxonvale Coal in Australia.

Every time the giant excavators, known since 1995 as the Komatsu-DEMAG, were upgraded, their service weight increased as well. The 640 tonnes H485 SP was upgraded to the H655 S and in-creased in weight to 685 tonnes. The hinged shovel bucket with a loading capacity of 35m3 on the H655 S makes it possible to load a 220 capacity dump trucks of the S class in four to five loading cycles. The giant excavator is powered by two Caterpillar engines producing a total of 3714 hp. The first of the H655 S went to a diamond mine in Australia in 1998.

At the start of 1999 the largest excavator machine of the 485 se-ries left the assembly line in Düs-seldorf. It was the H740 OS. This behemoth was specially designed to work in the abrasive work envi-ronment of the Oil Sands. It has a power plant made up of two Cater-pillar Diesel engines producing a maximal 4400 hp. Its hinged sho-vel bucket has a capacity of 40m3.

DEMAG morphs into Komatsu

In the same year Komatsu acqui-red the rest of the DEMAG shares to gain complete control of the company, and so the H designati-on was dropped. From the H655 S the new designation had changed to PC8000 by the end of 1999. The Australian KCGM Super Pit

Goldmine in Kalgoorlie utilizes a total of four PC8000. The hinged buckets, each weighing in at about 80 tonnes, are replaced with new, reinforced ones once a year. The removal and re-insertion of the 500 kilogram shovel attachment bolts is accomplished using a specially adapted, 12.8 tonnes Komatsu WA250PT 3 wheeled loader. The whole operation takes between se-ven and eight hours.

There are three backhoes equip-ped PC8000 in use in South Ame-rica. The shovel capacity of these machines is 42m3. The ideal com-panions for the PC8000 are dump trucks of the 220 tonnes class, like the Caterpillar 793F, the Hitachi EH4000AC II or the Komatsu 830E-AC. It takes 3 to 4 passes to fill one of these trucks in about two

Komatsu Super Shovel

Japanese Excavators made in Germany

In the second league of the world’s largest hy-

draulic excavators are the Komatsu PC8000-6

(720 tonnes), Hitachi EX8000-6 (811 tonnes),

and the Liebherr R9800 (810 tonnes). In the

Super league, the world’s largest since 1997 is

the O&K RH 400 (980 tonnes) …



and a half minutes. There are two options regarding the power plants for the current Komatsu PC8000-6. They are: two Komatsu V16 Diesel engines, each producing 1,500 kW (2010hp), or two electric motors producing 1,450 kW each. For the operation of the hydraulic system there are four pumps on board, ca-pable of moving 8,280 litres of flu-id per minute. It would take 1985

trips with a 10 litre tin to fill the hydraulic fluids tank. Equally gi-gantic is the fuel tank which has a capacity of 13,500 litres.

To keep the machine firmly on the ground, the under carriage is 10515 millimetres long and 8,150 millimetres wide. The width of the individual track segments is 1,500 millimetres; the user can optionally increase this to 1,900 millimetres.

The standard excavation versi-on, with an 8,150 millimetre long boom, a 5,750 millimetre long jib and with a hinged shovel capacity of 42 m3, has an operational weight of 700 tonnes. Despite the lesser capacity backhoe shovel at 38m3, that version of the PC8000 tips the scale at ten tonnes more. Using the wider track segments increases its working weight to 720 tonnes.

Impressum

U1-publishing GmbHAllmendstrasse 39CH-3014 Bern+41 (0)31 301 74 [email protected]

Redaktion Daniel Wietlisbach (dw)

Ständige freie MitarbeiterCarsten Bengs, Robert Bretscher, Urs Peyer (up), Albert Schmid, Remo Stoll, Fredy Tschumi, Thomas Wilk

English translationDaniel von Kaenel, Canada, Steven Downes, UK

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With the Komatsu PC8000, Bymo is featuring the se-

cond model made in Europe. The excavator, equipped with a front loading bucket shovel, is a heavy, large model that leaves nothing further to be desired by any coll-ector. When measuring the model and comparing it to the original drawings, only a marginal diffe-rence in the width of the undercar-riage could be found. This is due to the fact that the tracks on the model are slightly thicker to allow them to be fully functional.

Under carriage

It is easy to push the machine over the smooth desk surface: the weight of the mining excavator gives the necessary adhesion. The silky smooth driving performance is due partially to the lightly sus-pended front guide wheels. The track driving wheel is modeled cor-rectly down to the perforations and the eight running wheels as well as the three support wheels which are moveable and turn. The asymmetric track segments are true to the pro-totype. The two plain track frames and the main frame without any re-finements have been modelled mas-terfully. Both driving engines com-plete with the two sets of supply lines have been correctly modelled.

Upper carriageHere Bymo chose an innovative

approach. Instead of the usual die casting process used for the upper carriage housing, Bymo has used a 0.3 millimetres thick brass sheet that was bent into the proper shape. The joints of the doors and service hatches have not been etched all the way through. To allow them to remain in the body, where the hin-ges on the original are, they were omitted on the model. Behind the many openings in the body, espe-cially in air intake openings for the engine room, hydraulic system and cooling intakes, fine wire mesh has been installed. This is very well done and close to the prototype. On the left side, the shrouded hyd-raulic pumps are visible behind the air intake openings. On the boom side of the hydraulic cooling sys-tem, there are even two radiator fans visible behind some of the same wire mesh.

A lot of effort was put into the detailing of the deck of the upper carriage. Besides the four large

Komatsu PC8000 from Bymo in 1:50 scale

ColossusLast year Bymo was responsible for the largest

and heaviest addition to the mining model

sector. What is so special about the PC8000 is

explained in this report …

exhaust pipes there are two boxes for the engine cooling system, four large air intake filters and two wa-ter expansion tanks.

The fire fighting station with its 18, prototypically correct, brilliant red and individually applied fire extinguishers is there. Right besi-de it there is the lubrication tank for the central lubrication unit for the machine. All walk-on surfaces have been clad with checker pla-te sheeting. Unfortunately, even though it has been perfectly cut to size, the edges, as on the prototype, haven’t got the typical edging strip. The hand rails and ladders have been machine cut in aluminum and so look a little bit edgy despite that the edges have been rounded off so-mewhat. The operator’s cab, which sits on the diesel fuel tank, has the typical and very recognizable sha-de blinds. The interior furnishings are painted in two colors. The front window fits exactly and is even with the surface of the cabin. Not present, but found on the prototy-pe are details like window wipers,



rear view mirrors, spot lights and horns. When asked about this the manufacturer stated that according to the client’s request, these were not modeled. The client wanted a solid and stable finished model that can just be taken out of the box. The only thing the modeller has to do is to add the four already menti-oned air filters to the model.

Equipment

On the 8150 millimetres long boom of the original there are 15 separate hydraulic lines.

The boom can also be climbed with an access ladder to service parts or make repairs. The simple jib is modeled correctly, but the two outside, coming from the boom hydraulic lines, are hooked up in-correctly. They should be going as

mounted lines over to the correctly modelled lines on the boom, and should not go down to the lower parts of the jib ending nowhere. The hydraulic cylinders are very nicely done; the color of the ch-romed piston rods is especially at-tractive. They are able to hold the equipment stable in any position, and are if anything, maybe a little hard to move. Even the cylinders for the hinged bucket scoop cont-rols have been modelled. The sho-vel itself is great and well executed and has the correct number of teeth on the bucket edge.

Finish and coloring

The finish is a bit below the nor-mal excellent quality Bymo finish we are used to. The PC8000 is a kind of model that has to be taken

out of the box at the dealer’s to check it out. This way the joy over acquiring a new model lasts longer.

The satin matt paint is thin and covers the surfaces well without any dust particle inclusion.

The printed on lettering is sharp and legible. Here again, the profu-sion of warning labels found on the prototype are missing on the mo-del. Erik Zimmerman from Komat-su Mining explains about the mis-sing “Super Shovel” decal saying that is was unclear at the time the model was commissioned if this Logo would be still in the Logo Manual when the model would be delivered. Meanwhile, the questi-on of the logo has been clarified, and it will stay. It is, however, un-clear if further series of the model will have the logo applied or not.



Here you can challen-

ge your know-how. Re-

cognize the machine

and win a model!

by Remo Stoll

On a Sunday morning, this wheeled loader presents its-

elf in its best light. Not a real “Old

timer” but yet of a venerable age. The paint is peeling here and the-re revealing the original factory color. The same firm also owns a slightly older wheeled loader of the same type.

Recognized? Then write the ex¬act make and type on a post card and send it to us. Emails are also eligible of course. (For address information check page 42.) The deadline for entries is February 15, 2011. If there are more correct ent-

Solution from BAGGERMODELLE 6-2010

The machine in question is an O&K MH4G. From the many correct entries a draw was held to select the winners who are:

Henning Schöler from Haiger (D) who won Liebherr L 586 wheeled loader in OBM paint scheme from NZG, Christian Bennetti from Bo-zen (I) who won the Caterpillar D7E Bulldozer by Norscot, and Fre-deric Andres form Stalden (CH) winning the Komatsu PC 200 Hybrid hydraulic excavator. Congratulations to all the winners.

ries than prizes a draw will be held to select the winners.

This month’s prizes are: The Liebherr L 586 2plus2 in OBM co-lour scheme, the Caterpillar D7E bulldozer from Norscot and the Komatsu PC200 hybrid hydraulic excavator.

Contest



by Carsten Bengs

Mobile cranes mounted on truck chassis are gaining in

popularity. The 70 tonnes mark has long since passed and an end is not in sight. The same can be said for the model maker’s skills. Again, WSI has delivered a model with the greatest adherence to detail.

Fleet footed on four axles

The chassis for the crane runs on four axles, all with suspension which follows the trend establis-hed by the NZG LTM 11200. WSI is joining the trend here. The mo-del is very easy to move. The front axles are steerable; however the steering angle is somewhat limi-ted and requires a greater radius. Rims, tanks and steps are copied exactly and the yellow stoppers at the third axle are eye catching. The driver’s cabin can be tilted forward with ease and it stays in that posi-tion without any further assistance. The mock up of the motor and transmission tower are visible and nicely modelled.

The support struts for the mobile crane are, just like the really large cranes, not made as H supports. They are folded out and telescope

out to their final position. WSI has even modelled the hydraulic li-nes as per prototype. The support struts are, on the LTF 1060 as on the Faun HK70, equipped with an invisible thread and the ground support foot disks fold, during the driving phase. This is a very nice detail. Ladders and storage bo-xes are cast on and there is a fully functional trailer hitch to round off the fine detailing here.

The lettering on the whole mo-del is crisp and legible and compli-ments the look of the truck.

The mounted LTF 1060 crane

WSI has spared no effort on the detailing here. The hydraulic lines that run from the lifting winch to the hydraulic cylinder control-ling the boom are all there. The operator’s cabin is complete and the interior is correct. The hand rails and the two window wipers are correct. The cabin can be mo-ved backwards, and stays in this

Liebherr LTF 1600 by WSI in 1:50 scale

New mobileconstruction crane

After the Faun HK70 release from WSI the

Liebherr LTF 1060 mobile construction crane

now comes on a Scania chassis …

position without any problem. Unlike the Faun, there is no motor mock up shown, however the fuel intake assembly is very nicely de-tailed. Also, the separate grabs and hand holds on the housing make the model look really authentic. The counter weight (it weighs in at 10.2 tonnes on the prototype) is in three parts and can be mounted using the now well known plug-in connections. When the unit is in transport mode the weights are stored just behind the operator’s cabin.

The boom has four telescoping segments and reaches a height at the top cable reel of 84 centimet-res. With the lattice top it can be extended to 116 centimetres. As with the LTF 1060, the lattice top is secured to the boom on one side using a small bolt. As on the HK70 the lower part of the boom is join-ted and can be folded out just like the prototype. Unfortunately, the hydraulic cylinder controlling the extending features is a bit too ea-



sily moved and should be secured using a small bolt. It is advisable to proceed very carefully when ex-tending the top, since the tip may damage the warning lights on the winch.

The crane hook has three pul-leys and, as with all cranes from WSI, a cable lock as a connector. The lifting cable is secured in the lock with a knot and fixed to the

head reel mount with a small plas-tic bolt. When the bolt is removed, it is possible to re-configure the cable to be used with the lattice tip. It is, however, necessary to un-do the knot for this. The automatic lifting brake is modelled using a small chain.

It is commendable that on the LTF 1060 all pulleys in the hook are separate castings. This makes

it very easy to lower or lift the hook. WSI has even added a small weight with a Liebherr logo on it for this purpose.

With the LTF 1060, WSI has pre-sented us with a greatly detailed model once again. This is espe-cially so, since the mounting popu-larity of such mobile cranes makes it an excellent prototype to model.



by Carsten Bengs

With the Oshkosh HET M1070, Sword is presen-

ting an interesting, out of the or-dinary model. The manufacturer shows with this model the love of detail that usually is shown in mili-tary action models.

The tractor unit

The large tractor unit conveys the feel of massive power. That power is a 500 hp engine capability on the prototype. There is a very nicely detailed engine compartment that can be seen by lifting the easy ac-cess hood. The radiator unit is also visible from the front through the radiator grill. Especially nice is the driver’s cabin with its operating doors. This is nothing special any-more, but the inside of the doors have warning labels, and the rear view mirrors can be folded back on both sides. Even the armatures in front of both the driver and co-dri-ver are detailed printed imitations. For the fast driving capabilities of the unit, weight is 39 tonnes in the prototype, the drive shaft and all hoses are modeled. All axles have leaf spring suspensions and two of the axles are steerable. However the turning radius in the model was rather larger than expected. There are small rubber mud guards for the wheels, this is a nice detail.

There is a component tower at the rear of the tractor; this contains the hydraulics and compressed air systems. The necessary hoses and pipes are all there and in the cor-rect scale thickness. The driver can access these by walking over the (scale) steps and walkways, which have been made from photo etchings. There are also three win-ches at the rear of the component tower. On the prototype the two main winches have a pulling ca-pacity of 25 tonnes combined and could therefore pull vehicles on to the trailer by themselves.

Lowboy trailer

It is with this unit that Sword has pulled out all the stops. It is a mas-terpiece of miniature engineering. It takes all of 40 tires, distributed on to five axles to distribute loads evenly on this trailer. Again, all axles have flexible suspension and are steerable with a mechanism,

however, as with the tractor unit, the turning radius is rather large. On the other hand, the model con-vinces with its fine details for the axles, all have scale thickness ho-ses and even the little turning cy-linders have not been omitted.

The loading process is accom-plished using two flexible ramps that are held in position with ten-sion suspension. This allows the ramps to be in an upright position always, yet they can be lowered easily thus allowing a construction machine to drive on to the trailer. The specially configured pivoting mechanism keeps the ramps down so that they do not snap back in to upright position. They can even be adjusted in width to allow narrower or wider vehicles to load on to the trailer. The wheel chokes are fully functional; they are chained to a mini bolt and are so secured during the trip. Especially impressive are the fully operational shackle loops; these are often only engraved on

HET M1070 from Sword in 1:50 scale

Off roaderA heavy duty transporter of a different kind.

With the HET (Heavy Duty Transporter) it is

possible, for the first time, to transport milita-

ry construction machines prototypically cor-

rectly, even in off road situations …



models. Sword has taken the trou-ble of actually modelling them. With a pair of tweezers and some thread it is possible to secure a load just as on the prototype!

To operate the hydraulics there are some levers that can be seen when lifting a flap to a compart-ment on the one side of the trailer unit. The Pintle hitch can be adjus-

ted using the two modeled small cylinders, including lines.

The lettering on the trailer is very impressive; there are warning la-bels on the ramps, and the words Cargo are printed below the shack-le loops. A complete maker’s plate on the Pintle hitch is also shown. This is an absolutely convincing detail.

With the Oshkosh HET, Sword has introduced an extremely func-tional model of the highest detai-ling class. On top of that, the mo-del is a bit exotic as it is out of the ordinary realm of transportation machines. The adherence to every detail when compared to the proto-type, makes this a model that has to be seen to be believed.



Despite many com-

promises that had to

be made by Marx to

keep the price affor-

dable, the crane model

shown here has survi-

ved for 60 years …

by Robert Bretscher

Long before launching the pro-duction of large construction

toys, Marx, headquartered in the US, sold a line of tin plate action cars with lithographed tinplate fi-gures. They were manufactured first in England and the US. Later the production lines were moved to the Far East. In both cases the products were sold from or near the production sites. With this kind of a price policy the delivery costs were kept low. The truck crane shown from 1949 was offered in the US and in England in sever-al color variations. “Quality toys for the lowest possible price” was the slogan at the Marx Company’s headquarters. Because of this the-re are some parts of the crane that

could have used some improve-ments and some details that were completely left off. Among them are rigid axles and unfortunately only two support struts and the so-mewhat unstable connection bet-ween the lower and upper carriage parts of the models, which make it somewhat unstable, are the most noticeable omissions. The control functions for the lifting mecha-nism are, on the other hand, very well thought out and executed. The functions are controlled by using stoppers to hold the crane boom and the hook at the desired height level.

In comparison with the 1955 Mi-chigan truck crane made by Nylint (described in the X-2010 issue) the details of this crane are more ro-bust, the front wheels are steerab-le, the jib’s attachment to the lower carriage is better and stable and the rear axles are moveable. Despite this, many of the cranes produced over sixty years ago have survived until today.

Judging from the outlines of the model, it could be styled after a Lorrain crane from 1949. The Marx model was sold in toyshops in a simple cardboard box printed with the name and logo.

Tinplate



Massive Machines 7

Massive Backhoe Dredgers Steven ValeOld Pond Publishing LtdEnglish language DVDLength 100 MinutesISBN 978-1-906853-36-5

The seventh DVD in the series“Massive Ma-chines“ has the largest hy-draulic Backhoe Dredgers as its main theme. Steve Vale takes to the water in search of the ultimate „Aquadigger“. These spe-cialized machines, adap-ted from the above ground mining industry are used to dredge harbours and their approaches. A Ko-matsu PC3000 in England and two Hitachi EX1900s are the first in the lineup. The Nordic Giant, a Lieb-herr P995, is capable of shifting 12,000m3 materi-al per day. The upper car-riage of the Liebherr P995 weighs 520 tonnes inclu-ding jib. The largest of the dredgers at the moment is the Backacter BA1100 with a scoop which can contain a maximum of 42m3 of material. (up)

Yearbook Construc-tion machines

Published by Verlag Podszun. 144 pages, 24 centimetres by 17 centimetres, about 290 pictures, Soft linen cover ISBN 978-3-86133-569-6

In the eleventh instal-ment of this very well known series of books, readers can find spell- binding articles once more, beginning with “Double motored const-ruction machines”. When reading the headline the reader probably expects to read only about scra-pers. However he would be wrong yet pleasantly surprised to find also bull dozers, dumpers, mining excavators and many other machines described. The nostalgic reader will enjoy the chapter about construction machines on large construction sites in the 50’s to 70’s which has excellent historical photographs. Other inte-resting and very readable and viewable chapters in-clude: a look at Maschi-nenbau Pasal; the EMO; a transfer installation for ore and coal in Rotter-dam harbour; a construc-tion machine exposition in the 70s; a Norwegian wheeled loader at work as well as the exchange of a dredging wheel assembly for excavator 287 in the above ground mining firm of RWE. (dw)

New books The Gradall

James H Grant JHG Partners, 256 pagesEnglish language bookSoftbound ISBN 978-0-692-00667-2

For the younger readers among us, this name may not be instantly recogniz-able while others recogni-ze the name Gradall and its importance in the his-tory of construction ma-chinery.

The highly specialized excavator with its telesco-ping and rotating boom were especially well ad-apted for work along road slopes. Despite the fact that the Gradall excava-tors are still produced in the US, they have almost disappeared over here.

James Grant worked at the factory until 2005 and describes the history of the firm in ten chapters. It goes from the beginning in 1940 up to the present, 2009 to be exact. There are many historical and more recent photographs as well as pictures from inside the plant, to support and lighten the substantial text. After chapter six, all pictures are in full color.

The 25 page addendum contains information for all the excavators produ-ced by Gradall.

By the way, Gradall is the only excavator ma-nufacturer left in the US. (up)

Constructionmachines 2011

A weekly calendar with 53 pictures, published by Verlag Podszun, 25 x 21 centimetresRing binding,ISBN 978-3-86133-552-8

Among the small things that make life a pleasant experience for certain is this weekly calendar. It would be impossible to start the week on Monday better then to open a new page on this calendar with a new, exciting picture of a construction machine. About half of the pictures are dedicated to histori-cal machines, the rest are modern types. Machi-nes from the following manufacturers follow us thru the year: Caterpillar, Volvo, Poclain, O&K, Demag, Liebherr, Krupp-Dolberg, Unimog, Hoes, Menck, Westerhütte, Hatra, Komatsu, Nobas, Schrader & Gödde, Hita-chi, Klönne, Atlas, Wei-mar- Fortschritt, Fendt and P&H.

The calendar can be hung on the wall or it can stand on your desk, it also has a place to write notes incorporated in the de-sign. (dw)



by Urs Peyer

Towards the end of the 1950’s in the US, more than 60,000

km of highway construction where in the planning stage or being built. Large building projects like these called for equally large construc-tion machinery, especially in the earth moving sector. Caterpillar intended to take full advantage of this boom in the building industry. In 1959 it presented the first Scra-per of the 600 series, 619B.

This was followed in 1960 with the 631A; this machine is still in the current program as 631G. Besi-des the 657, still in the lineup today, the legendary 660 and 666 have ar-rived on the scene. The 660 with a single motor and the 666 with two motors were the largest scrapers Caterpillar ever built. The scraper trailer bucket could hold 41.3 m3

(heaped), a full 8 m3 more than the bucket of the 657 that could hold 33.6 m3. The twin axled tractor of the unit was powered by a V8 mo-del D346 four stroke, Caterpillar diesel engine with a displacement of 19.5 litres and produced 500 hp. The D343 Caterpillar 6 cylinder in

line diesel Eengine in the rear pro-duced 400 hp. To compare: The lar-gest scraper model from Caterpillar at the moment is the 657G; with its 1051 hp, it has a few more horses under the bonnet than the 666, but its capacity, 33.6 m3 is substantially smaller. In September 1969, Cater-pillar replaced the 666 with the new B model. The power output in the tractor was increased by 50 hp, so that the total power available was 950 hp for the 666B. The end of the construction line for the 666 models came in 1978. The very last units that were built left the factory site in Decatur, Illinois, on Februa-ry 7, 1979. The last units of the 660 and 666 scrapers still in use in Ca-lifornia had to be retired between 2006 and 2007, due to a slump in the construction sector and parti-ally due to stricter environmental controls for exhaust emissions.

Still a youngster

The pictures shown here were taken on a large construction site near San Francisco. For a scraper fan it was an absolute highlight to observe the two old timers at work.

They already had 35 years on the clock, but were in hard use daily. Driver comfort in the 60’s was on a different level than it is today. Wind, weather, dust and noise were a challenge then as they are today. The lack of a Cushion Hitch on the 666 did not contribute to operator comfort when working on these machines.

Compared to the 17.3 meter long and 4.4 meter wide 666 scraper, the D10T pusher looked small when it ”docked” on the back of the scraper to assist in the loading process. Thanks to the power assist from the pushing dozer 1480hp were employed in full force on to the 3645 millimetre wide scraping blade. It took less than a minute to fill the bucket with 58 tonnes of material. With a total weight of about 120 tonnes the descent on the 45° degree slope was a bit much for the old brakes. The dri-ver therefore lowered the bucket to assist in the braking process. Both gas pedals hit the metal on the next ascent however, as the full force of the 900hp was required to get the scraper up the ramp to the unloa-ding site. Both engines could be in-dividually controlled with the dual gas pedals. If you could imagine replacing the D10T pusher dozer with a DD9H, then the perfect pic-ture would have resulted showing a historically correct team at work. Unfortunately, these times are long in the past and gone forever.

Cat 666 the greatest Cat-Scraper ever!

A Minute for 58 tonnesAs construction machines get larger and larger,

the time of the mammoth scrapers is long gone.

Among fans of the species, the number 666 is

sure to raise heartbeats when mentioned …




A great help in remaining objec-tive is the copy of the original

sales brochure which includes all the most important measurements, included in the box with the model. As usual, there is nothing to comp-lain about in the model from CCM.

The tractor unit

Besides being great to look, the tractor unit has some interesting functions. For example, when the front wheels, nicely balanced by the way, are turned, the steering wheel in the driver’s cabin turns as well. However, because of the fra-gility of the steering wheel, it is not recommended to steer the unit with it. Looking at the somewhat restric-ted turning radius and comparing it to the prototype’s 14 metre turning radius, it turns out to be fairly close to prototypical. In the open engine compartment a detailed mock up of the engine with air filter, Turbo ca-sing and alternator can be seen.

The working space for the ope-rator has been created with much

attention to detail. The steps, walk-ways and hand rails on the way to the cabin are parts that have been added separately. That some of them are bent is quite in keeping with the prototype. The windshield is especially well modeled. The look of the front of the model loses some of its appeal with the detai-ling of the engine grill. The cha-racteristic perforated metal shield should have perforations right to the edge and the bolts shown to hold it in to place are way over-sized. That the raised sign for Ca-terpillar is in yellow is correct for the prototype. A shade giving sun cover is included with the model and has to be assembled and added to the model by the buyer.

The scraper

With a mighty large swan neck connection the scraper trailer is joined to the tractor. With the many hoses and connectors at the joint, this poses a challenge for the mo-del maker. With the exception of four cables that end abruptly on the head of the connector, all other

connection cables and hoses are there and modeled appropriately.

The huge scraper body is very nice, even though due to the li-mited play in the lifting hydraulic cylinders, it cannot be lifted to the full height of the prototype. The overflow protector with the etched shield attachment has been execu-ted very well. This goes also for the expeller arm and the perfora-ted grill in the upper part. When pushed forward, the completely modeled hydraulic system details are visible. This, no doubt, will en-courage some modellers to display the model during the unloading process. Since the expeller cannot be retracted fully, a display in scra-ping mode cannot be made com-pletely prototypical. That is a bit of a disappointment, considering the announcement of the D10 and DD9H pusher dozer from the same manufacturer.

Outstanding is the only word ca-pable of describing the detailing of the scraper’s neck. The detailing of the motor and the huge wheels are superb. The perforated cooler grille is correct and the attachment

Caterpillar 666 by CCM in 1:48 scale

Big is beautifulThe largest Cat-Scraper of all times impresses

even in 1:48 scale with its remarkable dimen-

sions. The greatest challenge with the review

of the model is to stay objective …



Delay of the D9H

Because of construction de-fects, deliveries of the D9H models have been postponed. This of course goes also for the DD9H matching pusher unit for the Cat 666.

bolts are almost invisible. The mo-tor and all the details up to the coo-ling fan are there and visible.

The McCoy Version

The model has been delivered in two versions. The McCoy version is different from the regular one in that it sports a roll over protector bar in green. It also has scraper bu-cket height extenders and a black

cooling grill. The paint job on both models is first class and the lette-ring is crisp and legible. The limi-ted series of 600 and 500 pieces respectively, is sold out by the ma-nufacturer. However, some dealers may still have some on offer.

Sources: The above ground mining diaries by Urs Peyer and Thomas Wild, published by Verlag Podszun

Cat 666 on YouTube

Since no movies of the 666 have been found, we recom-mend the link showing a single engine Cat 660B. You can find the link on our channel at www.youtube.com/baggermodelle




The well known magazines like Modelfan or Steelmaster have

a ‘how to weather article’ for tanks or tracked vehicles in almost eve-ry issue. Aside from combat rela-ted damage, construction vehicles have many of the same weathering features as their military brethren. We have observed a few different approaches to weathering, and now are presenting here the method we developed for construction machi-nes.

The Northwest 25-D by Spec-Cast shown has some features that make it an ideal candidate: it is al-most exclusively screw assembled and therefore, can be taken apart with ease. Also, the paint job on the unit is thin thus can support a further application of paint without obscuring details. And last, but not least, there are sufficient pro-totypical information and pictures available. We featured the excava-tor with clamshell shovel shown

in detail in BAGGERMODELLE 3-2010, page 16. Original pictures of the model at work are extremely helpful, especially since they show a specific machine at a specific site; this leads to better weathering results. It is not advisable to wea-ther equipment using photos from several different sites as they show different patterns of weathering depending on the site.

Kill the shine

After the model has been disas-sembled some improvements to the model can now be made be-fore re-assembling. For example, the cast-on hand rail on the left side of the machine compartment should be ground off with a motor tool and replaced with a brass wire one. Also drill out the exhaust. If we want to place an operator in the cab, it will be necessary to lower the seat and carefully bend the control levers back a bit. An ideal clamshell attachment can be

found from NZG, it is the Menck M90 (order #506/9). The matching clamshell excavator cable win-ches, including the relay wheel, were purloined from a Liebherr HS 855, which was set up as a crane.

The whole of the motor room is now painted in a light grey color. The winches, tracks and exposed parts of the running gear and the clamshell bucket follow using a silver color. The paints used in this step have to be resin based other-wise, if we would use water based paints the next steps in the weat-hering process would dilute or dis-solve the previously applied colour coats. One of the biggest “challen-ges” is the gloss coat finish applied to all models. In reality, not even when the machines left the assem-bly line were they that shiny. Using a piece of ordinary household pa-per towel soaked in nitro thinner solution, the shine of the gloss coat can be carefully reduced by wiping the surface. A Q- tip can be used at hard to reach places. It pays to wipe always in the same direction, because the wiping traces will la-ter appear as scratches in the color. For example the sides should be wiped vertically. The rear surfaces horizontally, to show the scratches from the turning movement, but certainly never in a circular moti-on, this would look non- prototypi-cal. This difficult and time consu-ming work should be tested first on a piece of the model that will not be visible or hardly visible later on. In this stage the lettering should not be treated as it would dissolve. Also, the black paint on our mo-del showed a tendency to dissolve, therefore we stopped treating it with the method described. As it is satin it has little shine anyway.

Weathering for models

Dirty HarrySometimes it pays off to look over the garden

fence, too see how other modellers tackle the

problem of weathering. In this case we find

that the best methods for weathering models

can be found in the military model fraternity.

We gave it a try ourselves …



Material used

Modellers paints (not water based) matt light grey, matt earth, metal. Matching thinner. Nitro thinner, ordinary household paper towel, Q tips.Oil paints: burnt umbra and blackTurpentine, lint free cloths, protec-tive gloves.Colour paint pigments, from the hobby shop or from an artists supply shop.Old tooth brush“Acrylic Resin” by MIG(www.migproductions.com)Very finely sifted earth (dust).

The fun begins

All parts now get a base coat of burnt umber oil paint all over, eve-rywhere possible. This should be a good covering coat. Do not fear; with a lint free cloth dipped in tur-pentine most of the paint is wiped off again. Paint now stays there where it should, in crevices, edges, in air intakes and in the scratches in the paint work we previously created. Since oil based paints take a long time to dry, the work can be done completely stress free. The most difficult part of this stage is to overcome the fear of ruining the model with this step. If the result is to our satisfaction, we can con-tinue by dusting the model with dry paint pigments. We apply these with a brush on the still damp paint. First we apply an orange rust co-lor. Keep in mind when modeling a machine in operation to use this color rather sparingly and mostly on the roof. This is followed by se-veral brown paint shades, refer al-ways to the pictures we have. Only after a few days when fully dried, can the surplus paint pigments be brushed off using a soft brush. We described this procedure in de-tail in the BAGGERMODELLE 6-2010 on pages 34-35.

Now we can re-assemble the model, but without the tracks. The very noticeable bolt that holds the arm assembly to the chassis, is re-placed with two very short brass ones. A little dab of black paint and some black powder pigments kill the shine of the replacement and they become almost invisible.

The dirt streaks clearly visible on the original are made on the mo-del with thinned, light brown resin paint. We use an old tooth brush:

dip it into the paint and then flick the brush with a finger and so splat-ter the paint on to the model. For this it is advisable to slightly ele-vate the model, since the splatters have to come from below, like on the prototype. On to the still tacky paint, again as above, we use the paint pigments. After a few hours the surplus paint pigments can be brushed off.

Earth and final touches

The earth that sticks to every ex-cavator is simulated by mixing one third plaster, different paint pig-ments and “Acrylic Resin” from MIG. The latter is a milky white liquid that gives the mix good vis-cosity and sticking ability. There is the option of adding additional sand or real earth particles. How-ever these have to be in very fine size, almost dust is recommended. Using a stick, spatula, old paint brush or similar such instruments the mix is now applied to the mo-del. In this step it is very important to refer to the photographs, in or-der to apply the mix to the right spots on the model. Less is more in this case, since it is a bit dif-ficult to remove the material once it has dried. It is no problem to add further layers of this “dirt” if ne-cessary. Because of the plaster in the mix, it dries a little lighter then the mixed color; this should be ta-ken in to consideration.

After completely dry, our exca-vator regains its tracks. Using a brush and color pigments final de-tail in the weathering process can now be undertaken. The surface of the model is now so rough that the paint adheres really well. For ex-ample it is very easy to lighten the

color of the earth mix we applied in case it turned out too dark.

The degree to which the model remains functional has to be con-sidered when applying the weat-hering. After completing the wea-thering job described here, tracks, doors, and winches still operated flawlessly. The ropes running through the dollies however did not run as smoothly as before, and needed some “assistance” to work properly. The clamshell bucket operated as before, that is hardly at all, because it is such a delicate model, not the fault of the maker.


by Albert Schmid

In 1955, with the first ever full hydraulic excavator, the folks at

Atlas Weyhousen in lower Saxo-ny, Germany, were convinced that they had pioneered a machine that would lead the excavator field well into the future.

Below the streamlined fibreglass shell with Plexiglas windows, the-re was a three cylinder air cooled, Deutz diesel engine producing 48 hp, which powered the unit. Espe-cially interesting technically is that all the planned attachments such as the back hoe and scooping bu-cket, the clam shell and grappling buckets were mounted directly on to a counter weighted jib. This arm was raised and lowered with a dou-ble function cylinder. The com-plete Atlas 1500 unit was offered in a wheeled and tracked version that weighed up to 8 tonnes. The expected sales were never fully achieved and so the model was re-tired in 1959,

In the beginning of the 90’s, the great French construction machine

enthusiast Francis Pierre released in his house label, ATM (Art, Technique Et Machines), the Atlas Weyhousen 1500 using a die cast and resin method. Released whe-re four different variations of the model bearing the numbers M10 to M13. Bucket scoop and back hoe, clamshell and grappler bucket ver-sion, either on wheels or on tracks.

The window wipers, door and hand grabs as well as the rear view mirrors and the hydraulic li-nes were an extraordinary feature at the time of production. Two of the models had, as did the proto-types, an extra front window built in. Tests had revealed that this was a necessity due to lack of vision for the operator. The scale used, though not mentioned in any li-terature or on the box, is with all probability greater than 1:50 scale.

By the way, the legendary mul-ti-version models from historic ATM-models are continued today by re-releases from EMD (Engi-neering Model Development) US.

Eye Candy

Atlas 1500Even today, for many observers the Atlas 1500

looks futuristic, even utopian …



Caterpillar at theConexpo in Las Vegas

Caterpillar will be in Las Vegas at the Conexpo on March 22, 2011. They will show about 40 machines on 5575 square metres of exhibi-tion space. 12 of the machines at the show will be completely new. To be shown for the first time are the new Caterpillar trucks with the T660 designation. In co-operation with Navistar, this new entry has a power plant capable of producing between 330 and 475 hp. As the first vehicle with a motor qualify-ing for step four in emission con-trol standards, the new 775G dump truck, is competing in the 60 ton-nes class.

Not as edged as the G-series is the new 627H double engine scraper with a loading capacity of 17m3. The middle size road loa-ders were all re-engineered. There are now five models in the series between the 950K and 980K. Ca-terpillar is equipping the new 2se-ries of Motor Graders with engines qualifying for the IIIB emission control standard. Also on show in Vegas will be the 140M2 all wheel drive grader. Besides the already known 336E excavator, other E se-ries of excavators are expected to be at the show. The rumour that a new B series of articulated dump trucks will be shown in Las Vegas is not yet confirmed. (up)

News in brief


english text - baggermodelle · ring truck in five different colour ... scheme and the liebherr 954...

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