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Hamm 1911 Roller

Maker:  Conrad
Model No:  1049
Scale:  1:50
Review Date:  July 2011


Conrad Index
Historic Equipment Index


Cranes Etc Model Rating
Packaging   (max 10)8
Detail   (max 30)24
Features   (max 20)14
Quality   (max 25)21
Price   (max 15)11
Overall   (max 100)78%

Footnotes


Hamm 1911 Roller Video
Stylish box.
Large flywheel is plastic.
Underside of the roof is replica wood planking.
Underside view.
Smooth metal roof.
The original machine was not huge.
In 1911 Hans Hamm introduced the world's first diesel powered road roller.  Prior to this machine-powered rollers were steam driven.  It was a three-wheel roller and had a weight of 15.2 tonnes.

To commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the roller, Hamm commissioned this scale model.

Packaging

It comes in a presentation box which is in a mock aged style, and there are a few technical details on the side.  It would have been good if there had been some more history about the roller. 

The model sits in black foam rubber.  The review model had no defects or missing parts, and is complete out of the box with no assembly required.

Detail

As befits a commemorative model it comes with a presentation base.  It is metal and has a name plate on both sides.  The model sits within indents in the base plate which holds it well.

As often with models of old machines it is on the small size but it looks detailed.  The rollers are metal, including a split drum at the front, and the spokes are plastic.  A nice detail is that the inside of the rear rollers is toothed for the drive mechanism.

The front steering chain is present although a finer gauge will probably have looked better.  There is a smart name plate on the front and the main support for the front roller has rivet details within the casting which are produced well.

The rest of the body is mainly metal with the flywheels being plastic.  The steering drive mechanism is plastic but this has allowed some fine detailing of the worm drive at the end.

The rear rollers have scrapers and cutters modelled.  The roof is metal with a smooth top, but looking inside it has a painted replica wood underside.

Features

The front roller drums are split and roll independently. 

The front assembly can steer to a good angle and there is also a degree of sideways pivot.

Both the flywheels can be rotated.

Quality

The quality is good with a high metal content, and the paintwork and finish is of a very good standard.

Price

The price of this model was not known at the time of the review so it has been rated on the basis that it is reasonably priced.

Overall

This is a good model from Conrad and is a fine tribute to this historic roller.  It would have been really nice if the plastic flywheels and roller drum spokes had been metal but no doubt this would have increased the cost significantly.  The 1911 Hamm is good enough to recommend highly.

Footnotes

The model first appeared in June 2011.

 
Very nice baseplate.
Front roller has a split drum.
Nameplate on the front.
Cutters on the rear rollers.
The steering chain is perhaps on the large side.
Profile view.