 | | Plain box design. |  |  | | The pieces out of the box. |  | | Good looking in Schmidbauer colours. |  | | Rigged in a short heavy haul configuration. |  | | It can be paired up to make impressive combinations - here with a Soilmec. |  | | Carrying a Link Belt crane. |
| The Goldhofer low loader is heavy haulage equipment used for transporting large construction machines. This model is in the colours of Schmidbauer, a German crane and haulage company.
Packaging
The model comes in a relatively small silver coloured box which has a folding lid. Inside the model is packed within inserts cut into black foam rubber and as such the box gives the model a presentation appearance. No instructions are provided, and the review model was undamaged.
Detail
The Mercedes-Benz tractor unit is similar to other Conrad Actros models with this one being a three axle tractor. The underside is detailed with a prop shaft, suspension and differential components. The tyres are good, having a tread pattern and the plastic wheel hubs are well detailed. The front bumper is a plastic unit with light lenses inserted. At the rear, lights are modelled within the wheel arch covers. Behind the cab, a ladder is modelled together with an auxiliary box which also contains a spare wheel. On the cab the wing mirrors have to be fixed by the collector and the windscreen wipers are formed within the windscreen. A detailed engine block is under the cab. Orange beacon lights are not included and this is a strange omission for a model such as this.
The trailer consists of four parts, a two axle and three axle bogie set, the flatbed, and the gooseneck which attaches to the tractor. The bogies have axles which are linked and steer together and they have a form of floating suspension. The rear light cluster is a separate piece which gets attached to the appropriate bogie depending on how the model is configured. There are no deck plates supplied to cover the steering mechanism. Turning to the flatbed, this is a fixed length unit but it does have a variable width. The surface is smooth and there are wood-coloured inserts on the extending edges, and there is ramp detail at one end. The gooseneck has a ridged surface and a couple of spare wheels to suit the bogies.
Features
The cab features the usual tilting mechanism which reveals the engine. The front steering mechanism of the tractor allows a good lock to be obtained.
The steering mechanisms on the bogies work well.
The flat bed has extendible sides which pull out increasing the width of the flatbed significantly and this makes the model very suitable for loads with wide wheelbase or distance between tracks. The mechanism for joining the bogies allow them to be configured in a number of ways. The standard way is as shown in the pictures here, but options include having the flatbed without an interdolly and with either two, three or even five axles at rear. Alternatively you can dispense with the flatbed and create a heavy haul configuration of five axles fitted straight to the gooseneck.
Quality
The model is well made throughout and finished to a high quality with the individual pieces fitting together particularly well. The paint finish is good as is all lettering and logos.
Price
The Goldhofer is good value for money and compares well with trucks from other model manufacturers.
Overall
The strength of this model lies in the number of different ways it can be configured which gives the collector a variety of options for display. The model looks particularly effective when combined with a suitable load. There are some relatively small omissions in terms of detail but these are not serious.
Footnotes
The model first appeared in 2001.Extra module units were available as model number 98001/0.
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|  | | The model packed within foam rubber. |  | | Tractor unit with tipping cab. |  | | Gooseneck connection. |  | | Underside of a module unit. |  | | The low bed has an adjustable width. |
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