 | | The box. |  |  | | Excellent cab details. |  | | Rear view with Bucyrus Erie name on the counterweight. |  | | Overall view. |  | | The Cranes Etc team use the hoe to dig through the table. |  | | Old and new - the 22B loads a Peterbilt East Dump Truck. |
| This is the second model in the EMD programme to develop historic machines from the Bucyrus Company. The first was the shovel version. The Bucyrus company has a long history of making construction machines of various sizes and these were made in the US under the Bucyrus Erie name, in the UK as Ruston Bucyrus and in Japan as Komatsu Bucyrus. This model of the 22B is the Bucyrus Erie version.
Packaging
The box has an old photo of the 22RB Hoe on the cover and it encloses expanded polystyrene trays which hold the model. The model is protected by plastic sheeting and the tracks have a tight wrapping all of which protected it well. There were no defects or missing parts on the review model.
Two leaflets are supplied. One is a small eight page reprint of an original Bucyrus Erie brochure and it includes some old photos of the 22B, although there are no technical specifications. A second single page leaflet describes the operation of the model, but it does not mention the attachment of the separate walkways which simply clip on to each side of the body.
Detail
The 22B Hoe is a small model packed with detail and it needs to be handled with some care as it is a little delicate.
Details on the body are the same as the Shovel version. The metal crawler tracks are very thin and nicely made, and although they do not precisely replicate the design of the original (according to the brochure photos at least) they look very good. The track frames are detailed with excellent spoked drive sprockets, with the only slight blemish being a small silver spring clip which contrasts with the green colour of the rest of the tracks. On the inside of the track frames a set of drive chains are modelled and these look good although they are inevitably a little large for the scale. Underneath the turntable platform the fuel tank is replicated, and the detail is very good around the turntable with rollers reproduced.
The body is very high quality modelling with thin but delicate grab rails at the cab and at the rear. Plastic walkway boards with a timber texture clip to each side of the body. The casting of the body has some fine rivet details and effective grilles, with an exhaust on the roof. At the back, the Bucyrus Erie name is superbly rendered in the counterweight.
Internal details are excellent. The cab has operating levers and a none too comfy looking pedestal seat. Through the various opening doors a detailed diesel engine can be seen.
The boom and hoe are metal and are very well made. The hoe does seem quite large compared to the rest of the machine but it has good detailing with nice teeth and fine casting details on the sides of the hoe. The boom is one piece and has metal pulleys, but these are not spoked like the original. Although some large headed rivets have been used they are darkened so do not look spoil the look of the model. The tying-off points of the ropes on the boom are a little large for the scale which is a modelling compromise.
Features
The crawler tracks rotate well, including the drive chains, and are spring loaded on the frames to facilitate removal.
The cab door slides open, as does a rear door, and on the opposite side two hinged doors open to provide access to the controls for the boom and hoe and this technique avoids having holes in the side of the body.
All the main functions of the machine are replicated. It rotates well, and, using a supplied key, the boom can be raised and lowered as can the hoe. There is an internal ratchet mechanism which clicks when the key is turned and this ensures that any pose can be held.
Quality
The finish of the model is very good with the Bucyrus colour scheme faithfully reproduced. The level of detail is very high and there is a very sparing use of plastic, which is really just limited to the running boards on each side.
Price
The model is good value due to its high quality manufacture.
Overall
EMD have replicated the success of the first model in the series by producing this variant and it is easy to recommend it to anyone wanting a hoe version of this historic machine.
Footnotes
The model first appeared in January 2009 in a run of 2000 models. A version reflecting the European market, the 22RB, appeared in a run of 500 models.
|
| |
|  | | The model inside the box. |  | | The parts taken out of the box. |  | | The detail of the hoe. Painted rivets make the model look better. |  | | Profile view. |  | | Opening doors provide access to the winches. |
|
