 | | Caterpillar style box. |  |  | | View underneath. |  | | Detailed operator's station and controls. |  | | The screed can be raised using the cylinder. A metal auger is visible below. |  | | Loading the AP655D onto a low loader. The hopper sides and screed are closed up. |
| The Caterpillar AP655D Asphalt Paver has a paving width of 8m and weighs around 19 tonnes with the screed.
Packaging
The model comes in a Caterpillar branded box with a window, and is held between clear plastic formers and tied very securely to the cardboard base. The review model had no defects or missing parts.
The box has a little information about the real machine, and minor details about the model.
Detail
The underside of the model shows some simple structural detail. The tracks are rubber and are mounted on good looking sprockets and the track rollers are nicely spoked although they do not turn.
The hopper sides are in metal and this includes the flaps which are painted black to resemble rubber, and the feed belts are a metal casting with no moving parts. The rollers at the rear are also a solid casting. The rest of the body is fairly simple with a pair of lights facing the hopper. The operator’s area has a couple of seats and a control console which are fixed in position. The canopy and handrails are plastic elements and the quality in this area is not the highest as the beacon lights are also just painted rather than being realistic looking lights.
The screed detailing is reasonable, with again a fair amount of plastic used. A couple of short augers are modelled in front of the screed.
Features
The tracks roll well and the paver can be pushed along in a satisfying way.
The hopper sides can be folded in to force material onto the belt.
The screed can be raised and lowered and there is enough flexibility in the mechanism to display the screed at a slight tilt. Each end is also extendible to achieve the maximum paving width although the mechanism is a little stiff
Quality
There is a fair amount of plastic used on the model, and the canopy in particular does not feel robust as a result. However the colour match of the plastic parts is very good and the paintwork is reasonable.
Price
It is reasonably priced.
Overall
This tracked version of a paver looks good and would pose well in a roadworks diorama with other machines. Although it is not as detailed and functional as some models it is recommended to collectors.
Footnotes
The model first appeared at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in 2010.
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|  | | The track details look authentic. |  | | The screed is extended. |  | | The hopper sides shown open. The material belt is metal. |  | | The beacon light is painted. |  | | It is a good load on a Rogers Lowboy. |
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