 | | Sharp looking picture box. |  |  | | Mercedes cab. |  | | The model is well finished. |  | | Rear view with the lid covering the hopper. |  | | Raising the boom. |  | | Discharging the concrete. A set of controls are modelled on the deck. |  | | Boom construction with pipes. |
| Waitzinger was founded in 1990 by Franz Waitzinger and is based in Neu-Ulm in Germany. The company specialises in concrete pumping equipment and produces nearly 200 machines a year.
This is a model of the THP 140H/ 42 R4 XXT truck mounted pump which is carried on a Mercedes chassis. The maximum concrete output is 140m³ per hour and it has a horizontal reach of 38m and a vertical reach of 42m.
Packaging
The pump comes in a box which has a photo of the model on the outside, and there is some technical information provided about the real machine. Inside, the model is contained within a typical set of expanded polystyrene trays which delivered the review model without defects or any missing parts.
No instructions are provided with the model and there is no assembly to do other than to set the pump up as desired. A bag of small metal pins is supplied for use on the hydraulic cylinders to hold a pose if necessary.
Detail
Beginning underneath, the chassis has some good detail with a fuel tank, other cylinders, and prop shafts and differentials all visible. The wheel hubs and tyres are very good with a nice tread pattern on the tyres.
The cab is a Mercedes Actros and it has fixed door mirrors rather than the more typical collector-applied ones. On the front there is German number plate which amusingly says 'NU W42', and the headlights have excellent lenses. The cab doors have handles modelled although there is no 'glass' in the two doors and it would have been better if they had glass. A visor completes the roof together with a good looking orange beacon light. Interior cab detail is very plain.
Behind the cab there is an exhaust stack and further back the mud guards to the front axles are metal and are very good. The front outriggers are metal as are the nice little pads, and these are present on the larger rear outriggers too which also have a nice diamond plate decoration with the Waitzinger logo and model number. Between the front and rear axles there are very good metal structures on either side of the model with tanks and cylinders modelled behind.
Under the boom the main concrete pump pistons are well modelled. At the rear the vehicle deck has very good anti-slip surfacing with a set of steps leading up to it, and on the right side there is a very authentic looking set of control levers for the boom and pump. The hopper at the back is nicely modelled with a grille and lid and painted light clusters, and another orange beacon light completes the detail.
The boom structure is all metal with the pipe work modelled in plastic which generally looks quite good, but not as convincing as if it were made of metal. Within the castings of the boom sections various hydraulic lines are reproduced. A piece of discharge hosing completes the boom.
Features
The front two axles steer as a pair and a reasonable lock can be obtained which means that the model can be posed realistically.
Both sets of outrigger beams can be opened out away from the body of the truck and the pads lowered and they are strong enough to hold the whole truck off the ground. The front beams are telescopic and are interesting in the way they fold out and open up.
The boom is articulated into four sections and can be opened up and rotated. On the review model the cylinders were stiff enough to hold the boom in any pose set without bleeding down although pins are also provided to hold a piston extension if required.
Within the truck deck there is an opening hatch which provides access to the main pistons of the concrete pump. The feed hopper at the back of the truck has an opening lid. However it is not hinged - it is actually a separate part which can be fitted in an open or closed position.
Quality
The paintwork and graphics are of a high quality, as is the overall finish of the model. Very little plastic is used and the model has a good solid feel.
Price
The model is good value and compares well with other concrete pump models.
Overall
It is always good to see a new model commissioned by a different original equipment manufacturer and this is a welcome alternative to the concrete pump models offered by Putzmeister and Schwing. NZG have produced a good quality model with good functionality. Many different poses are possible with the Waitzinger and it is easy to rate it as a recommended model for collectors.
Footnotes
The model was first announced in 2007.
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|  | | The model inside the box. The only other parts are some pins which can be used to hold an extension on the boom cylinders. |  | | Underside view showing the detail. |  | | Close up of cab and wheels. |  | | Setting up for the pour. |  | | The boom extended waiting for the first concrete. |  | | The outriggers can lift the truck off the ground. |  | | The concrete pour in progress. |  | | Concrete being fed to the pump by a Liebherr HTM 704. |
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