 |
| Liebherr branded
box. |
 |
 |
| Folded with the
tracks retracted in. The auger is not removable
from the kelly bar, but the
leader sledge can be removed from the leader. |
 |
| Crisp detailing
around the cab. |
 |
| Track frames
have rollers. |
 |
| Textured panels
on the body roof. |
 |
| All winches
have rope although only the bottom two can be operated. |
 |
| Plenty of
hydraulic lines. |
 |
| Driving the
casing. |
 |
| Leader is
finely detailed. Auxiliary winch hook is too light
to apply much tension on the rope. |
 |
| With suitable
models a mini diorama is possible. The
Liebherr HS 855,
DAF
CF 85 and Liebherr R313 assist. |
 |
| Loading onto a
Goldhofer low loader. |
 |
| Easy does it. |
|
The Liebherr LB28 is a rotary drilling
rig. It can drill to a maximum depth of 70m and can
handle pile diameters up to 2.5m.
This version of the model is in the colours of
Soletanche Bachy, the foundation engineering company
within the
VINCI Group.
Packaging
The model comes in a large Liebherr-style box and it is
packed well within two expanded polystyrene trays and
the main parts are wrapped in soft
paper. No information is included about the real machine
or Soletanche Bachy.
A large clear instruction leaflet is provided which is in
English and German. It is straightforward to assemble
the model and it is only a little strange that the instructions
do not describe the working of the winches, although most
people will work this out easily. Two keys are provided
to operate the winches.
Detail
The metal tracks are delicately detailed, and it is good
that NZG have included some spare track links in the box.
They are mounted on very good track frames which have numerous
small rollers.
The body has a high standard of detail. The cab has
a plastic grab
rail and it is adorned with a mirror, lights and aerial.
Inside there are controls and a computer console.
Around the body the casting includes small details such
as door panels, and the roof has an exhaust and textured
walking surface. The Soletanche Bachy colour
scheme looks very crisp and it is a striking livery.
The structural support to the leader is very good with
the friction rivet being barely visible. Some of
the hydraulic lines are modelled in the casting and
painted silver to highlight them and this looks really
good. The leader is an all metal part and the structure
is authentically represented, including various
perforations. A particularly well detailed area is the
winches, and a mass of hydraulic lines run to them from
the body, and the protective truss looks great.
Hydraulic lines run the length of the leader to the
top. At the top there is an auxiliary winch with hook,
although the hook is small and light so it is not able
to keep the winch line tight. The rope crowd system is
reeved in the factory and adds to the overall realism of
the model and the crowd rope tensioning cylinder is
modelled too. The black pulleys used are metal.
The leader sledge has more hydraulic lines and the rotary
drive mounts onto it. This is another excellent part
with the shock absorber springs represented in the casting
details, and the casing driver looks authentic. The
kelly bar is metal and has a first class metal auger attached
at the end. The kelly bar is not telescopic, and it
is a pity that the auger is not removable such that alternative
tools could be fitted.
A plastic textured base is included and the model poses
well on it. Also included is a short piece of metal
casing and a plastic adaptor to join it to the casing
driver.
Features
The tracks were a little stiff on the review model and
did not roll willingly., The track frames are
spring loaded for easy removal of the tracks. They
also retractable so the model can be posed in either transport
or working configuration.
The leader can be posed in transport position, and the leader
top can be folded down to lower the overall transport height.
It would have been even better if the model had a foldable
bottom leader section and a removable counterweight.
When raised, the leader mechanism is flexible enough to
enable it to be angled as desired.
The model is quite large and stands nearly 500mm tall when
the leader is erected.
Two working winches enable the kelly bar and auxiliary hook
to be lowered and raised. The rope crowd is not functional
however, although the leader sledge can be positioned manually
and screws tightened to hold it in place.
Quality
This is a high quality model with very good paintwork and
graphics. Much of it is metal, and where plastic is
used it is very good quality so the look of the model is
not impaired.
Price
This version of the LB28 is good value for money given
the limited edition nature of the colour scheme.
Overall
This is a complex model which is made well by NZG.
It poses well and is excellent as a transport load or in
a diorama with other models, and the Soletanche Bachy
colour scheme is particularly good. It is highly recommended.
Footnotes
The model first appeared in
Liebherr colours in
2010. This version first appeared in late 2011 and was made in a
limited run of 300 models.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Profile view. |
 |
| Distinctive
colour scheme. |
 |
| Top of the
leader has metal pulleys. |
 |
| Close up of
some of the complexity.
|
 |
| Very smart
graphics. |
 |
| Strong support
for the leader and auger drive. |
 |
| Excellent
auger. |
 |
| Mass of
hydraulic lines. |
 |
| The casing
driver and casing are interlocked with a plastic spacer. |
 |
| A couple of
Eurovia figures come to have a look. |
 |
| Off to the next
worksite. The top of the leader is folded over. |
|
