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Northwest 25-D Shovel

Maker:  SpecCast
Model No:  012
Scale:  1:50
Review Date:  February 2010


SpecCast Index
Historic Equipment Index


Cranes Etc Model Rating
Packaging   (max 10)8
Detail   (max 30)22
Features   (max 20)14
Quality   (max 25)20
Price   (max 15)13
Overall   (max 100)77%

Footnotes


The Northwest 25-D Shovel shown with the sliding door partly open.
The box.
The shovel is a nice casting.
Metal tracks with drive chain.
Inside the house there is a non-slip floor.
Ready to travel to the next site.
This is a model of a historic machine from the Northwest Engineering Company, the Northwest 25-D Shovel.  It was first sold in 1958 and had four different engine variants.  The machine had a long production life and it was sold right through to 1974. 

The Northwest Engineering Company was bought in 1983 and became part of Terex.

Packaging

The model is packed in a windowed box, with the model securely held between two plastic formers and there were no defects or missing parts on the review model.  The box has some information about the history of the real machine which is good, and a few specification details would have been even nicer.

There is no assembly required, and the only other part supplied is a key for operating the two winches.

Detail

The first impressions are that this is a solid little model and that is because of its all metal construction.

The tracks are metal and are mounted on detailed track frames.  Also modelled is the chain drive, and although it is non-functioning it looks good. 

The body is cast very well and has a very pleasant grille pattern on one side.  At the rear, the counterweight has chevron markings and a completely legible 'Northwest' sign.  There is also some very fine rivets detailed within the casting.  The roof also has exhaust and other details cast in.  On one side there is a hole in the side of the body for the key that operates a winch, and this detracts from the appearance of the model a little.

The operator's cab is very well modelled with a metal grab rail on the outside and the controls and operator's seat are reproduced internally.  Only a black screw head inside the cab looks off.

There is an equaliser situated above the external winch drums and it is nicely made but is fixed in position and so does not angle to suit movements of the boom head.  Inside the engine compartment the floor has a black anti slip surface, and an engine block can also be seen.

The boom and stick are metal and well made with two large pulleys at the top of the boom which are plastic, but look good nonetheless.  The rivet connection at the bottom of the boom is silver and a little large so it is quite visible.  At the end of the stick, the shovel is a very nice detailed metal casting.

Features

The tracks roll very well and the body rotates smoothly.

Two opening doors provide interesting posing possibilities.  The operator's cab door slides open, and on the opposite side there is a hinged door which provides access to the boom winch.  The boom winch is spring loaded to provide an effective braking mechanism and it gives a range of boom movement although it cannot be lowered horizontally.  The other winch operates the raising and lowering of the stick. 

The bucket flap is non-functioning.

Quality

The quality of this model feels very good due to its high metal content, and the paintwork and graphics add to the feeling also.  Casting is also of a high standard with good detailing.

Price

A particularly good point about the model is its very reasonable level of pricing.

Overall

Collectors will be pleased with this model as it is a good balance of detail, functionality and price.  Some improvements in the detailing would make it an outstanding model, but as it is it is easy to highly recommend it.

Footnotes

The model was announced in 2009.

 
The 25-D ready to dig.
Very good detail inside the cab.
Large pulleys are plastic.
A good looking model.
Loading the 25-D onto a LaCrosse lowboy trailer.