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| Drake branded box.
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| A classic look
- the Kenworth K200. |
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| Chassis is
highly detailed detailed, tyres are moderately good. |
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| Very detailed
engine. |
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| Profile view. |
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| Very detailed
dolly. |
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| Spare wheels
and fuel tank on the dolly. |
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| The full rig in
narrow formation. |
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| Underneath the
front of the Swingwing trailer. |
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| Smooth deck.
|
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| Very detailed
control console with working levers.
|
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| Imposing heavy
haulage. |
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| Carrying a
Volvo A40D. |
|
 Comment on this model.
Drake Trailers is an Australian company which was
founded in the early 1960s. Located in Brisbane,
it manufactures trailers for heavy haulage and their range
includes mine trailers also.
The Swingwing trailer was first introduced in 1969 and
is available in load carrying capacities from 65 to 120 tonnes, and depending on the version the width can be expanded to 4.6m.
The review model is a
Kenworth K200 prime mover and a 3x8 Swingwing trailer with a 2x8
dolly all in Drake corporate colours.
Packaging
The model was delivered in a cardboard outer shipping
container enclosing a Drake branded box. Inside it is contained
within a pair of expanded polystyrene trays.
There were no missing parts or defects on the review model although
there were a couple of areas of untidy gluing.
Three brochures are supplied. One is a reprinted
brochure of the K200 range of Kenworth trucks and it has
nice photos and also technical specifications. The second includes
information and photos of the real Swingwing trailer.
The third is a double sided card which describes the features of the
dolly and trailer models. Assembly is
straightforward with the spare wheels each having a
specific position on the dolly or trailer which is
individually marked.
Detail
The Kenworth K200 prime mover is a 6x4 long distance
tractor with a sleepover cab. The chassis is very detailed
underneath with the
transmission and suspension fully modelled. The tyres have a
different tread pattern on the front and rear axles, and
the wheels are detailed with flexible mud flaps on all
axles.
The cab looks very authentic with detailed
chrome work all round, with only the aerials absent.
Under the cab is a detailed engine, with many separate
components including hoses and cables. The
interior is very good with tiny graphics on the
instrument cluster, although the steering wheel seems to
sit a little too high and straight.
Behind the cab, the exhaust muffler does not have the
Kenworth name on but it otherwise looks great as do the
fuel tanks. There are coiled lines
for connection to the trailer and excellent non-slip
walking surfaces. At the rear the lights have
plastic lenses.
The dolly has air lines running to the wheels and for
the trailer connection. The structure is authentically
represented with some small graphics which really
add detail. A plastic
auxiliary fuel tank attaches to the gooseneck and four
spare wheels also clip on. Each of these has a
chain and separate locking bolt.
The
Swingwing trailer is almost all metal with a good
structure and deck. More spare wheels clip onto
the goose neck, and like the dolly it has really nice Drake nameplates. There are air and hydraulic lines
throughout and the hydraulic pump is modelled too.
The control console is excellent with tiny graphics. The
Swingwing
mechanism uses friction rivets at the pivot points which
are nicely unobtrusive. At the rear the ramps are
very detailed and are held
vertical by thin chains.
Features
The front wheels on the Kenworth
steer, but the steering is 'notched' rather than
variable so the wheels can only be posed in one position
when pointing left or right. The range of movement is
not great.
The cab tilts forward to a good angle.
The cab doors can be
opened and inside the seats have an air ride action and
can be moved up and down.
The ‘fifth wheel’ on the Kenworth has a spring loaded lever to secure a trailer
in position. It can also be adjusted longitudinally
a small amount.
The dolly has removable spare wheel
sets and the locking
bars can also be detached to release each wheel. The kingpin can be set
in one of two positions and it has an oscillating skid
plate. There are two support legs and each can be
lowered and locked by using a removable pin.
Both sets of wheels can be slid out to widen the dolly
and the axles float and twist.
The kingpin on the trailer can be set in one of three
positions by using a screwdriver. The spare wheels
are removable with the same functionality as those on
the dolly.
Each of the wheel axles has working suspension
with a significant range of movement, and at the rear
the ramps can be lowered. There are three support legs,
two at the front and one in the centre, and they can be
lowered and pinned into position.
The levers on the control console can be moved.
The
Swingwing mechanism works well. It opens
up in a number of widths and can be pinned into
position.
Quality
This is another high quality Drake model with a high
metal content.
The paint work is very good and the graphics are excellent.
Price
It is relatively expensive for a truck model but is
reasonable value for the quality provided.
Overall
This is one of the last models produced by TWH
Collectibles prior to its demise, and it continues the
high standard of previous models. It is an outstanding example of Australian heavy haulage.
Footnotes
This model was produced in a number of different
liveries and first appeared in early 2013. |
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| The parts out
of the box. |
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| Detailed chrome
work. |
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| Steering angle
is limited. |
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| Sleeper cab
roof. |
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| Opening door. |
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|
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| Dolly
underneath. |
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| Impressive
detailing. |
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| Underneath the
rear of the Swingwing trailer. |
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| Trailer
gooseneck. |
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| Swingwing
opened up. |
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| Great looking
set-up.
|
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| Great display
with a load on. |
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