 |
| The box is very
large at nearly a metre long and weighing over 14kg.
|
 |
 |
| With the removable
tray on top of the coke drum holder, the Scheuerle units
can be accessed. |
 |
| The tractor units
ready for duty. |
 |
| Excellent chrome
work. |
 |
| Detail underneath
the Kenworth is as good as you would expect. |
 |
| The Kenworths have a 'gull-wing' hood and removable panels. |
 |
| Detail
underneath the Western Star. |
 |
| Excellent steps
around the fuel tank. |
 |
| Opening hood. |
 |
| Excellent
detail under the Scheuerle units with lines running to
the tanks.. |
 |
| The front
half. |
 |
| It towers
above. |
 |
| Heavy
construction of the coke drum. |
 |
| Kenworths look
small - but they are big. |
 |
| The decoration
of the Coke drum is convincing. |
 |
| Excellent
structure. |
 |
| Ready for the
road. |
 |
| The
bracket for joining the units
longitudinally
is a special adjacent to each drawbar. |
|
The Mammoet Coke Drum Move was a significant
engineering achievement in Canada in the winter of 2005-06
when four massive Coke Drums were transported over 300 miles
from the fabrication shop to the installation site.
Each Coke Drum weighed around 430 tonnes and they were
transported in a convoy in pairs and the entire
transport configuration was 213m long, 11.5m high and 10.3m
wide.
This model celebrates the Coke Drum Move and replicates
the vehicles and drum used.
As the real Coke Drum was huge, in 1:50 scale the model
is enormous too, with the drum about 86cm long and the
full model around 1.8m long. It includes a
Western Star 4964SX-1 Tractor as lead-off, two Kenworth
C500B tractors at the rear, and 12 Scheuerle InterCombi
Modules in Canadian road-going configuration.
Packaging
The model comes in a large outer carton measuring 93cm x
54cm x 30cm and weighs over 14kg in total. Storage of the box may be an issue for some people. Inside the outer
box is a Mammoet sleeve which encloses an unusual foam rubber
arrangement of trays. The box size is driven by the
coke drum which is a large single piece.
There was no damage or missing parts on the review model
so the packaging did a good job, but one of the drawbar
components was riveted together upside down and was
corrected by drilling the pin and re-assembling the
component correctly.
Included with the model is a double-sided sheet of
instructions which are largely graphical with some English
text. These are helpful, although a larger print size
would be better and they do not do the model justice
with not enough about the tractor
units or Scheuerle units. There are also many
other small parts supplied which are not used in the
configured model but there is no information about
how they might be used.
A DVD is also provided and thoughtfully this is in PAL and
NSTC formats. It is a short documentary about the
Coke Drum Move and has interesting footage which
certainly adds something
to the experience of the model.
A small numbered Mammoet Certificate is also included.
Assembly of the model is straightforward although there
are many parts and it takes a number of hours to set the model
up fully. Some additional assembly guidance is provided
at the end of this review.
Detail
The tractor units set a very high standard for detail.
Underneath, the drive trains are accurately modelled
together with the suspension, and the engine and
gearbox are distinct. The Western Star also has
additional hose lines running to tanks.
The tractors share the same good quality hubs and tyres
and a nice detail is the rubber mud flaps.
The chrome work on the tractors is outstanding, and the
photo etched mesh elements are very fine indeed. The
roof aerials are fine gauge wire and the lights have
plastic lenses and look authentic.
Around the tractor cabs and hoods are some very good
graphics and a great detail is that each of the
Kenworths has a different fleet number.
Aspects such as the grab rails and door mirrors are
metal, and in general there is relatively little plastic on
these models.
The cab interiors are decorated and detailed, and the
opening cab doors are superbly implemented with no
visible ‘modelling hinges’ to spoil the realistic look
of the tractors.
Under the hoods, the tractors have nicely detailed
engines.
The ballast boxes are metal with lifting eyes indicated
but not actually usable. A heavy metal ballast block is
provided although again the lifting eyes cannot be used.
The tractors each have their own drawbar supplied so the
tractors can be joined in series if desired.
Each trailer set consist of four 4-line and two 2-line
Scheuerle units. They are almost entirely metal and are
engineered very well. Underneath each unit along the spine beam is some intricate hydraulic
lines joining the tanks.
The wheels are nice and the structure of the trailers is
modelled in an authentic way. The steering
linkages are metal and diamond plated metal cover plates
provide the protection.
Decoration of the units is excellent, with each of the
twelve trailer units having a unique fleet number which
is another great detail.
A plastic generator unit and a separate control cab are
provided for each trailer set and they are both plastic
and detailed.
A variety of drawbars can be fitted to allow the tractor
units to be connected and each drawbar has two springs
which support it in a horizontal position when not
attached to a tractor.
Two large structural elements are provided to support
the coke drum and these are heavy metal components with
excellent structure and tie-downs are included to strap
the drum securely. A nice detail is that bolt
heads are painted silver.
The Coke Drum is a massive resin casting and it is
heavy. The colour looks realistic although it
would have been nice if there were some weld lines
painted. There are convincing details at the
lifting points and
good graphics add to the realism.
Features
The steering on the tractors is very good and a
realistic hard lock can be obtained. Each axle
also has working suspension.
The Kenworths have opening 'gull-wing' type hoods with
removable side panels. The Western Star's hood
tips forward to a good angle.
The cab doors open and the mechanism is
so good and the fit of the doors is so accurate that
it can be a challenge to find a gap that allows the
doors to be prised open.
Tow bars can be fitted and pinned at the front and rear
of the tractors.
The fifth wheels have longitudinal movement and a spring
loaded clip to grasp the king pin of any trailer.
The Western Star has a tilting hazard board above the
cab which makes use of tiny metal telescopic cylinders.
The 4-line trailer units have excellent proportional
steering and a draw bar can be attached which steers
with the movement of the tractor.
The trailer units have very good operating suspension on
all axle lines.
The trailer units are configured by joining the units in
a 3x2 arrangement. The end connection
method is excellent and consists of a small metal bolt
which slides into place to lock the units and the great
thing is the bolt is retained in a holder rather than
being an easily lost separate pin. The transverse
connection is achieved by small plastic clips. Also the
overall design is such that when the units are lifted
they are fairly rigid rather than flopping about.
With the many units and small parts it is possible to
configure other trailer arrangements if desired.
In addition the steering is fully configurable in that
each linkage can be unscrewed and reattached in a
different way, and spare linkages are
provided.
The Coke Drum is a static piece but with suitable
lifting strops it would be possible to pose it being
lifted by the PTC
and even tailed in with a
suitable heavy crawler crane.
Quality
This is a very high quality display of heavy haulage.
The tractor units are excellent with little plastic and
the trailer units and frame are almost completely metal.
The paintwork and graphics are very good with the unique
fleet numbers a crowning touch.
Price
This is the largest and most expensive mass produced heavy haulage
model produced to date but there is a
lot of model for the money and it is very high quality
and so represents reasonable value overall.
Overall
The Mammoet Coke Drum Move is an excellent model
and it creates a great display where the space is
available in an office or at home. It is a pricey model but it
does not feel overpriced. For anyone wanting
something special it is an outstanding model.
Footnotes
The model first appeared in June 2011 and was produced
in a run of 600 models.
Assembly
Guidance
Read in conjunction with the
additional
photos.
Tractor Units
A number of parts are supplied with the tractors.
The instructions describe fitting the lights before
installing the ballast box chains at the rear but this
only applies to the Western Star. There are no
lights to fit on the Kenworth units.
Scheuerle Units
To join the units to form a trailer set it is easiest to
make two lines of three first, and then join them along
the longitudinal edge with the clips provided.
The instructions have an error in that they imply the
same type of clip is used for all the longitudinal edge
connections. In fact adjacent to the drawbars a
special clip with a clamping bar for the drawbar
assembly is used (see photo).
The steering linkage for the drawbars is a heavier gauge
bar. It is best to attach this to the drawbar
assembly before offering it up to the Scheuerle unit.
|
|
|
|
 |
| The top of the
box has the tractors and coke drum. |
 |
| DVD, certificate
and instruction sheet. |
 |
| The Kenworth looks
very sharp, and the roof aerials are a fine detail. |
 |
| The ballast
box chained to the rear. |
 |
| Opening doors are
implemented really well. |
 |
| The Western
Star looks mean. |
 |
| The Western
Star with the hazard sign raised. |
 |
| Detailed
interior.
|
 |
 |
| The Kenworths
ready to push. |
 |
| Cab and
generator. |
 |
| Massive frame
to take the load. |
 |
| Fully
configured this is a massive model - approaching 2m in
length.
|
 |
| The Drum
securely fixed for the road trip. |
 |
| Each Scheuerle
unit has an individual fleet number. |
 |
| The Western
Star ready to lead the way. |
|
|
 |
| The
various parts for each tractor. |
 |
| Loaded and
chained ballast box. Only the Western Star has
lights to fit at the rear. |
|
