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Mammoet Coke Drum Move

Maker:  WSI
Model No:  10262
Scale:  1:50
Review Date:  June 2011


WSI Index
Special Transport Index


Cranes Etc Model Rating
Packaging   (max 10)8
Detail   (max 30)28
Features   (max 20)18
Quality   (max 25)23
Price   (max 15)11
Overall   (max 100)88%

Footnotes

Assembly Guidance


Mammoet Coke Drum Move Video
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.