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| Standard WSI
box. |
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| The Mack
Granite look. |
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| Detailed
chassis.
|
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| Opening hood
with detailed engine. |
|
|
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| Second axle
raised out of service.
|
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| Many hoses on
the rear axles. |
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| Trailer axles.
The last line flipped up and the one next to it raised out of service.
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| Loaded with a
Cat machine. |
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| Nice heavy
hauler. |
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| Nice display
piece when loaded. |
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This is a model of the Mack Granite Day cab tractor
coupled with a four axle Rogers Lowboy Trailer.
This version is in a black colour
scheme.
Packaging
The model comes in a standard WSI-style box with the
model held within a plastic former lodged in an expanded
polystyrene tray.
The review
model had no defects or missing parts.
Included in the box are small bags of parts to fit although
there are no instructions. Assembly is
straightforward and most attachments are easy to work out. It is nice
to see that some spare door mirrors and a pointer tool are
included to help the collector.
Detail
The tractor chassis is very detailed underneath.
There are prop shafts, differentials and suspension details,
and excellent brake lines to each of the wheels. The wheels have very good metal hubs with finely treaded
tyres which have a different width to those on the rear
axles. Optional wheel arches or mud flaps can be fitted
to the rear axles, although they are a little loose
fitting.
The front of the tractor has a distinctive Mack Granite
radiator.
The cab detail is excellent. Inside, the seats and
instruments look really good and the door mirrors and
horns are metal parts. The Granite name is printed on the cab doors.
Behind the cab, there are three coiled airlines for
connection to a trailer, and sets of chains.
The trailer is very good indeed. The gooseneck
is well detailed with lines to the hydraulic cylinders and
some very small graphics. Lines run the length of
the trailer from the gooseneck to the rear axles.
The bed has a wood effect plastic surface with the structure
of the trailer in metal and having some non slip surfaces.
An excellent detail is the tying down points along the side
of the trailer which are extremely small and fine.
At the rear, the lights and mud flaps are very good.
Features
The front wheels on the tractor steer, with a moderate
range of movement. The steering
is notched rather than smooth.
The second axle can be raised out of service and there
is working suspension on axle 1.
The wheel arches to axles 2,3 and 4 are removable so the
tractor can be configured to the collector's preference,
and mud flaps are provided as an option.
The ‘fifth wheel’ on the tractor works and is operated
with a spring loaded lever to secure a trailer in
position. It also has a degree of longitudinal
movement.
The hood opens right forward and the cab doors can also
be opened.
The trailer has neatly folding loading ramps at the front,
and the width of the bed can be extended by using fold out
support brackets and one-piece extension boards on each
side. It is detachable from the gooseneck to facilitate
loading, and the gooseneck has working cylinders providing
a range of movement to the connection to the trailer.
The rear axles all have working suspension, and to save
wear on the tyres the last two axles can be raised out of
service when the trailer travels unloaded. Axle 3
clips out in the raised position and axle 4 is a 'flip'
axle which raises and rotates 180°.
Quality
The model is nearly all metal and the detail level is very
high.
The quality of the castings is very good, and
the paintwork and graphics are to a high standard.
Price
It is good value given the detail and functionality.
Overall
Although this re-release by WSI comes many years after
its first appearance, it is still a very good model that
compares well to newer models.
Footnotes
The model was released in 2009 under the Sword Models
label. This version was released in 2017 in a
variety of colours.
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|
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| The parts. |
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On the road. |
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| Metal wheels
and soft mud flaps. |
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| Chains behind
the cab. |
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| Opening door. |
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|
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| The underside
of the trailer. |
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| Detailed tiny
graphics. |
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| The flip axle
flipped. |
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