 | | The very long Nooteboom box. |  |  | | The parts out of the box. |  | | Very nice wheel hubs. |  | | Tilting cab and engine. |  | | Travelling empty. |  | | Underneath the trailer structure is faithfully reproduced, and the omega profile beams in the deck are represented beautifully. |  | | The telescopic beam is very finely scaled. |  | | The blade loaded on a pallet at the front. A strap is used rather than chains as on the real trailer. |  | | Loading position of the middle pallets. |  | | The trailer carries an alternative load - long steel beams. |  | | The blade makes a good crane load too. Here it is lifted by a Liebherr LTM 11200-9.1. |
| The Nooteboom Telestep trailer is mainly used in the wind turbine industry to carry the windmill blades or the narrower top sections of windmill towers. It is also used for carrying long steelwork sections or other loads which need to be moved in one piece rather than fabricated on site.
The Telestep can be obtained in 3, 4, 5 and 6-axle versions. The kingpin load is either 18 or more commonly 25 tonnes, and the axle load is 10 tonnes at 80 km/h.
The trailer modelled here is the 4-axle OVB-65-04 V(ZT) which is extendible to 48m as is common for windmill work, and to support the construction of 2-3 Megawatt windmills. As windmills become larger to achieve greater generating efficiency, the component parts will become bigger demanding longer haulage and bigger cranes. A 55m Telestep trailer has been developed, and no doubt large ones will follow.
Packaging
The model comes in a very long Nooteboom branded box which is of presentation quality. Inside, the model is contained within foam rubber. There were no defects or missing parts on the review model.
There is no information about the real trailer, or an instruction sheet about the model. Adding the separate pieces is easy and the only thing missing is how the blade should be correctly loaded.
Detail
The tractor is a Mercedes 6x4 unit and is one of a whole range of Mercedes tractors modelled by WSI. The detailing underneath is very good with all the main transmission and suspension components modelled, and there is an authentic looking gearbox. The wheel hubs are typically very good, and the front and rear tyres have differing tread patterns.
The front of the cab has some very nice detailing with a radiator visible behind the bodywork, and the lights, number plate and windscreen wipers are all very good. A beacon light bar adorns the roof. The cab doors have really good mirrors and the bottom of each door has 'Mercedes Benz' embossed within the casting which is a great detail. Behind the cab there are some finely made grab rails and a set of air lines for connection to a trailer. Plastic wheel arches include mud flaps at the rear which have Nooteboom details imprinted. There are also adaptors for attaching a bolt-on axle at the back. The unique reference number for the tractor is T-007.
The trailer sets a new standard for detail and construction. The real deck is made up of hardwood timbers within omega profile beams and the model replicates this really well on the top surface with the timbers also including screw positions. Turn the model over and the underside of the deck copies the omega profile perfectly which is an excellent detail. Staying underneath, the structure is modelled very well, with the support for equipment boxes and spare wheel storage made of plastic. The axles are very detailed, including the suspension, and there is hosing running to each wheel and the telescopic main member. The first axle also has the lift cylinder to make it a lift axle, although it is non-functioning on the model.
At the front there are a couple of landing legs, a blue tipped winding handle, and a control box with cables coming out. An accurately coloured yellow stripe runs along the deck edges and the unique reference number for the trailer is written just behind the headboard and for this model is OPL-005. The headboard is a metal casting and includes a connection box for lines from the tractor. At the rear there are wheel chocks stowed under the trailer, and there are good quality lights.
The telescopic main member is another modelling first. It is metal, but not diecast as this material cannot achieve realistic thin sections. To achieve the thinness on the model the beams are actually made of aluminium. The resulting beam sections are both strong and realistic, and they replicate the structure of the real beam with the vertical sides stepped in from the top and bottom flanges. They also have very high quality painting and graphics applied.
A separate pack of metal deck stakes are provided and these plug into holes in the deck edge.
The windmill blade is a model of a 45m Vestas blade and is a large single piece in resin, and it is the modelling decision to authentically reproduce a blade without a joint which leads to the model box having to be so large. The blade is surprisingly heavy too. It has a textured end to represent a temporary covering prior to being erected. To transport the real blade wooden pallets are used, and very good plastic versions are included with the model. These are made up of separate interlocking layers so they can be used for other loads too. Also included are some foam pads to model protection to the blade from the pallets. Elastic straps are used to secure the load, and these work fine.
Features
As seemingly with all WSI tractors the front axle steers but the range of movement is very limited which affects the ability to pose the model flexibly. The cab tilts well to reveal the engine but its centre of gravity is such that it does not stay tilted and naturally wants to close up. The fifth wheel is adjustable, and has a significant range of movement.
The trailer functionality is excellent. The telescopic beam is a joy to use as it extends so smoothly, and the overall length of the tractor and trailer reaches over 90cm (3ft). It also includes a moving transverse beam on the front section of the telescope.
The four axles have working suspension and they are all connected together and steer to achieve a good angle. Underneath the trailer, the landing legs can be screwed down to provide support when disconnected from the tractor.
Other configuration options are provided by fitting or omitting the deck stakes. The windmill blade can also be used as a crane load which increases the display options for the model.
Quality
WSI have a produced a very high quality model which has high detail and excellent engineering in terms of the trailer.
The castings on the tractor are very good too, and any plastic used is high quality and does not lessen the look of the model. The paintwork and graphics are also top notch.
The blade is made of resin and is a robust piece.
Price
This model is very good value.
Overall
The Telestep is one of those models that represents a real advancement in mass produced 1:50 scale models. The detailing of the trailer deck is fantastic, and the telescopic beam formed in aluminium is a unique first.
It is also the sort of model that impresses even if you do not notice these details. The overall length of the model and blade make for an exceptional haulage vehicle. It is an outstanding model.
Footnotes
The model first appeared at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in 2010 and was made in an initial run of 500 models.
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|  | | High quality packaging. |  | | The Mercedes Actros Megaspace tractor. |  | | The fifth wheel has an adjustable position, and there are adaptors for fitting an additional axle. |  | | Very good detail underneath. |  | | Excellent detailing of the trailer deck. |  | | Detailed axles. |  | | Loaded with the blade, which is offset from the centre of the trailer at the rear end. Trailer axles shown steering. |  | | Loading position of the rearmost set of pallets. |  | | The overhang of the blade should be opposite the driver's side. |  | | Transverse sliding beam on the front section of the telescopic beam. |
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