 | | The Nooteboom box. |  |  | | The parts out of the box. |  | | Profile view of the DAF. |  | | Excellent detail at the rear. |  | | The interdolly is a precision piece. |  | | The gooseneck has a very nicely represented control panel. |  | | The timber patterned deck looks great, complete with screw holes. Here the side outriggers are folded out and timbers laid to extend the width of the deck. |  | | The interdolly is excellent with its adjustable Pendel axles shown here out of service. The trailer and interdolly remains perfectly straight. |  | | With a suitable load, great combinations can be posed. Here a Liebherr LRB255 piling rig is carried. |  | | The interdolly can be removed and here the trailer carries a Case CX800 Excavator. |
| The Nooteboom Group is an active sponsor of models of its trailers and this model is another resulting from its partnership with the Dutch maker WSI Models.
This low loader is designated the Euro-99-24. In this nomenclature the 99 represents the gross vehicle weight of the trailer in tonnes (at 80km/h) and the 24 means that there are two axles on the interdolly and four at the rear of the trailer. It is typically used for transporting heavy plant and equipment and this can weigh up to 72 tonnes at 80km/h, or just over 100 tonnes if the speed is restricted to 20km/h.
Packaging
It comes in a smart red Nooteboom style box that has some information about the model's features on the side. Inside, the model is contained within an expanded polystyrene tray and held in place with a clear plastic former. There were no defects or missing parts on the review model.
No instructions are included, and a simple instruction sheet would probably help the new collector. A very small amount of assembly is required to join the parts of the model together and this takes just a few minutes. Some information about the real truck and trailer would also have been a worthwhile addition.
Detail
The tractor unit is a DAF 8x4 105SSC unit which looks very crisp indeed. Underneath, the chassis is very detailed with all the main transmission and suspension parts modelled, and there has been some rearrangement of the layout from an earlier version of the tractor (reviewed here), with the fuel tank relocated to the opposite side. The tyres have different treads on the front and rear axle pairs with the front ones slightly wider, and are mounted on detailed hubs which are new compared to the earlier model.
At the front, the cab looks great with fine light details, and there is some reworking of the fender. It also features a high cab roof. All the usual details are present - windscreen wipers, mirrors and orange beacon lights, and the quality of the applied graphics stands out.
Behind the cab, there is a set of coiled lines to plug into the trailer and it is best to open out the ends of each line to produce a straight piece that will fit the holes in the trailer gooseneck. Diamond plated surfacing extends back to the fifth wheel, and plastic mud guards cover the rear three axles, with enhanced graphics applied at the back. Although some plastic is used on the tractor it is really hard to tell by just looking at the model so overall it looks very good.
Moving on to the gooseneck, it has been remodelled to allow connection to the interdolly and a spacer piece is provided for use if connecting directly to the trailer. There is a very nice remodelled control console with two steering boxes and the correct control panel for the interdolly, with more high quality graphics and yellow reflective stripes. On the underside, there is cabling running to the hydraulic rams, and at the rear a set of hydraulic lines are ready to plug into the interdolly or trailer.
The top of the gooseneck features a toolbox and spare wheel, and the aluminium side boards are well modelled. A choice of width marker plates clips into the gooseneck structure. At the front of the gooseneck the Nooteboom name is superbly presented on both leading edges.
The interdolly is a completely new part and very high quality it is too. It has a textured surface, hydraulic lines for attachment to the trailer, and excellent tiny graphics to the edges together with yellow reflective stripes. Underneath, the engineering of the Pendel axles is excellent with finely crafted mechanical linkages.
The trailer has a really good surface on the flat bed with plastic timber decking which is very detailed with the screw pattern visible. The yellow reflective stripe continues along the edges and the applied graphics are better than the earlier version of the trailer. More width marker plates clip into the side of the bed just in front of the first axle. Tiny plastic outriggers for supporting timber edge extensions are modelled. It would have been nice if some points to fix tying-down chains or straps had been possible.
Features
The DAF tractor has linked steering on the front two axles and this works well although the lock is very limited so the ability to pose it turning is rather compromised. The cab tilts forward fully to reveal the detailed engine. Coiled lines can be extended and slotted into receiving holes in the gooseneck.
The gooseneck has working hydraulic cylinders which are stiff enough to hold any pose. A separate spacer piece is provided which allows the gooseneck to correctly attach to the trailer directly instead of the interdolly, and this adds to the flexibility of the model.
The interdolly has excellent linked steering which has a good range of movement. Each Pendel axle also has significant vertical movement so it is possible to pose the model with either one or both axles retracted from service and this looks really neat.
On the trailer the rear steering is really good, being proportional, and therefore looks realistic. The axles also have working suspension driven by tiny springs. It also disconnects from the gooseneck or interdolly as applicable, so authentic looking trailer loading poses are possible. The trailer features an extendible deck, so long loads can be carried. The construction of the model is strong enough that it will support a heavy model as a load without sagging and this gives great display flexibility.
Quality
This is a high quality model with excellent paintwork and graphics. Plastic, where used, is without detriment to the quality feel, and the engineering of the interdolly is very good indeed.
Price
The model is very good value.
Overall
This model improves upon some of the components of earlier models to produce a very nice more detailed version, and the brand new interdolly is excellent. The overall presentation of the model is really good in terms of the paintwork and graphics.
There are enough features on the model to provide plenty of flexibility in how it is posed so it will look very good on display. It is easy to recommend this model highly.
Footnotes
The model first appeared at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in February 2009, and was released to the market shortly afterwards.
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|  | | Inside the box. |  | | The DAF 8x4 105SSC tractor unit. |  | | Underneath, the chassis is very detailed. |  | | Smoothly tilting cab. |  | | Beautifully modelled axle gear, all in metal. |  | | Underside of the trailer. |  | | The tractor and interdolly with the trailer disconnected. |  | | With the deck extended the trailer can carry a very long load. It does not sag either. |  | | The quality of the graphics is first rate. |
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