TWH 012 - Bucyrus 495HR Rope Shovel
Model Review June 2008

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The Bucyrus 495HR - the ultimate 'big iron'?

The packaging is a colossus.  This is the inner box.

Inside, the protection for the model is very good.

All the parts out of the box.  The 495HR also comes with a spare set of tracks in black, in the cardboard box.

Sometimes size is everything.

Bucyrus International has a company history dating back to 1880 and is based in Wisconsin, USA.  It makes a variety of mining equipment and the 495 Series are high performance electric mining shovels, produced in two versions.  The 495HR is a hard rock version and the 495HF is a high flotation version used where a low ground pressure is required such as in oil sands excavation.   The shovels are capable of excavating 100 tonnes of material at a time and can load large mining trucks in two or three passes. The dipper (shovel) capacities range from 27-61m³ (35-80yd³).

Both versions of the 495 have been produced as 1:50 scale versions by TWH, and are made in China. The 495HF is TWH model 011 and the 495HR, the subject of this review, is model 012.

Packaging

Even in 1:50 scale this is a huge model so it is no surprise that it is delivered in a truly colossal box. The box is black with TWH and Bucyrus markings but in fact this is only an outer container because inside separated by spacers is an inner box which is a giant picture sleeve enclosing two expanded polystyrene trays.  All this packaging works a treat though as the review model had no defects, or missing parts.  Care has to be taken removing the model from the box as there are plenty of separate pieces to the packaging and its worth marking these up as you go so that the model can be put back in the box again if required.  Also the model is secured by a large tie to the tray underneath so it does not lift out as expected.  The tie has to be unwound to remove the model from the tray.

Included with the model is a 24 page brochure.  This has a couple of pages of facts about the 495 series shovels, but most is devoted to the history of the Bucyrus company and the entire product range.  It is an interesting read.

Separate from the model two winding handles are provided together with some handrails which have to be fitted.  A simple instruction sheet would have been a useful inclusion with the model.  Also provided with the HR version is a small box with a separate pair of crawler tracks in black which can be fitted as an option to the primer coloured tracks that are fitted.

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