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| A multi storey model. |
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| Excellent cab detail, and a loudspeaker underneath. |
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| Lots to see on the roof. |
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| The undercarriage gives the impression of tremendous power. |
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| The size of this machine is apparent. The very imposing dimensions cannot fail to impress. |
TWH 012 - Bucyrus 495HR Rope Shovel
Model Review June 2008
Details (continued)
The roof of the machine has various access hatches detailed within the casting. A detailed blue generator complete with high voltage sign sits in the middle of the roof with three giant filters behind. Handrails surround the roof area and further ladders with safety cages ascend the A-frame where the strops supporting the boom are attached. These strops perfectly mirror those on the real machine with an appropriate steel-coloured choice of thread.
On the opposite side of the body from the cab a vertical ladder provides access to further walkways and these include a large convex mirror at the front which allows the operator to see if anyone is on the walkway from his position in the cab. In fact on the model looking through the operator's cab at the mirror you can see how this works. This side of the model is where the winding keys are inserted to operate the model. One is a hole in the body and the second is skilfully designed to be accessed through the window of a doorway.
The back of the model is a massive wall of metal with the Bucyrus name cast in relief within the counterweight. A pair of floodlights and a couple of vents complete the detail in this area.
The boom is of suitably heavy box beam construction and includes stairways which lead to the top where a pair of very large pulley wheels carry the rope for raising and lowering the dipper. The tubular handle consists of a silver tube which has a pulley mechanism at one end and a complex arrangement for holding the dipper at the other end.
The dipper is a very heavy piece of modelling work as befits the 495. A pair of excellent and fully linked pulley connections hold the dipper, and heavy duty riveted connections fix the dipper to the tubular handle. The dipper on the 495HR is the 80ydł version whereas the 495HF version has the smaller 59ydł 'FastFil' version. It has very thick walls and at the cutting edge has ten teeth which are complete with rivet details. The flap at the rear has heavy structural members finely recreated.