1:50 Scale Model Caterpillar 7495HF Rope Shovel

Presented here is the 1:50th scale Caterpillar 7495HF (High Floatation) rope shovel from TWH Collectibles. This is a redecorated version of the original Bucyrus version of the model produced several years ago, now presented in the Caterpillar colours which I have to admit look better than the original white.

Two versions of the model have been produced, the hard rock version with narrow tracks and a large bucket and the high floatation version reviewed here with wide tracks and smaller fast fill bucket, ideally suited to the oil sands region. Both versions are limited to only 400 pieces.

The main cabin has two opening doors with twin air conditioning assemblies located behind the cab, complete with etched panels and warning labels.

The cab interior has been accurately modelled with the main operator’s seat and controls clearly visible while the large computer console is alive with an excellent graphical display.

Rear view mirrors, windscreen wipers and walkway lighting is all reproduced on the model.

Towards the rear of the cabin, cabinets and counter space is modelled complete with microwave and drink making facilities showing TWH’s excellent attention to detail. 

The upper deck is dominated with the A-frame and air filtration units with a raised upper deck area surrounded with black painted safety railings. Small platforms have been added to the A-frame with more fine safety railings and access ladders.

Floodlight housings are strategically placed around the body and can be adjusted while amber beacons and a loud speaker are also visible with safety and warning labels located near the various openings.

The lower level has plenty of detail with mesh walkways, hand rails, lights, floodlights and access ladder to the bucket door release winch platform. The other side of the model features more walkways and access to the main winch drums.

The rear winch operates the lifting mechanism and the supplied winding key is inserted into the round hole in the body side. The drum is sprung loaded and requires pressure to release the braking mechanism before the drum can be turned. The front drum is accessed through the open window and operates the movement of the dipper. This is achieved using friction so there is no braking mechanism on this drum.

The handrails go round the entire model and are a striking contrast to the yellow body. The gangway on the boom goes all the way to the top and each step has a mesh panel. Two thirds up the boom is another small platform and the gangway then continues up the centre of the boom to the large wheels at the tip.

The underside of the main body has even more detail with electrical cables, slewing motor casing and radiator grill all present with a sliding safety ladder.

The opposite side of the model also features electrical cables and slewing motor, complete with warning markings underneath the main walkways. 

 The working fold down access gangway uses a hydraulic cylinder which is stiff enough to keep the ladder in the raised position.

The HF or high floatation designation is ideal in areas where underfoot conditions are demanding, like the Canadian oil sands and the replica has an enormous set of all-metal track pads which rotate remarkably smoothly considering the weight of the model. The track frames have individual base rollers fitted and have good surface detailing including bolt heads and lifting eyes with large drive casings with various hoses and cables along with the main electricity cable feed. Nothing has been omitted from the model and the level of detail is truly amazing.

The dipper is fully functional by operating the two winches while the bucket has a working door releas mechanism which can be operated from the small winch fitted to the boom side. The bucket itself has a good level of detail including fully reproduced teeth with wear protection.  

When the announcement was made that Caterpillar had aquired Bucyrus, it was no surprise for the model to be produced in the Caterpillar dress although the castings are the same as the original version where in real life, all machines produced in the new Caterpillar colours feature updated cab designs amongst other changes, so this model is not a true reflection of the full sized machine. Having said that, one interesting observation on the packaging is that the model is described as "with rope crowd" which could indicate a hydra crowd version of the model will come in the future. Let's hope this includes the other changes to the cabin and body.

Source: MINIATURE CONSTRUCTION WORLD 

1:50 Scale Model Caterpillar 785D Mining Truck

The 1:50th scale Caterpillar 785D mining truck from Norscot is another welcomed addition to the Caterpillar model collection and was a surprise when it was announced, especially as the 797F had been announced just 2 months before.

The front of the model has a textured cooling grill and access steps rising across the front of the engine bay. The bumper has four work lights with painted lenses along with accurately scaled metal safety railings and access steps. The casting even caters for the front mud flaps which have been painted on to give a realistic look.

The large tryes have an authentic tread pattern with a slight bulge in the side walls and the inner wheel hubs have bolt head detailing cast into them. The front axle features working steering of the front wheels and there is an average amount of movement in the mechanism whilst the rear wheel drive housing has functional suspension which is another nice addition to the model.

The cab interior has been replicated with steering wheel and drivers seat visible through the clear windows.

Grab rails have been added to the cab frame and the casting has crisp door frame detailing and weight indication systems visible. 

The upper deck has several components fitted including filtration units and cylinder. The side mounted mirror is hinged and can be positioned in the folded or extended position. The large mirror fitted to the drivers side has a silver painted surface to simulate a reflective mirror and is fixed in place.

The main fuel tank has cast guages with protective surrounds just like the full sized truck. The two stage tip cylinders are connected to the chassis low down and allow for full and accurate dump body movement.

 The underside of the dump bed has simulated mud guards, made from plastic. The ribbed support structure is also visible when the bed is raised.

The dump body can be raised to a very realistic angle and this is a welcome feature on the model. This is achieved from the two stage hydraulic cylinders which have a stiff movement allowing the bed to be positioned as required without it lowering on its own. 

The two wheel cleaning bars have been fitted to the underside of the bed along with the simulated safety tie rope used during maintenance to keep the body in the raised position.

The picture below shows the size comparison between the 785D and the recently released 772 quarry truck.

Source: MINIATURE CONSTRUCTION WORLD

1:50 Scale Model Caterpillar 785D with Mega MWT30 Water Tank

The 1:50th scale Caterpillar 785D off-road truck chassis with Mega MWT30 water tank from Norscot is another welcomed addition to the Caterpillar model collection. The MWT30 water tank has been specifically designed for the Cat 785 chassis and holds 30000 gallons of water with various spray options depending on the individual requirements.

The front of the model has a textured cooling grill and access steps rising across the front of the engine bay. The bumper has four work lights with painted lenses along with accurately scaled metal safety railings and access steps. The casting even caters for the front mud flaps which have been painted on to give a realistic look.

The front safety railings on the model are made of metal and there is a hinge on one of the cross sections which allow it to swing open to access the top deck from the vertical ladder. This is a great touch and demonstrates the extra level of detail Norscot is currently adding to their models.

The cab interior has been replicated with steering wheel and drivers seat visible through the clear windows. Grab rails have been added to the cab frame and the casting has crisp door frame detailing and weight indication systems visible.

The upper deck has several components fitted including filtration units and cylinder. The side mounted mirror is hinged and can be positioned in the folded or extended position. The large mirror fitted to the drivers side has a silver painted surface to simulate a reflective mirror and is fixed in place.


The large tryes have an authentic tread pattern with a slight bulge in the side walls and the inner wheel hubs have bolt head detailing cast into them. The front axle features working steering of the front wheels and there is an average amount of movement in the mechanism whilst the rear wheel drive housing has functional suspension which is another nice addition to the model, complete with flexible flaps mounted to the underside of the tank.

The Mega water tank is mounted to the chassis in the same way as a dump body allowing it to rise up with stiff, two stage hydraulics keeping the tank in the chosen position. The upper surface of the tank has four covers with a raised walkway and access ladder on the top and plastic railings running along the outer sides. The rear frame has four silver highlighted spray nozzles with two located on the upper deck and a water cannon highlighted in red mounted to the front edge.

 One interesting change over the original mining truck version of the model are the plastic covers which box in the engine compartment from the rear. On the original castings, the engine bay is empty which looks very poor when the dump body is raised and this is even worse on the version with the Towhaul RSG-225 lowboy trailer. By boxing in the open areas of the chassis, the model is certainly enhanced although it would have been better to include a modelled engine.

Source: MINIATURE CONSTRUCTION WORLD

1:50 Scale Model Caterpillar 784C with Towhaul RGS-225

Presented here is the 1:50th scale Caterpillar 784C prime mover with Towhaul RGS-225 lowboy trailer. The first towhaul trailer was produced in 1990 and today, the trailer is in use in mines throughout the world. The unique design of the gooseneck allows connecting / disconnecting of the trailer in about 90 seconds thanks to the grab hook design, even if the ground is not level. The RGS-225 has a capacity to transport machinery up to 250 tons in weight.

The front of the model has a textured cooling grill and access steps rising across the front of the engine bay. The bumper has four work lights with painted lenses along with accurately scaled metal safety railings and access steps. The casting even caters for the front mud flaps which have been painted on to give a realistic look. The front safety railings on the model are made of metal and there is a hinge on one of the cross sections which allow it to swing open to access the top deck from the vertical ladder, as is found on the 785D mining truck.

The front of the model has a textured cooling grill and access steps rising across the front of the engine bay. The bumper has four work lights with painted lenses along with accurately scaled metal safety railings and access steps. The casting even caters for the front mud flaps which have been painted on to give a realistic look. The front safety railings on the model are made of metal and there is a hinge on one of the cross sections which allow it to swing open to access the top deck from the vertical ladder, as is found on the 785D mining truck.

The upper deck has several components fitted including filtration units and cylinder. The side mounted mirror is hinged and can be positioned in the folded or extended position. The large mirror fitted to the drivers side has a silver painted surface to simulate a reflective mirror and is fixed in place.

The cab interior has been replicated with steering wheel and drivers seat visible through the clear windows. Grab rails have been added to the cab frame, both at the front and across the rear of the cab and the casting has crisp door frame detailing.

The rear of the chassis has a frame with two stiff hydraulic cylinders which are used to raise the gooseneck during loading / unloading of the trailer and these are functional on the model and have flexible plastic hoses fitted which travel to the hydraulic distribution system mounted between the fuel / hydraulic tanks. The trucks frame has work lights with painted lenses fitted at a crossing 45 degree angle to give good coverage of the gooseneck area during poor lighting conditions to ensure a quick link up. Hydraulic hosing is also present on the gooseneck to the large lift cylinders and also to flexible piping which connects to the trailer once connected up.

 The trailer is very wide allowing a number of display possibilities including dozers, trucks, shovels and wheel loaders to be positioned on the bed surface. The length of the trailer allows for the Caterpillar 994F or Letourneau L1850 to be displayed perfectly as these two models are at the top weight limit for the trailer.

The rear of the trailer has a visible frame section with support bars and cast towing loops along with four large, flexible rubber mud guards. The panels over the rear wheels have lift up front covers along with cast steps on the central structure and rear facing brake and indicator lights are visible.

The four large wheels at the rear of the trailer have a detailed tread pattern with yellow wheel hubs which have accurately cast surface detailing.

The access ladders on each side of the trailer bed have accurately scaled black grab rails and tie down shackle detailing has been cast into the side frames of the bed

The front of the bed has a ramp with raised bars cast into the surface for added traction for loading or unloading machinery.

The main hook bar is cast into the trailer frame and this is where the gooseneck hooks connect to raise the bed off the ground

The wooden bed panels on the trailer are made from plastic with simulated wood texturing

There is an additional metal plate fitted under the ramp for added strength and the small panel cast into the side of the ramp has fine tampo printed text which is almost readable.

The 785D mining truck also looks good as a load but the trailer is not usually used for transporting haul trucks. On the real machine, the gooseneck can be used for towing stranded haul trucks but this ability is not modelled on the RGS-225 which is slightly dissapointing.

The Caterpillar 994F wheel loader is about the largest model that can be realistically transported on the RGS-225 trailer and makes a very good combination.

One dissapointing aspect on the model is that there is no engine detailing. This is not much of an issue on the 785D as the dump bed covers most of the rear chassis but on the towhaul there is nothing present to obscure the engine area and it is a shame that Norscot could not have added a moulded engine block. Having said that, the model is very large and impressive and looks great with a load on the bed and it is good to see that Norscot are looking to work with other companies to extend the range of models produced. Hopefully, Norscot will consider other trailer designs which can be used with the 784C prime mover including bottom dump trailers and water bowsers.

The packaging that the model arrives in is massive with a large amount of space around the model. This should allow the model to arrive in perfect condition but the shear size will be a headacke to model dealers who have to ship them to customers. 

 The inner packaging consists of moulded clear plastic which follows the contours of the model. Wire ties are used to secure the model to the cardboard base and the sturdy cardboard box has an open front and top window. The model is available from the towhaul online shop in a towhaul printed box or can be ordered from all Norscot model dealers in a Caterpillar printed box.

When the gooseneck is connected to the trailer, the two main hydraulic lift cylinders are not stiff enough to hold the trailer in a raised position and because of this, the gooseneck frame catches on the rear wheels of the 784C tractor. (Shown left in the lowered position)

I originally reported this as a dissapointment and yet it would appear that Norscot have provided a solution to this. In the box, there is an instruction sheet which details how to secure the trailer in the raised position.

This instruction sheet was missing from the sample model reviewed here and i would like to thank fellow collector Rick Scoville for pointing this out.

Keeping the gooseneck in the raised position is achieved by removing the plastic support piece which is fitted on the underside of the trailer between the rear wheels.

Once the gooseneck is connected and raised, this support piece clips onto the pistons (Shown on the left), keeping them extended and allowing the gooseneck frame to remain in the raised position which allows the frame to clear the rear wheels of the 784C, allowing full articulation between tractor and trailer.

Source: MINIATURE CONSTRUCTION WORLD