Grove GMK4100L Telescopic Crane
Presented here is the 1:50th scale Grove GMK4100L 4-axle mobile crane in the Wiesbauer decoration from TWH Collectibles. The front cab has a fully replicated interior including seat belts and fire extinguisher which are visible through the clear windows. The rubber window seals have been painted on all the windows along with textured trim on the panels below the doors with the door handles highlighted with paint. The front windscreen has photo-etched wipers and there is a metal loop connected to the chassis where the hook is secured during transport.
The top decking behind the cab is also highly detailed with photo etched grill, large fuel tank on one side and a cooling system on the other. There is also a chrome exhaust stack with jacket and a warning beacon fitted to the cab roof along with a flexible radio antenna. The side mounted rear view mirrors are provided in the box and need fitting to the model which is easy, although it might be a good idea to use a touch of glue to hold them in place.
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The four outriggers can be extended from the chassis and consist of single arms with metal pads that can be lowered to raise the model off its wheels and the screw thread is hidden so extending the jack legs looks very realistic as if they were hydraulic pistons. This again adds to the overall impression of realism.
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The red and white chevrons look good and tiny printed safety labels have been added, as have small white triangles on the inside of the outriggers indicating the amount of extension. |
The upper structure is a completely new casting and features great detailing throughout. The cab can be tilted to about 30 degrees and features a fully detailed interior with operator seat, joystick controls and monitors all visible through the fully glazed cab frame. Windscreen wipers have been added to the front and roof windows along with front mounted flood lights with painted lenses.
The rear of the upper structure has a very nicely defined couterweight block which consists of individual plates but it is a shame that the couterweight is not easily removable from the model as this is something that other manufacturers have added to their models. Unscrewing the two screws on the underside of the counterweight base plate will release the counterweights from the carrier. Once removed, the plates can be removed from the base holder. It is interesting that, although the upper structure is also used on the 5-axle GMK5095 model, the counterweight pieces are different, showing true attention to detail.
Two hook blocks are supplied with the model with the second used when the optional second winch assembly is installed at the rear of the upper-structure. When not fitted, a small counterweight piece can be inserted to cover the holes. Also supplied are two different safety railings which fit behind the cab. One is used for transport configuration while the other is used when the model is posed in a working configuration.
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The 7 section telescoping boom has a detailed head with a single cast, 7 shieve pulley at the front with two single shieve pulleys at the rear of the head and has smooth sliding extending boom sections.
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The two section, swing out jib can be mounted to the side of the boom using the supplied pins. The main part of the jib can be removed and the hydraulic angle adjustment allows for close work with the main load block. A nice touch is the paintwork on each telescopic boom section with the Wiesbauer name printed on each for thet little extra realism. |
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The single hydraulic cylinder that lifts the boom is much stiffer than previous Grove cranes and again has the ability to insert a pin through the boom to ensure it remains upright when all the boom sections are fully extended. The shieves are metal which is a nice addition and the model is supplied with a new hook block already connected to the model. so it can be displayed out of the box. The load block is different to the earlier Grove cranes and looks much more realistic. |
The flexible hydraulic piping fitted to the main lift cylinder greatly adds to the realism of the model, as does the detailed slewing motors, textured panel surfaces and intricate safety and warning markings. Flexible piping has also been added to the winch motors, travelling along the side of the upper frame. Even the counterweight lift jacks have tiny hoses fitted.
The underside of the model features an amazing level of detail that is not usually present on crane models from other manufacturers, particularly as is is seldom seen when the model is being displayed and yet TWH have gone the extra mile to fully recreate the chassis and drivetrain to perfection. All four axles have linked steering which allows a tighter turning radius but the linkage prevents the model being posed in crab steer mode.
Drive shafts have been added to each of the axles and connect to the transfer box mounted in the centre of the chassis. Air bottles and flexible hoses have been added to the axles and each features working suspension using small springs. Another good feature is the centrally located integrated access ladder and intricate amber painted side lights that have been added for a little extra realism.
This is another great addition to the growing Grove model range and builds on the levels of detail and realism found on the Grove 5-axle cranes. The model is supplied with a small booklet which gives details of the full sized machine with lifting specifications and dimensions along with an assembly guide explaining how to assemble the mirrors and secondary winch. The model is packed in a two piece polystyrene carton with printed cardboard box.
