Liebherr LR1300 Lattice Boom Crawler Crane

Presented here is the 1:50th scale Liebherr LR1300 crawler crane from NZG. The basic model consists of the boom and jib sections to construct a basic lifting configuration. There is also an additional accessory set allowing the model to be built into a heavy lift crane with the addition of derrick and back mast. The accessory kit also includes an additional main and jib section.

The model is very well packaged in polystyrene trays, securely holding all the parts. The upper tray has the pre-assembled boom and jib sections with the undercarriage ballast and metal pennant lines.

The lower tray holds the main crane body, counterweights, counterweight tray and the boom head. One very welcomed sight is the pre-rigged A-frame which will avoid the collector from spending time rigging the model. A nice touch is that a shaped polystyrene insert has been used to keep the A-frame in position until the boom sections and pennant lines have been connected.

The rear counterweight tray is crisply cast with holes for the lifting mechanism to connect. The chains and lifting bars look good and once connected, they can be positioned as required, fully demontrating the lifting system on the full sized machine. Four large and three small counterweight blocks are supplied for each side of the tray with metal bars passing through the centre of them to prevent them becoming dislodged.

The undercarriage features removable track frames which is achieved by removing the four screws on the upper side of the main undercarriage frame. These are hidden once the two silver plastic walkways are installed. The frame has four swing out stabilisers with screw down pads which raise the frame off the ground allowing the crane to be authentically posed in a transport configuration.

The individually linked metal tracks have an authentic textured surface on each pad and rotate smoothly. They interlock with each other with the tension on the idler keeping the tracks taut. The lower rollers along the track frame rotate freely allowing the tracks to be turned easily once the crane is fully assembled.

The cab fitted to the model can be tilted with a hydraulic piston providing the precise adjustment, however, care needs to be taken during the adjustment as tilting the cab too much will cause the piston to fall out of the cylinder. The frame behind the cab pivots, allowing the cab to swing in front of the body during transport, once the main boom has been removed.

Silver walkways are fitted to the front and side of the cab with a fully replicated interior and photo-etched windscreen wipers fitted to the front and roof window. Twin radio antennas and forward facing work lights are also present on the roof with a metal grab rail and rear view mirror fixed to the cab frame.

One dissapointment on the model is that the boom head is permanently connected to the jib which prevents the collector from erecting the model without using the jib. While the competent modeller can drill out the rivets fixing the jib in place, it is a pity that NZG did not consider this in the first place. The boom and jib sections have been crisply cast and connect together well, with tiny nuts and bolts used to secure them together.

The metal pennant lines are a nice addition to the model and give it a very life-like appearance with most of the pennants pre-assembled and joined to make rigging the crane relatively easy. Working with the tiny nuts and bolts can be frustrating and NZG have provided two tools which allow the collector to easily connect everything together (Anyone owning the Liebherr HS855 or LTM11200 will be familiar with these tools)

As almost everything on the model is metal, the weight is substantial, especially in the boom and jib. I have noticed that the crane can become a little unstable and tipsy if the main boom is lowered too much, as the weight of the jib and boom effect the balance of the model, making it front heavy.

As mentioned at the start, an accessory set is also available allowing the model to be rigged with a derrick. The set contains one additional main and one additional jib section to increase the height and range with the back mast and wheeled counterweight carrier.

The base of the back mast has an integrated winch which operates the raising/lowered of the main boom. As with the other winches, pressure is needed to release the holding mechanism before the drum can be turned. The tip of the back mast has the pennant lines pre-assembled that eventually connect to the A-frame and wheeled ballast carrier once the extension pieces are bolted into place.

One nice addition is the mechanism by which the pennant lines connect between the ballast carrier and tip of the back mast, allowing the crane to be configured with just the back mast in place and without the carrier. This configuration may not be used in real life but it does look good on the model and reduced the amount of space required to display the model.

The four axles have simulated, non-functional suspension detailing with four wheels fitted to each axle, complete with rubber tyres that have a grooved tread pattern. Two large stabilisers are also integrated into the tray and they extend by pulling them out.

The accessory set is a nice addition to a fantastic model, and it is good to see that NZG have packaged it seperately as some collectors may prefer just to own the basic crane. The assembly instructions supplied with the accessory set detail how to diss-assemble the original crane although I suspect that most collectos that want to add the derrick may purchase both at the same time.