Terex AC100/4 Mobile Crane
The Wiesbauer company started back in 1948 by transporting various items and by 1958, the company realised that the transport of large and heavy goods required the need for loading and unloading so a crane was purchased. Today, the company has a large fleet of heavy transport trucks and trailers along with truck cranes from 30 to 700 ton and crawler cranes from 126 to 600 ton. The Wiesbauer company have already commissioned a number of scale models, the latest of which, the 1:50th scale Terex AC100-4 from Conrad is presented here.
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The counterweight segments are all separate and consist of three main sections which fit onto the counterweight holder with two additional outer weights which slide into place on the ends of the upper weight as required. |
The counterweights are held in place with two moulded plastic pins with screw thread ends which engage with the threads on the counterweight tray. |
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The low mounted front cab has plastic worklight lenses, roof mounted beacons and a reproduced interior complete with seats, steering wheel and dashboard. Windscreen wiper detailing has been painted onto the front window and rear view mirrors, supplied in the box, need fitting into the holes in the cab frame.
The upper deck has more diamond plate panels with safety railings and rear mounted warning beacons above the counterweights. The cab has large glazed windows revealing the detailed interior with joystick controls and display console all present. The tilting mechanism allowing about 20 degrees of movement on the cab and it is stiff enough to hold the position chosen.
The four point outriggers feature two stage extending plastic arms with screw thread pads which can be lowered to provide a stable base when the crane boom is fully extended. The four axles have working steering with the front and rear pair linked to allow different steering modes to be simulated. The rubber tyres have an authentic moulded tread pattern with highly detailed plastic wheel hubs.
One little problem with the review model is the missing paint on the second stage outriggers. They are a little tight to extract and it looks like the paint has been stripped off the ridges.
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The three jib mounting brackets are supplied seperately in the box and need fixing to the side of the main boom. The two section lattice jib can then be stored on the side of the boom for transport.
The main boom consists of five sections which extend smoothly and lock into place when fully extended. |
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The boom head has two metal pins which have holes in them to connect the jib. There are several mounting options available including two angled settings which utilise the top mounted fold-over arms which fasten in place using the supplied plastic pins. |
Both sides of the upper structure have printed details including phone numbers of the different Wiesbauer depots and the companies website.
The paint finish is very good, as expected from Conrad with silver painted diamond plate decking, red chassis and yellow cab, upper body and boom. The model is securely packed in a two section polystyrene carton with printed outer cardboard sleeve and is another welcomed member of the Wiesbauer fleet.
