Atlas 1604 ZW Road Rail Excavator
Presented here is the collector version of the 1:50th scale Atlas 1604 ZW road/rail excavator from Conrad which has been produced with a quick coupler and choice of two attachments, a tilting grading bucket and a toothed clamshell grab along with a section of track with silver rails.
The 1604ZW road rail excavator has been purposefully designed for railway construction and maintenance work, combining mobile excavator technology with know-how for rail use to deliver a productive and economical package for this demanding sector.
Atlas were the first company to put an excavator on tracks back in 1965 and their expertise and know-how keeps them at the forefront, offering the perfect solution and the latest technology, like CARSY (computer assisted rail contact pressure system). Weighing in at 22 tonne, the 1604ZW excavator is powered by a Deutz turbo-charged engine delivering 129hp and utilises innovative AWE 4 technology for sensitive proportional control of all movements.
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A detachable towing bar is located on the undercarriage along with a metal bar extending from one end of the chassis as a hanger for the clamshell grab during travel.
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The undercarriage has double style tyres fitted to the axles, complete with drive shafts to the central block with smooth working steering achieving a good degree of movement. |
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The four point outriggers have been replicated well, including the hidden hydraulic workings to accurately capture the entire range of movement of the full sized machine, demonstrating excellent levels of engineering to get the intricate mechanisms to function in 1:50th scale. The chassis is fitted with rail wheels which extend down to locate onto the ridge of the railway track and a section of track is supplied with the model to allow the collector to choose how to display it. |
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The two-section main boom and stick have a very good range of movement with a bucket cylinder and linkage modelled. The addition of a quick coupler allows easy changing between the tilting grading bucket and the toothed clamshell grab with detachable hoses working well and a reasonable range of tipping movement of the bucket linkage.
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This is the first model from Conrad to feature additional fine detailing, like the flexible hydraulic hoses fitted to the boom, stick and attachment for added realism which is certainly good to see.
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The hydraulic cylinders have fixed piping integrated into the casting which again adds to the overall appearance of the model. All the hydraulics are smooth in operation and will hold any chosen position. |
The oversized cabin has a replicated interior with both drivers and observers seating, hand controls and the steering wheel all visible within. Red painted safety railings are located on the opposite side of the body leading to the upper engine area. Plastic light housings have been added and there is a pair of self fit rear view mirrors included in the box. One additional difference to the original version is the addition of a silver air horn on the upper deck.
Other fine details on the model include small safety labels printed on the engine panels and the maximum speed logos with flush fitting windows that have highlighted window seals and anti-slip ridge printing leading up to the top of the engine compartment. The yellow (German Federal Railway colour) paint finish is excellent with the casting details showing through well with accurate and sharp printing of the Atlas markings. Both versions of the model are pictured below (Collector version on the left, Exclusive version on the right)
