Caterpillar 740B EJ Articulated Dump Truck

Presented here is the Caterpillar 740B EJ articulated dumptruck in 1:50th scale from Norscot. It has been modelled with an ejecting body and folding tailgate rather than the more standard tipping body version which is a nice change.

Detail level is high with some nice features like the silver finished steps leading up to the cabin on both sides of the chassis with safety railings and integrated rear view mirrors fitted although these are plastic and easily bend out of shape which is a little of a shame.

The cabin interior has been modelled with a grey colour allowing the curved dashboard and steering wheel to be seen. The rear cooling housing has black highlighted grills inset into the casting with a fine textured surface, topped with a plastic rear window guard.

The one main issue with the first production run of the model is the incorrect assembly of the ejector hydraulic bracket which has been mounted to the inside of the body casting rather then the outside, reducing the range of movement of the ejector plate.

This is easy to fix, first removing the three screws holding the body to the chassis before using a drill to remove the rivet head to allow the bracket to come away from the body.

The bracket can then be manipulated to fit the correct way before gluing it back into position. Once fixed, the ejector plate has the correct range of movement

The articulated joint uses two hydraulic cylinders for the steering movement which is reasonable while plastic hosing has been added across the joint for added realism which actually looks good.

The underside of the chassis shows the suspension and drive-train details with some oscillation movement to simulate the suspension. The articulating joint is a tight fit with rotational movement allowing the model to be placed on an uneven surface.

The rubber tyres have an accurate tread pattern moulded into them with plastic wheel hubs highlighting the small fixing bolt detailing. The paint finish is very good throughout with accurate placement of the Caterpillar markings and machine designation.