Caterpillar 740B Articulated Dump Truck
Presented here is the Caterpillar 740B articulated dumptruck in 1:50th scale from Norscot. It has been modelled with a standard tip dump body and is a nice addition to the 740B EJ which has also been produced.
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.
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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 while authentically scaled, they easily bend out of shape which is a little of a shame and metal railings would have been a great improvement. The surface detailing of the castings is good, with a fine grille texture on the rear housing behind the cab and a good definition of the front grille with inset light housings which have painted lenses. |
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The articulated joint uses two hydraulic cylinders for the steering movement which is reasonable while flexible plastic hosing bundles have been added across the joint for added realism which actually looks good.
Unlike with the ejector body version, there is a little play in the joint so, as the body is raised, weight is transferred to the rear and the front bonnet droops down a little, as can be seen in the picture below.
The body can be raised to an authentic tipping height and the pair of hydraulic cylinders are reasonably tight, so will hold at any position. The underside of the chassis shows the suspension and drive-train details with some oscillation movement to simulate the suspension.
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Flexible rubber flaps have been fitted to the underside of the dump body which add to the realism.
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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. The 740B is pictured below alongside the 740B EJ making a nice pair of haulers.
