NEXT GENERATION MINING BACKHOE

Steven Downes reviews the latest 1:50-scale Liebherr mining backhoe released from NZG, a monster that has plenty of fine detailing

Many years ago, Conrad produced a Liebherr R996, initially as a face shovel then after a few years, as a backhoe. At the time, this scale model had impressive detail, namely the ability to remove the upper engine bay covers to allow the twin engines to be lifted out. As good as the model was, several Liebherr mining excavators have been released since, including the flagship R9800 model, which have increased the realism and level of detail significantly.

The new 1:50-scale NZG replica of the R9600 has gone one step further, using a number of materials to achieve a very impressive and realistic model.

The upper deck has a myriad of components, from the fire compression system canisters and air filters to the four exhaust stacks and cooling fans. The clever use of perforated mesh panels over the hydraulic coolers does look effective. Meanwhile an array of flexible hydraulic lines along with a service platform complete with safety railings are located on the back of the boom. Fixed and flexible hydraulic lines are fitted to all the cylinders, which greatly increases the realism.

At the rear of the superstructure, a large single-piece stairway is fitted, which lowers to the ground. An emergency folding ladder is mounted to a platform below the cab, which is neatly engineered to unfold down to the ground. All the safety railings are made of metal.

The large cab has a modelled interior and exterior sun blinds covering the side windows. The undercarriage track frames are fitted with rollers and tensioned idlers that keep the tracks taut, while still allowing them to roll quite freely. Overall, the highlydetailed scale model has a significant weight to it.

So far, the R9600 has only been released as a backhoe. It will be interesting to see if a face shovel version is released by NZG in the future.

Stiff in operation, with small grub screws fitted, the boom can be locked in any working position. The arm has a good range of movement and again is stiff in operation, holding any chosen pose. The bucket captures all the details of the wear package and is painted a cream/white colour to stand out, which really enhances the looks of the bucket.