As befits a machine of this size, the tracks are huge with heavy metal pads that are well cast and individually attached. Track frames are suitable for heavy construction and are large castings with good details and working rollers. The drive sprockets have massive motors attached to them and these are linked to the electric stinger assembly which has a chained arm and a length of coiled cable for connection to the external power source.
The turntable has a heavy serrated rotating ring although there are no visible gears. The lower part of the body is quite streamlined, but the main structural elements are well produced. There are some modeled spotlights although they are not visible unless you look just below the model.
The body of the machine is huge, making it a dominant 1:50 scale model. At the rear, the counterweight has the feel of being made from solid chunks of metal with the cast detail and P&H lettering really standing out. Surrounding the body are several hallways and staircases, all with fine mesh floors and realistically scaled metal handrails that give a high-quality look. The doors are modeled with hinges and glazing, and there are a couple of fire extinguishers on the walkways.
There are many high quality graphics such as warning notices and they are very sharp and well defined, as are the larger graphics. Moving towards the roof, it is covered with fine gauge metal mesh walkway panels and these look great against the yellow paint. There are also three glazed roof lights and these have protective rails over them. Surrounding the model are a series of reflectors and these are completed with wiring, but more on that later.
At the rear, the Air Scrub Pro canopy is well modeled with its distinctive shape, and underneath is a grille, hoses, and an array of painted fans. The boom support structure has more excellent walkways and stairs and the main silver cable connectors on the boom look great. A good job has been done to give all the boom cables equal tension, although perhaps on the review model the boom was hanging slightly low. There are some large silver rivets on the top of the tower and these would look better painted black.
The cabin is impressive with two seats and a control console for the operator. Outside there are two finely detailed air conditioning units and there is an antenna and other equipment on the roof. The cabin roof eaves have small detailed bolt heads on the bottom and this is a nice detail even though they will almost never be seen.
The arm has a heavy box beam construction which is secured to the pivot point with a couple of large silver headed screws and again these would probably look better painted. There are stairs to the top where the two metal spoked rope wheels are located. It's nice to see that elevation eyes have been reproduced along the sides of the arm.
The twin rocker handles are metal with a heavy serrated bottom for crowding action, and attach to the hub with necessarily large silver friction rivets.
The Optima dipper is a very thick piece of metal. It has very thick walls and a heavy handle with the pulleys for the ropes. The structure is modeled really well and the details do not disappoint either with excellent serrations with the detailed fixing bolts.
The tracks are rigid but will roll if the surface is adequately rough. The idler wheel on each track frame is spring loaded, making it easy to remove the tracks.
There are two means of access. The main access staircase goes down but unfortunately due to a modeling issue it only goes halfway down and doesn't look good. There is no obvious solution to this problem, so it is best to pose the model with the stairs facing up. On the opposite side, a vertical ladder can be lowered and ascended, although it requires some fiddling to keep the ladder in the upper position.
Packaging
It is delivered in a very large box (approximately 45 x 75 x 60 cm) and that is just the beginning of the packaging, as inside is a large black box with TWH branding. Inside is a fabric-wrapped P&H box cover, and when removed there are two large expanded polystyrene trays. Lifting the lid reveals the model. There are a lot of small packages surrounding the model and most of them are designed to protect the metal handrails from damage. It's a good idea to mark all of these with their locations before removing them so that repacking the model is easy. The model simply rests on the bottom tray so it can be lifted, although as the model is so heavy you need to lift it in the right places to avoid inadvertent damage and the instruction sheet gives some useful advice on this.
Other parts included are a winding key to operate the model, a couple of batteries for the LED lighting and a small bag containing a couple of handrail sections, as for assembly, only the two handrails are left to snap into position . Although it may seem strange that the collector has to do this when everything else has already been arranged, the reason is that when lifting the model in the recommended way the boom can move a little and these two sections would be vulnerable to crushing. The handrails are loose in their holes, so they need plastic caulk or something similar to hold them in place. You can glue them, but then they can be damaged for the reasons already described.
Characteristics
The tracks are rigid but will roll if the surface is rough enough. The idler wheel of each track frame is spring-loaded, making it easy to remove the tracks. There are two means of access. The main access staircase goes down, but unfortunately due to a modeling problem it only goes halfway and doesn't look good. There is no obvious solution to this problem, so it is best to pose the model with the stairs up. On the opposite side, a vertical ladder can be lowered and raised, although it is necessary to manipulate the violin so that the ladder remains in the raised position.
The main door of the operator's cabin can be opened, as can the door to the empty cabinet behind
.
The main innovation of the model is the LED work lighting and it must be said that it works really well. The lights are bright and have some angle adjustment, and certainly add to the appearance of the model when displayed, particularly in a dark room. The operation switch is hidden under the rear of the model, making it easy to operate and unobtrusive.
The bucket hatch can be opened by turning the small winch at the base of the boom which lifts a latch. This works, but on the review model, the flap did not swing freely, so it did not open when the latch was lifted.
Quality
The build quality is very good and the paint and graphics are especially good. Hardly any plastic is used, making it a robust and very heavy model.
Price
The 4100XPC is a great 1:50 scale model and justifies its high price due to the detail and quality.
In general
It has been a long time coming, but any collector of mining models will be satisfied with the result and for many it will be a must-have model. It's also the type of model that will impress anyone who sees it, making it excellent as a display piece, especially if presented with a suitable mining truck. The addition of task lighting improves the model and has been executed very well. Although it is not flawless in its operation for a couple of features, these do not detract from its appearance and it is undoubtedly an outstanding model.
