By Maz Woolley
Wiking releases for October introduce a few new mouldings and some upgrades to existing ones.
1:32 Scale
077857 Claas Trion 720 Montana with Convio 1080 and trolley
Trion is the name of Claas’s new generation of combine harvesters. Awarded “Farm Machine 2022”, it has become the world leader in its category of combine harvesters! The Wiking Claas Trion 720 Montana, has chassis tilt compensation in a model for the first time. The model features a Convio 1080 cutting unit on this launch model. The model features many working features and many details in the modelling.
077863 Claas Axion 950
The Claas Axion range has been a considerable success and has now been fitted with a whole range of digital technology in the cab including a driver assist system which optimises settings for the attached equipment as well as the Tractor itself. It is hoped that these advances will optimise the fuel consumption as well as improve the quality of the work.
The photograph’s show the detailed modelling with the mesh bonnet panels being particularly fine. As usual on Wiking models the model has all the attachment fittings needed to mount various items from the Wiking Range.
077862 Pöttinger front mower Novacat
The Novacat front mower engineered by Pöttinger is used to cut forage crops. This mower is designed to automatically adjust cutting height to the ground being worked and to leave cut forage cleanly cut for storage and use.
The model fits all Wiking 1:32 scale tractors.
1:87 Scale
Photograph of Taxi at Bremen Oldtimer Classics
080015 Taxi – BMW Isetta
Made between 1955 and 1956 this Taxi offered only minimal space and I can’t imagine that there were many in service. However a real life example can be seen on the internet as shown above.
It will certainly stand out on mail rail diorama builders station forecourts amongst the Mercedes-Benz and Opel cabs.
020307 Ford Escort scale 1:87
A sober colour on the Mark One Escort for those who the bright yellows, oranges and purples fashionable at the time did not impress. It is also the four door model which is less commonly modelled. Designed in Britain to replace the Ford Anglia and produced at Ford’s new Halewood plant from 1967. It was adopted by Ford of Germany three years later and was produced at Saarlouis. It’s dog bone nickname came from the shape of the front grille/lights. It remined in production until 1974.
031405 Police – Volkswagen Transporter T2 Double Cab
This ‘Doka‘ moulding is a new one adding to the myriad of other flatbed Transporters made by Wiking. Here it is finished in the livery of a Police Riot Squad vehicle. It will no doubt appear in many other liveries in the future.
022406 Renault R4 “Parisienne”
The decoration was inspired by Renault’s marketing Group wanting products with more feminine appeal. They were made available to women to test drive for 48 hours in a special sales drive. The R4 was a very popular car in it’s home market and widely sold in other continental countries as its practicality made it a popular family vehicle.
This generation was in production from 1964 until 1968
022504 Renault R4 box van “Spar”
The R4 van had a very boxy body suitable to fit in a bulky load from the suppliers. Spar was a marketing consortium which small retailers joined which gave them access to bulk buying discounts and subsidised retail signage and material. Spar shops sprang up all over Europe and their livery on vans and lorries was frequently seen on the road.
Produced from 1961 to 1967 the R4 van continued in production with modified styling after that.
022505 Renault R4 box van – ivory
A plain livery for this model. But like the Spar model the rear roof section can be opened above the rear doors. This feature was popular with builders and window cleaners as you could stick your ladders in the back of the van with any excess length sticking out of the roof – no need for a special roof rack. This is again finished as the version made from 1961 to 1967.
068904 Municipal mastic asphalt mixer (MAN)
A MAN F7 chassis fitted with a mastic asphalt mixer body ideal for construction site dioramas. This is a new fitment and the first F5/F7 vehicle in the Wiking range. Many more will follow in future!
062647 Fire brigade – Rosenbauer FLF Panther 6×6 with extending arm
Yet another Rosenbauer joins the Wiking range. The Panther 6×6 has already been seen in 1:43 scale and now appears as a 1:87 scale model. Like many newer Wiking models it now has a sprue with some of the more delicate parts for the purchaser to fit themselves.
Here it is modelled with an extendable arm carrying the foam supply closer to the blaze and extensive detailing of the roller shutters and cabin.
038915 Claas Trion 730 harvester with Convio 1080
Here again we see a model made to 1:32 scale has been reduced to 1:87 scale. Here the 1:87 model is shown which is inevitably less detailed and with fewer working parts and opening parts. But it is a good replica of the new Claas Trion and a new moulding from Wiking. Like the larger 1:32 model it is fitted with a Convio 1080 cutting unit
Well detailed and printed for its relatively small size this model would look good on any diorama showing a contemporary farm.
022805 Volvo Amazon – dark green
A classic three-box shaped car from Sweden produced from 1956 to 1970 with over 660,000 sold by the time it was withdrawn. This existing moulding, seen previously in light blue for example, has been finished with a fine grille and printed badging. Engraved and silver printed door handles, rubbing strips and even reflectors all add to the quality of the model. Inside the model has a separately inserted steering wheel, a dashboard and an easily recognizable reproduction of the ribbon speedometer. Front and back seats are also separate inserts,
010204 Land Rover Defender 110 scale 1:87
Already seen in a variety of colours and finishes we have the Defender here with the addition of a double layer roof to reduce cabin heat in hot climates and a snorkel exhaust to make sure that fording water doesn’t stop it in its tracks.
This model is of the final generation of the Defender and features finely detailed and printed door handles, grilles and light surrounds. Again small parts like mirrors are supplied on a sprue to self fit.
088010 Lanz Bulldog with roof- yellow
Produced in several versions over time this is the first appearance in yellow and with a roof fitted. It appeared in the first classic series release from Wiking in 1973 and has been seen in several colours since. A German classic tractor which was in production from 1936 to 1954 and stayed in use for many years after production ended.
038819 Krampe Halfpipe tipper trailer black
Krampe tipping trailers are used in agriculture, civil engineering and lansdscaping. Many are owned by German municipal authorities. The HP20 modelled by Wiking features a tipping mechanism and connectors to allow it to be towed by other vehicles.
067405 Flatbed tipper (Mercedes-Benz NG) “Bölling”
Another Bölling liveried vehicle joins the Wiking range. Here a New Generation (NG) chassis from Mercedes-Benz, already seen on a flatbed tipper and the road sweeper, is the tractor unit pulling a four-axle flatbed tipper.
The model is well finished with good printed livery and a functioning tipper body. The grille unit and lights in bumpers neatly done to capture the original NG look.
042496 Flatbed tipper (Magirus)
Another re-engineering of a vehicle that has been in the Wiking range for a long time. The bonnet is now a separate part from the rest of the cab and the gap between mouldings seems rather large on photographs, but is perhaps better seen from a normal distance? The Magirus with its characteristic engine noise was often seen on building sites in the 1950s and 1960s. Here Wiking has modelled it in two tone green and it comes with mirrors and other small items on a sprue for self-fitting. The flatbed can be turned upright and the rear panel will open for tipping.
The original vehicle was produced from 1957 to 1967.
055601 Semi-trailer box truck (Mercedes-Benz Pullmann)
Here a Mercedes-Benz tractor unit pulls an American box trailer made by Dorsay with its characteristic ribbed structure. Wiking based this on on photographs of Dorsays launch of their trailers in Europe in 1963.
This box trailer was entirely re-engineered for this issue as the moulds made for the original historic issue of this trailer had been converted to other uses. The Mercedes-Benz Pullman cab unit has also been re-made several times over the years and is used here in its latest incarnation with finely printed details and a fine grille/light unit.
055407 Stanchion trailer truck (Faun)
Hauled by a Faun tractor unit this stanchion trailer is liveried for Paul Rosenkranz who made heavy duty transporters in Witten on the Ruhr. Wiking have featured many vehicles in Rosenkranz livery over the years including a similar stanchion trailer pulled by a MAN tractor unit. The Faun F610 series provided heavy-duty tractor units capable of pulling up to 80 tonnes – even as a semi-trailer vehicle. The engine output alternated between 250, 262 and 275 hp. This distinctive normal control unit was manufactured from 1965 to 1977.
Here we see the new Faun tractor unit from Wiking in Rosenkranz colours for the first time.
1:160 Scale
096138 Fire Appliance – TLF 16 (Magirus)
Here the Magirus fire appliance from the 1:87 range has been ‘shrunk’ to the Continental N Gauge of 1:160 scale with a little simplification along the way. There has been a flatbed Magirus in Fire Service livery in 1:160 scale in the past but no appliance,
The classic ’round hood’ Magirus cab/chassis was used to build appliances between 1955 and 1961 before the hood and cab changed to the squarer generation which replaced it and which has also been made in Wiking’s 1:87 scale range.
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