Mercedes-Benz Actros 3353 S with Nooteboom ballast trailer

Because I already built a red, six axle ballast trailer I had the idea to use this trailer also for a Mammoet model. After all, rebuilding a trailer doesn't takes much time and it will produce another fine model. The trailer was first behind a DAF 95XF of crane hire company De Kil of Dordrecht (NL). I showed this model several times on modelshows.
Of the former Van Seumeren company I made two models. The first one was on old type DAF 95 with a simple stepframe trailer. In '96 I started to build lots of heavy haulage models after I became enthusiastic while watching on other peoples models. The first real low loader truck was a Scania R143E of Van Elk Transport and a R113M of yacht hauler Van de Wetering. While I still had some larges wheels and tires and sufficient pieces left for a third model I started to build that DAF. I never built three scale 1:13 models at the same time. That year I also started to enjoy modelshows. The very first show I attended was the well known Modelshow Europe which was then held in Ochten (NL).

Ballast trailer In '98 I built my first ballast trailer. At the time the tractor was a MAN 41.502 (F90 range). The truck was also in the color scheme of Van Seumeren. Because I didn't had sufficient black pieces for the ballast my farther made one of wood. I built this model at the time I also had the blue Volvo FH16 with the Interdolly loaded with a CAT 375ME which was shown on the Nooteboom stand during the Europeon Road Transport Show of '98. A lot of pieces were used for the Volvo already. I was very satisfied with the result of the ballast trailer so four years later I made second one. Actros An Actros also wasn't new for me because Anders Gaasedal he gave me it idea to make real opening door. At the moment I hezitated about that because it might spoil the cab somewhat. You see the same with Tekno models from the period you could open anything. But made a try. I had to remove the lettering unfortunately. It was a pity but now I had one reason more to manage it. After several attempts I succeeded in creating opening doors. I was very satisfied with the result. You even can´t see any cracks. Now it´s possible to have a close look on the interior. Further I supplied the tractor with behind the cab, storage bins for chains, adjustable width shields, real working flashing lights etc. As regards the color scheme I think the vehicles from the Mammoet fleet are very nice especially with the the white roof. The trailer The trailer was quite easy to build. Fortunately I had a huge amount of black pieces at my disposal which were from two Darth Maul busts which I bought at that time. They were reduced in price tremendously (EUR 39,= each!). In the little container on the front houses a kitchen block and a table with chairs. It's a little canteen. The pad jacks are laying at the back and the ballast pieces he's carrying are from a quite new Liebherr LTM1250. I've seen the real trailer several times. The last time when I was building the model I had a camera with me fortunately so I was able to picture the details. I climbed on the trailer to study it so I could reach the real thing as close as possible. The tractor is nog exactly the same because I use it for other purposes also. I could give it other registration plates and fleet number but it's still a similar tractor. The loading crane seemed to be a small problem. Mammoet always place used loading cranes on their ballast trailers to carry a car which brings to operators back home after a long working day. The problem with LEGO is the pneumatic cylinders are too small. The stork isn't right and that's why they doesn't fit sometimes. After several attempts I decided to make an identical copy of the MAN's loading crane. Eventually you don't notice it. Further I supplied the trailer with all the details I've seen while studying and photographing the real trailer. So it has a storage bin for chains, beams and the hoist block. A nice detail is the spare wheel which is hided by a hatch. By opening the hatch you can take out the spare wheel. Adrie Gomes took care of the lettering. Adrie makes water transfers. If you would like more information please contact me. Than I give you Adrie's email adres. I'm very satisfied with the result. Eventually it took more time than I calculated but that's mainly caused by the fact I'm always rebuilding components unless I'm content with it. Hoist block I thought it was a good idea to show the Actros with several trailers. Of the DAF 95XF of De Kil I already showed two variants and for the Actros I did the same. Initially the 5-axle stepframe trailer was built for the Actros but because I wanted to break off the DAF I add a few changes to the trailer and made a photo session. In 2003 I built the truck. Later I modified the ballast trailer which was placed on the DAF's tifth wheel and showed the Actros together with the ballast trailer on several modelshows. When I broke off the ballast trailer I made a length transport based on the stepframe trailer. But early 2006 I picked up the hoist block again and blew off the big layer of dust. I built it in 2003 and placed it on the trailer. Between 2003 and 2006 I changed the Actros for several times. No the doors can be opened and I also changed the lettering. Next to this it has a more stiff front axle. Of the trailer I put another steering mechanism underneath it which reaches the real thing better but it has a lot of play. The hoist block is from the DEMAG CC12600 which is worlds biggest crawler crane (click here for a PDF file). Owner is Mammoet. Only the block itself weights about 60 tons. When I saw it loaded on a similar trailer back in '97 during the Mack & Heavy Haulage Day I thought it might be interesting to build it. There was a truck of Van Seumeren (now Mammoet) parked based on a Volvo F16. The block I made with the help of some small sketches and photos. As regards the dimensions it's more or less like the real thing and it suits very well on this trailer I think. The block is fastened with standard LEGO chains to make it look more realistic. Long load Once again I used the Mercedes-Benz Actros as a base for a model. The versatility of Mammoet provides a lot of inspiration. And building a long model can also be seen as a challenge. The longest model I made so far was 230 cm long. For the haulage of long, concrete beams Mammoet has several combinations with a six axle line dolly in its fleet. A combination like this is mostly put together by a 3 or 4 axle Actros with a 5 of six axle Nooteboom stepframe trailer and a 6 axle dolly which is manufactured by De Angelis. I have never heard before but it's an Italian manufacturer of drawn material. The dolly has four force steered axles which are brought into movement by a turntable above. They haule beams up to 40 metres in length mostly for fly overs or other so called construction works. In this case I only had to make a dolly, an extra turntable for the stepframe trailer and a long, concrete beam. The turntable for the trailer wasn't that difficult to build but while I didn't had any drawing of it I had to make it from pictures to try to reach the real dimensions. While the trailer already was on scale it's was quite easy to figure it out. Of the dolly I have found a few small drawings on the websites of Jan van Wees and Mammoet. It wasn't much but enough to make a good start. Normally I only have to know some basic dimensions like axle distances and oval length. The rest I try to reach with the help of pictures of the real thing. A few years ago I got some pictures of the dolly from several sights. But to give a model the right details this wasn't enough. A few years later I saw some of those dollies so I could make lots of pictures of every detail. That's why I was able to model it like I use to do This wasn't that difficult to build also. The dolly is nothing more than a mainframe with traverse beams and a platform on it. The axles have 'mill steering', the same principle as on the ballast trailer. The first and last two axles are steered. The centre axles are rigid. Up in the middle there's a turntable. To give it the right look I used two old, red pneumatic cylinders which are used to steer the axles when turning the turntable. In practice this would never work properly so I didn't spent much time to let it function like the original. My aim was to put as many details in it as I could.The powerpack at the back was a part of it. Such a model needs to haulage a massive load. OK, but then you need lots of bricks! In the conveyor belt trailer of the DAF 95XF I took a lot of gray bricks and roof tiles which I also could use. But it wat insufficient to make a two metres long concrete beam. A huge Bricklink order followed to extend my collection. Within the beam I made a Technic construction otherwise it would bend. With Technic beams, half pins and six wide plates I made this construction. It should bend anyway because of the weight but it doesn't attract attention. Because I had to carry the complete model to modelshows or photo locations you can split the beam into two equal pieces. A two meter long beams doesn't fit in my care and you can store it better when it's less in length. The complete model has a length of nearly three metres. Picturing the model from several sights took me about six hours. It takes half an hour or more to replace the model. You had to fasten the various cables between the trailer and the dolly and they had to tightened as well. Also the load had to be tightened with chains. I am very satisfied with the result of the pictures. Therefore I used the same location where I pictured the Actros with the met het hoist block. There weren't cyclists or other traffic and it shows the model in it's natural environment. Other data Length: 147.5 cm Width: 19,2 cm Height: 31 cm Wheelbase: 25.8 cm Construction: I really don't know Date: December 2002 - September 2004

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