CCM on the cover of Baggermodelle

CCM's upcoming Caterpillar 992C in 1:48 scale die-cast appears - in both versions - on the cover of the January issue of Baggermodelle.

If you haven't heard of this magazine before, Baggermodelle is a German publication that focuses on construction scale models.  Make sure to check out their website by clicking this link, or visiting baggermodelle.net.

Updated delivery schedules

We have updated the delivery dates of several models on our website with their current status.  The changes made are as follows:

992C:

Delivery estimated February 2012

385/390:

Expected delivery January 2012

6360:

Delivery estimated March 2012

D9H/DD9H/SxS D9H:

DD9H expected delivery January 2012

Changes to these schedules will be posted here on the blog, so make sure to check back for more updates.

Customized 637G

A collector sent us images of his CCM CAT 637G in 1:48 scale brass, which he customized himself.  The results speak for themselves.

992C Production Sample Photos

We recently received samples of both the standard and beadless version of our upcoming 992C Wheel Loader and they look excellent.  Enjoy the photos.

Marion 6360 Progress Photos

Production of the Marion 6360 is well underway.  Here are some pictures that we received from the manufacturer today.  We hope you enjoy them.

Marion 6360 "The Captain" Pricing, Quantities

Pricing on our upcoming Marion 6360 "The Captain" Electric Shovel has been set at $6,195.00, with production limited to 125 models.

For more information on this model, visit its page on our website at ccmodels.com/upcoming-6360.html.

Status Updates: 6360, 992C

Our Marion 6360, "The Captain," is now expected to ship from the manufacturer in February.

We also expect samples of our upcoming Caterpillar 992C to arrive later this month.  Once they arrive, we will post photographs on this blog.  Production of the 992C is expected to begin in the middle of December. 

992C Cab Production Photos

Production of our upcoming CAT 992C Wheel Loader in 1:48 scale die-cast - the winning selection from our poll - is underway.  Here are some photographs we just received that show part of the assembly process of the model's cab.  We hope you enjoy them.

A worker attaches decals to painted dashboards

Dashboards being placed in the cab

Letting the glue set

992C cabs before (at left) and after the door is attached

A number of completed 992C cabs ready for the next stage of assembly

Reporting in...

As you probably already know, we received our shipment of 769, 660 and D7E die-cast models last week, which we continue to ship out of our office.  If you have not yet paid for your models, please be sure to do so as soon as possible.
Apart from that, we're keeping busy with work on upcoming projects, for which you can expect a progress report in the coming weeks.
Have a safe (and spooky) Halloween weekend.

769/660/D7E Update

All of these models safely arrived at our offices last week and are on their way out the door.  If you haven't yet made payment or confirmed your credit card, contact us by phone or by email to get your model on its way.

769B, 660, D7E Delayed

After pursuing our freight forwarder for the last two days, we found out that our container of models will arrive in port four days later than scheduled.  Barring any issues with customs, we expect that we will begin shipping models the week of the 17th.

Thank you for your patience.

Solar Panels Are Being Installed

Installation of the solar panels onto their racking started yesterday.  We expect them to be up at the end of the day today, with electrical work starting soon after.

769/660/D7E Status Update

Barring their being held by US Customs, we expect to begin shipping the 769, 660 and D7E the week of October 10th.  More updates will come as we receive more information.

Solar Panel Progress Update

Progress continues and it looks like the entire project will be finished just in time for the rainy season.  Workers are currently wrapping up the installation of the rails that hold the panels, which will begin installation on Monday.

Mr. Smith & the 999

We stumbled upon a screen grab from the 2005 movie "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" which shows Brad Pitt at his desk at work approximately 25 minutes into the film.  Proudly displayed on his desk is CCM's Manitowoc 999 in 1:48 precision scale brass.

First CAT Hydraulic Mining Excavator Working in Finland

We discovered an interesting story on the International Mining website and thought you might find it interesting.  The original link can be found at the bottom.

Posted on September 15th, 2011

First Cat branded hydraulic mining excavator working at Siilinjärvi phosphate in Finland

A newly Caterpillar-branded hydraulic mining excavator was recently delivered from the former Bucyrus factory in Dortmund to Hartikainnen, Finland’s biggest contractor, which is using the machine at the Siilinjärvi phosphate mine in the country where it has the mining contract. The excavator is a Caterpillar 6030 (formerly knnown as the RH120 under Terex O&K then Bucyrus) and has been delivered together with five 785D trucks. The excavator has been commissioned with the formal handover of the whole fleet scheduled for October. ”It is exciting to reach this milestone in our integration journey,” stated Caterpillar’s Neil Roth, who led the product branding team. “We formed a team earlier this year to work across multiple areas of the business to plan and implement the product brand changes. This is an important element of going to the mining industry as one team to help our customers be more successful.”

It is also significant for the Dortmund factory as it is the first mining excavator they have ever sold to Finland. The Siilinjärvi site consists of a mine and several plants. The mine is the only producer of phosphate ore in Western Europe, and it produces apatite, biotite and calcite, while the plants refining phosphate into phosphoric acid for fertiliser production. Production at the mine, which is part of fertiliser giant Yara International ASA, started in 1980. Hartikainnen already operates a large fleet of Caterpillar 777 trucks and Hitachi excavators (EX1200 and EX1900) at the mine.

Source:http://www.im-mining.com/2011/09/15/first...

Solar Panel Progress Update

Our panels arrived this morning and started to make their way to our roof this afternoon.  Over the next few weeks, mounts will be installed on the roof and the solar panels will be mounted to them.  More pictures to come as progress continues.

D7E, 769, 660 Shipping Update

The shipment of our D7E, 769 and 660 was delayed by Chinese customs for 2 weeks.  It is now on the water with delivery estimated at the beginning of October.

CCM is Going Green...

After a 3 month process of city, state and federal applications, work has begun on a solar power system at our office.  A number of panels will be installed on our roof, totaling over 26kW of power production.  We will post some photos as progress is made, along with images of the completed project.

Lifts used to install roof reinforcements to support the added weight of the system.

The Captain: More Boom Photos

The prototype boom of our upcoming Marion 6360 arrived at our office yesterday.  Although we've posted some photos already, they didn't do justice to the level of detail on the boom.  In order to give a better idea of the workmanship involved, we took the prototype boom into the photo room and snapped a few pictures.

385 Bucket Info

Our upcoming Caterpillar 385C L, 385C FS, and 390D LME will feature three distinct bucket configurations.  The 385C L is equipped with a general purpose bucket attached via HB series bucket linkage without the optional lifting eye.  The 385C FS is equipped with a rock bucket with spill plate.  The 390D LME is also equipped with a rock bucket, attached to the stick by JB series bucket linkage with the optional lifting eye included.

Close up of the 390D LME's bucket showing the bucket linkage and lifting eye.

385 Photos, changes

New photos of the 385C L, 385C FS and 390DL ME are now available on our website at http://ccmodels.com/upcoming-385.html.

We've also made a number of changes to the machines, with notable changes to the parts below:

There was a gap at the rear of the dump bucket on the 385C FS which was incorrect.  We revised the design of the part to fix this issue.

385C FS bucket before the change.

Mock up of the 385C FS bucket after the change.

There was also a large hole in the stick of the 385C FS.  A plug has been incorporated into the design to fix this issue.

The hole in the 385C FS stick.

Mock up of the plug in the 385C FS stick.

The final issue with the geometry of the models was the lack of bolt detail on the sprockets.  Bolt detail has been added to the sprockets of all 3 versions of the model.

Revised CAD drawing showing bolt detail.

Mock up of bolt detail on the sprockets. 

As is stated in the captions, please note that the shown corrections are mock ups, not the final product.

As always, feel free to contact us with any concerns regarding these models. 

992C Bucket Revision

We have revised the design of the 992C bucket.  Here are some photos of the new and accurate bucket.  If you have any more concerns regarding the design, don't hesitate to contact us.

385 Pricing and Quantities

The price on all three versions of our upcoming CAT 385 is set at $249.95.  Production quantities are as follows: 385C FS, 750; 385C L, 1000; 390DL ME, 1000.

The Captain

While we are still in the early stages of prototyping, we thought you might enjoy seeing a few pictures of current progress on the Marion 6360.  It's a big project with a lot of detail, and the sheer number of parts required helps illustrate that fact.  For example, the total production run will require 41,000 individual track pads and 45,000 steps - enough to cover 12 trips up and down the Empire State Building.  But enough with the facts, enjoy the pictures.

385 Prototype Photos

Grant and Rob brought back prototypes of all three versions of our upcoming CAT 385.  As Grant said, it has to be one of the best looking die-cast models we have produced.  Enjoy the photos, and keep following this blog for further updates on the project.

385C L

385C FS

390DL ME

Post-Trip Model Updates

D7E Winch
This model is expected to ship next week.  With shipping taking an additional three to four weeks, we expect these to arrive at our office in the middle of September.

660 Coal Hauler
This model is expected to ship next week.  With shipping taking an additional three to four weeks, we expect these to arrive at our office in the middle of September.

769B
This model is expected to ship in approximately one to two weeks.  We expect these to arrive at our office near the end of September.

385
This model is shipping in approximately two months.  We expect these to arrive at our office in November.

992
This model is shipping in approximately four weeks.  We expect these to arrive at our office in late October or early November.

D9H
This model is shipping in approximately four weeks.  We expect these to arrive at our office in late October.

Trip Update

Grant and Rob have been extremely busy meeting with our manufacturers in China and South Korea.  Updates on all of our upcoming products will be given next week, along with photos of the current status of some of the models.

Grant & Rob headed East

Grant and Rob leave tomorrow, Friday the 29th, to visit our manufacturers in China and South Korea where they will be discussing projects and inspecting models.  Expect a number of updates regarding their trip next week and some great photos to go along with them.

Look what showed up in the mail today...

We got a big delivery today - 7 pallets in all.  Let's take a look at what's inside.

It's official: our Lampson 4600 "Ringers" in 1:87 scale have arrived and they look great.  We're working diligently to get them ready to ship as soon as possible, with shipments planned to begin tomorrow, Wednesday the 20th.

Models will be shipped in order of receipt of payment, so, if you haven't already, make sure to call in and take care of payment at your earliest convenience.