M20 (4) Telescopic platform lift - N GAUGE -

Picture includes illustration of model when complete 

Contains parts to make one platform lift. Requires assembly and painting.

Body rotates on chassis and the boom can be extended and raised into upright position.

Prototype background:

The aerial work platform was invented and introduced in the late 1960’s to overcome some of the safety problems encountered using conventional scaffold at very high working levels. These older machines were not dissimilar to those used today although counterweights were square-like blocks and not as curvy and rounded as those now available.

Primarily known as Telescopic Boom Lifts, they are also commonly known as Aerial Boom Lifts, Telescopic Boom Platform Lifts, Aerial Work Platforms, Cherry Pickers, Man-lifts, and Sky-lifts,

There are two basic types of boom lift: the straight telescopic boom lifts and the more complicated articulated boom lifts where the boom is sectionalised to manoeuvre around various obstacles on a job site. These units are hydraulically powered via petrol, LPG or diesel engine units. Optional four-wheel drive, four-wheel steer and chassis self-levelling are offered. More recent models are also available with electric drive motors. There are various sizes of machine depending on extended lift height and platform carrying capacity, with lifts to 40m and more being possible. Boom lifts can also be equipped with outriggers and/or extending axles to increase lift heights and lift capacity. Special variants are also produced where the boom arrangements are attached to a road-going vehicles and railway trucks, designed for a specific need. Straight boom lifts are generally used for jobs that require a very high reach where no obstructions exist. The machine’s turntable can rotate 360 degrees with an extendable boom that can be raised vertically from below horizontal position. The operator manoeuvres and steers the vehicle from the platform control panel even while the boom is fully extended. They are used to gain safe high-level working access to such as tall silos, hoppers, crane equipment, gantry structures, mast flood lighting, pylons, bridge supporting structures, glazed-walling maintenance, steel structure construction, etc. they are also used where safe extended horizontal reach is necessary across a canal to a building side set on the edge, at a water-works spanning sludge and aeration tanks for inaccessible repairs, off-dockside across to a ships hull, over a road or railway track where access otherwise would be difficult. They are also popular in the TV & Filming industry. They are normally delivered to work sites on low loaders and occasionally seen on railway well-wagons. There are some 10 or more common manufacturers all equipment looking very similar but painted differently in single, two tone and dual colour schemes of blue/grey, orange/black, cream/orange, green/white, yellow/blue, yellow/black red/black, red/white etc.