This should get my Tie/Steel Gang a little farther along. Started with an un-powered Walthers American crane. After looking at some photos from Mike Condren's site I saw there was as usual some cutting to be done to get the thing a little closer to what I wanted. Cut the cab down shortened it as well as basically cut the top off the original crane added the elevated hoist works on the rear and used Styrene to make it a little closer to the Frisco crane I wanted. I got another question for William Jackson or whomever can answer; I know the cab was locked or tied down. But how were the hooks secured for en-train movement? Where they tied back to the boom, or drawn up close and left to swing? Any way here we go. Thanks for looking. Walthers crane My version;
You did a fine job of modifying that. It takes skill to produce a result like that. Those decals are nice and the subtle weathering really makes the surface details pop.
Tom, the Pile Drivers and Bridge Cranes was moved in-train, because of the other additional equipment (like hammers, driver assemblies) they used. They had a metal clamp that connected to the counterweight on both sides. The boom, was tied down on a idler car with the pins out, where the boom connected to the frame. Couple of cables over the boom, disconnect the trucks and some other small items, tucking the cables. The Frisco bought 3 road American cranes DL-918, DL-919 and DL-920, because scrap prices, made it worth picking all their metal up. Generally they roaded the Americans from territory to territory. It would take a day to tie it down and another day to put it back togather, with a mechanic. Sometimes it would take too much time, just to find the idler car. That was one reason, I seen so much territory, I roaded that thing every where. The guy on the 919, used to ship his all the time, they qualified a operator on tieing the cranes down also. But he worked mainly on bridges. Great job on the modifications, I was too chicken to do mine. Cab and the back shive assembly is right on. I made the All Aboard, in a NMRA, contest in 76 or 77, with Charles Dishengier (never could spell his name) This one was a metal kit from the 70's, a little beat up now.
Thanks William, I see what your talking about. That looks like a pain for sure. How fast could you one of those cranes to go on level track? I need to make that AMERICAN sign to go on my boom like yours shows, Think I can make it with a piece of photo paper in my inkjet printer. That is a nice looking crane you have there, Those shives in the middle look neat too. I need to figure out how to make that reel that holds the electrical lines to the magnet. Those decals were made years ago on my old ALPS printer. That this is getting so old I am afraid to turn it on anymore. LOL.
Tom, I am going to start a Burro Crane, this next week, pretty sure I can do that one. I would like to buy the patched flat you make, with rails on it, if you have one to part with. I have a couple of Red Box flats still in the box, that could be a part trade. The magnet housing could be made from a piece of 8 inch tubing, straight across the rungs of the boom. Half way between the machine and the area that connects the two boom sections Those were held in place by 2 like large muffler clamps. The actual reel part, was a closed reel with a 6 inch opening on the botton. It was about 3 or 3 1/3 foot diameter, about 9 inches wide. The hose was attached to the boom reel and pluged into a socket near the bottom of the cab. The other end of the hose, came from the bottom of of the reel, like a limp noodle, connected to a socket on the magnet. A second small reel was attached opposite the magnet reel to handle a small cable attached to the hose, abort half way, this served to keep the magnet cable out of the way and unplugging. The magnet reel, was on the drivers side so he could watch it. The cable reel was opposite, 1/4 cable. Display, the crane, bottom tear of rail on the car. 4 each car stakes in car pockets each placed in the second pocket fron the end. Those were used to straighten the rail before laying it in place. A single piece of thin strip wood across the load at the stake pockets if a second layer is desired. I'm about ready to operate it for you.
If anyone has a way to make the small coonskins, I would take a few. I have several of the machine kits, that I am focusing on now along with some buildings. PM, if you can make these in HO. Thanks Bill Jackson
Hi Bill, I saw your problem with lack of needed decals and thought of a possible farfetched idea. Have you considered using coonskins from a smaller scale. TT and N scale comes to mind. What is the physical dimension range you are looking for? If someone who has decals in those scales would post the dimensions and decal part number it would help keep you from having to buy until it is necessary. Joe
Joe, I looked on ebay, but didnt see anything N gage. Really don't know much about TT. I was hoping someone might know. I was thinking those would have been close to 9 by 14, however that is a guess. Your right though, I am not ready yet, as it will take a while to make the Burro Crane. I'm going to make it static, and loaded on a flat car. Course, I have first hand knowledge of that, I was assigned one on Frisco. I loaded one out at Valley Park after working on retieing the Meramac Bridge.
Did see some N on ebay today, I got them, we will see how they look. Ha, may have some for sale, these are the Microscale. We'll see, Thanks Joe, just needed a little more urge!
Really hope they work out for you. There may be more than one way to skin a raccoon. Coonskin Forever! Joe
Joe and all. The N scale coonskin decals are going to work really nice. I know Tom does a lot of this kinda work, I am wanting to number this Burro Crane like the Frisco numbered them. An example would be RL-038 which would be "rail layer 38", does anyone have a recomendation for the letter and number decals? Black was used. I would say they was probably scale 4 inch lettering.
