I’ve been looking thru LOTS of container crane images recently,…specifically HO scale, and specifically railroad car loading ones. I have some specific requirements I am seeking for my two container handling areas, but I thought it might be interesting to see what other models (commercially available, kit-bashed, custom built) might be presented, and the reasons for those preferences.
This is an expensive one, and it appears as though it is ONLY available as a fully operational model. I find it almost surprising that neither Heljan has offered a non-operating model, or perhaps some other manufacturer??
It does appear as though they have copied a real existing crane, but I find it to be so wide as to be limited to pretty large container handling scenes. It spans so many tracks. I like the idea that it services a track (or two ?) outside of its inner span.
I would like to have a crane that spans only 2 or 3 tracks, with the capability to service one track outside its inner span. My container facility will possible be just barely wide enough to support this size crane.
US Railroads do not use the type of crane that the Heljan model is based on. Some similar cranes would be found at seaports. There is only one crane that is readily available in kit form from Walthers. The drawback is that the crane only will span one (1) track.It is not wide enough to span two tracks and still be able to load/unload, containers, trailers. Take a look at this You tube video of a UP Railroad facility to familiarize Yourself on how that works. Also on the right of the Youtube video, You will fine a European Terminal crane like Heljan’s and how that differs in operation.
Wheels in Time has a side loader Piggypacker, that can also be used at any Intermodal facility, big or small, like in Your case. I have them both. The Walthers crane and the Piggypacker, which came out in 1968 and is still in use today.
Although mine is N Scale, I built this from a kit by Walthers. This is not working, and it doesn’t have the ability to load to the side of its inner span.
The Walthers crane is not designed to straddle two tracks like You have it. Once the crane picks up the container/trailer from the car, it has no place to set it down on a chassis or if trailer, on the ground. Look at the first video I linked too in My post above.
This video shows a crane like the Walthers straddling one track and how the cont./trailers are set next to the car so the crane can load/unload car.
Yes, I agree. I wanted an intermodal yard, but with my limited space, I could not make it prototypical. I decided to have three tracks and the crane sitting there to get the idea of a working intermodal yard.
I got the idea from Model Railroader’s N Scale series, “The Salt Lake Route”. I didn’t have the room they had, but I liked the look of the yard and fit it into my small layout:
I built the 2nd type Kevin mentioned from Walthers on the old layout. It was kinda cool looking, but realize that it wouldn’t work on my current layout. I like the concept!
If thats true, I can certainly imagine this crane as capable of straddling two cars and one container?
There is another problem I have with this Walthers crane,…how does the operator see what he is doing from that low point (almost on the ground) below the crane’s engine??
The Walthers crane has the operators shack at ground level and must face the car that it is unloading/loading with trailers/containers. The crane will roll under it’s own power to a break/crossing in the Intermodal yard and the wheels/ tires are put into a 90 degree position. It then rotates wheels to do a 180 swing onto the other side of the car so the operators cab is on the other side of the car, then it can load/unload trailers/containers from the other side of the car. Real life cranes with the cab like the Walthers crane can do exactly what I tried to explain above, but straddle two tracks instead of one. The center beams are much longer permitting it to do that. The Walthers crane is a condenced version of it’s counter-part Mi-Jack crane. I operated a crane just like the Walthers at the CSX Intermodal facility. We also had cranes that were the same, except the operators cab was higher off the ground to view over the top of the loaded tub or flat car. Some yards also had (we also had them) cranes that the operators cab was part of the straddle beams. I did not operate those much, because I was old and had seniority to stay in the cranes that the operators cab was level with the ground. No need to climb a ladder that you must climb to reach the operators cab on the other mid cab/ carriage beam cabs. If You did not view the first video I linked too…do so.
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
EDIT: I was not going to mention this, but, one of My good friends and coworkers was operating a crane just like the Walthers crane and had to swing off a double track and swing onto another set of tracks and when He was in the swing of 180 in a forward motion, the front wheel broke at it’s base and the rest of the crane that was in the forward motion, collapsed right on top of the operators cab. The poor man did not have a chance. He was crushed in the cab and it took the rescue crew, six hours to get Him out. We were all davastated that nite and did not continue to work that ni
I like that Walthers model. Might have to consider getting one for my modern themed layout.
One track for well cars, a road beside it for trucks to load, and space in between for workers to move around. Just like Frank’s video.
A string of stacked containers along side of the crane and next to a back drop picture of more containers and that would make a convincing scene in a compact space with only one track needed.
YES…They also have some that are part of the beams on top. Too high to climb up for this old guy, let alone trying to get out fast. You would kill yourself jumping…
I wasn’t attempting to convince how your scene should be, it’s not my layout. I was thinking out loud about what could work for any shelf layout.
I think Lance Mindheim has a scene on one of his layouts that uses stacks of containers along a backdrop of a picture of stacks of containers that is pretty convincing. No crane though.
I’m currenting thinking I will need both pictures and real containers to mask that hidden track.
Since my container yard is fairly small (short), I believe I would like to have at least 2 parallel tracks under container loading conditions with the Walther’s cranes.
I believe the ship cranes, etc will have to be FAR off in the horizon on the backdrop to make any ‘scale sense’
