Wondering which crawler crane to use for a foundry scrap yard scene. Internet shows the Jordan and Modeltech are similar both in appearance and price, but the Modeltech comes with a lifting magnet.
My layout is set for the early 1980s, so a steam driven crane is more than a stretch, but replacing the boiler and exhaust with a diesel set-up might work. Also, a short boom would be necessary since the small scrap yard area is small.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
thanks and regards, Peter
I think either of those would be too old to be used for your era, unless they were part of the items to be scrapped. I would be more inclined to use one of these: http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/405-11282 or http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/405-11275.
Another alternative if you wanted a tracked crawler would be to marry the boom off the 405-11275 product to the tracked excavator also made by Kibri, http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/405-11269. The boom assemblies look similar.
I found some neat scrap yard cranes, including some models, here: https://www.google.com/search?q=scrap+yard+crane&rlz=1T4GGHP_enUS443US443&tbm=isch&imgil=T3S_Zy1Ci6FX8M%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcSHG7jSpL0Eqsm9fm1PbiQ82pB_1RGYCkq9aWqjXiyMYIzFruNeMw%253B3872%253B2592%253BmBekg4MgZYPbNM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil%25252Fstoryarchive%25252F2008%25252Foct
Peter,
I’m really happy with my Sheepscot Scale Products Bucyrus-Erie diesel crawler crane. George will customize the kit to get you what you need. http://www.sheepscotscale.com/site/2010/09/16/crawler-crane-unloading-concrete-pipe
Here’s how mine came out.
If you searach on the website, the instructions are there as a PDF if you want to know more about the details of building it. Be glad to answer answer any questions.
Thanks Maxman, looking over the links you suggested certainly has me thinking out of the box.
I agree that the Jordan and Modeltech cranes are too old for my era, especially with the wooden cabs. Though during my career as an oil refinery mechanic that began in the 70s I worked on a lot of compressors that had been in service since the 1930s, and a few still steam driven.
Thanks Mike for the Sheepscots lead, I checked out the website, very interesting. BTW, your crane looks good, nice work.
regards, Peter
Cat equipment is also used. Norscot makes an HO Cat excavator that could be easily modified. I think there was an article in MR a while back that showed just how to do it. 1980 would have been just in the transition between cable cranes like the BE 22B shown and hydraulic excavator based scrap handlers.
Nice job there on the Bucyrus Erie unit.
By the way two rattle can paints, Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch gloss Marigold and Colonial Red come very close to the colors B-E used on their cranes, shovels, crawlers, and other heavy duty equipment (and their locomotives at their factories) from the 1950s into the 1980s. Perhaps beyond. It contains toluene, acetone, and xylene so use with caution – and try it out on a scrap piece – around styrene and other plastics. I have used it on some nonstyrene plastics with success.
Dave Nelson
Redore, Yet another option. Thanks for jogging my memory in more ways than one. I found the MR Cody Grivno article about modifing a Norscot Cat 315C for scrap yard service. My cousin’s late husband was a machinist at the San Leandro, Ca. Caterpillar plant until it closed in 1985.
regards, Peter
Dave,
Thanks for your comments.[:D]
In fact, I’m pretty sure that yellow is the R-O PT Marigold. It’s also darn close to one of the several flavors of yellow/“gold” that the Rio Grande used, which is why I had it handy. The crane is modeled after one of several used at Alamosa during the oil boom in the 50s to handle pipe at the transfer from SG to NG.
I kitbashed a crawler crane starting with a Life-Like SceneMaster crane in a construction scene set. Although the Life-Like crane is supposed to be steam powered, I converted mine to diesel power by simply cutting off the smokestack, filing the roof smooth, then installing an exhaust pipe made from thin styrene rod. I scratch built a bucket style shovel and replaced the original thick elastic rigging with multiple strands of black thread. Some paint and some fairly heavy weathering made this very inexpensive project look pretty darn good in its 1950’s era sugar beet plant scene. I realize it would be tough to make this model resemble a modern crane but a lot of industrial facilities make do with surprisingly old equipment.
Hornblower,
Guessing you took this photo before the shaker? Coincidentally, when viewing your post today about how your rolling stock fared the quake I saw your crane and was going to ask you about it. You certainly did a fine job with it and you’re very correct in how some companies do indeed get by with some very old equipment. Thanks for the info and very glad the tremor and aftershocks in your neck of the woods were not major.
take care and regards, Peter
