Does anyone have any dock container crane drawing that I could get a hold of. My new layout will have a port and I would like to put in a container crane.
There was an earlierer thread about these - they’re HUGE!!! 200-300 ft high & 400+feet long if I remember. I see them along the NJ Tpke often - they would take up half of a basement layoot - providing you have a 10 or 12ft ceiling!! Google them & try to scale off the pics.[:)]
Container cranes typically are operated on a track with a 100’ gage (older ones were often 50’ gage and were also smaller overall). The basic frame is thus about 100’ square when looking down. The boom extends outward from this structure–I’m guessing very approximately 80’. The basic structure is also very approximately 150’ tall. With the boom up, it is taller, of course. I’ve been on top of them looking down–it’s quite a view. Ed
Considering that post-Panamax container ships are 120< feet in beam, the boom has to be at least 140 feet long. The counterweight track (shore side of the main frame) is at least 1/2 that.
As I have said before, anything having to do with modern container ships is HUMONGOUS! In HO, you can get a pretty good idea of the size of a post-Panamax ship by looking at a short aluminum canoe.
IMHO, these are things best left as subjects for a backdrop photomural. There are no rails under those cranes. The rubber-to-steel wheel transition takes place elsewhere, and employs much smaller cranes and superforklifts.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Uh, if you want to get a sense of scale (immenseness) of container cranes, take a look at
http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/534
Compare the size of the container to that of the crane, and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
Mark
This might be an option for you:
This is an island-hopping container ship in Hawaii, in the port of Kona. I assume that it’s used to gather and distribute containers that will end up on an ocean-going ship back in Honolulu. The interesting aspect of this one is that the crane is on the ship, not on the island. There are probably only a couple of these things serving all the islands, so it makes sense to put the crane on the ship rather than build a separate facility (with crew) in each port.
I’ve driven past the port of Kona several times and wondered where the containers came from–no cranes as you note. Now I know. Thanks, Ed
Thanks to all who answered my query. I will have to guess as to what size plastic pieces to use to build my container crane.
If you do a google search for [drawing “container crane”], the fifth entry down is by a guy who built a very presentable one in N scale. I think he should have built a 100’ gage crane, but it’s his model. VERY presentable. That should give you some ideas. Also, it appears that there might be some scale drawings if you look for them–I don’t have the time, and you definitely have the inclination. Check it out, Ed