Since the primary “attention getter” of the layout that I’m working will be the locomotive shop facility, I’ve been wanting to model an SCL Wreck/Mow crane unit.
Here’s one in action rescuing an Amtrak train that derailed due to a vandal sabotaging a switch:
I initially planned to purchase an Athearn unit, but no LHS in my area had one. Athearn’s website showed the cranes as “sold out”. (Limited runs…Ugh! [sigh]) I was amazed that on ebay some of these cranes were fetching $80+ prices…That’s just too stiff for my budget. Though, the Athearns are beautiful models.
Long story short, I won this AHM unit on ebay for $14.00. For that price, I can’t complain.
The pizza-cutter wheels will go and I plan on adding some body details. Cool factor here is that this body style is actually closer in appearance to the SCL crane in the above photo link, than the Athearn crane.
Things I did to an Athearn crane. Glazed the windows. Paint grab irons and step safety yellow. Converted it to diesel by cutting off the steam stack. Then you need a wreck train. A flat car loaded with spare trucks, another loaded with ties. A gon full of rail. A older diner, too old for revenue service. A box car or two for “stuff”.
I was a high school student when that wreck occurred. It was good that no one was killed. I was grateful that even after this wreck, there was no “backlash” against railfans from SCL personnel. The ones I met during my railfanning ventures were always friendly and down to earth. Even got a few cab rides. That’s why I have such fond memories of this railroad and enjoy modeling it now.
One of the Yahoo forum members had a decent prototype photo. Here’s a comparison:
As mentioned, the Athearn version is based on a steam powered crane. This little bugger is based on a diesel powered unit.
I do better understand some of the arguments that the “anti-RTR” guys were making on a past thread. One point was that the modeler wasn’t against RTR, but that many of the younger modelers are missing out on the joys that come with taking on a vehicle that’s generally considered to be a crude toy and then reworking it to make it look like a prototype style work of art.
I’m currently searching for photos of SCL’s “wreck train” cranes, boom cars, and MOW cars. I regret now not having taking the photos of that equipment back in those days when I had the camera and opportunity to do so. But hindsight is 20/20.
I still have an AHM work crane and work caboose combination and the box that I bought new in the seventies. It’s an Illinois Central that I almost sold around 16 years ago to a now gone LHS owner that modeled IC, but am glad I didn’t. I bought an Athearn Blue Box PRR crane a few years back that I like also, but I tend to favor the AHM. There is also outriggers included with the AHM crane that can be set up while simulating a wreckage cleanup. I tend to use it with the IC AHM Casey Jones engine just for the fun of it.
I have a few of the Athearn cranes, some Blue Box kits still in the boxes and two of the RTR’s they made around four years ago. I’ll take one to a show every once in awhile and set it up like it’s putting a car back on the tracks. We get a lot of compliments as people don’t get to see them very often. Eighty bucks eh, lol. HMMMMM…
I just read your post. It blows me away sometimes when I see ebay shoppers bid over $70 for common models worth $20 to $40. I sometimes think that these bidders are either newbies thinking they’re getting something hard to find OR modelers that don’t do their homework in researching. Yes, some modelers are looking for specific paint schemes that might no longer be available on a new release but then again, with a few exceptions, the airbrush/decal route is often a viable option.
I’ve paid a little higher than MSRP on ebay for something specific, but 2 to 3 times the retail value? I pass.
That’s a real hoot. The thing has the old Zamac corrosion going on. Notice that the back half of the cab has been (poorly) super-glued on? About the only thing salvageable is the trucks (Central Valley fully-sprung and equalized Buckeyes), and maybe the pulley sheaves, if you want to fully rig one… There are reasons why the old metal ones are “rare” - they’ve mostly disintegrated by now.
Antonio: as a guy who only cares about the obvious details: Here’s what I see missing. (You’ll notice, obvious also means easy to apply. [:P] )1. Your crane needs an exhaust stack. There’s one on the top of the SCL unit kinda where the Athearn stam stack is
It looks like the furthest back set of rollers on the model is under a box on the protoype. Some styrene should cover that right over. I’d leave the cable end open, save yourself some headache.
There’s a bright yellow ladder between the back 2 windows.
And then of course, your missing a frickishly huge SCL logo, kinda need that. [:P]
Beyond that, there’s no glaring differences to me, an observer. It should hit the “Good Enough” classifications and look awesome. I’d just go with that photo right there too.
This is an all metal Athearn 250 ton crane made of back in 1953. It came with operating Buckeye sprung trucks and has a dozen operating cable pulley sheaves as its prototype. I found this gem at a train show and still see them around at other shows now and then. There was no Zamac corrosion showing in the kit, that happens when lead is introduced into the Zamac melting pot at the time of casting.
Antonio, I paid 10 bucks each for the kits I got. 3 of them are the same as the pic you posted and two are plastic kits. To be honest they were an impulse buy, I only wanted one of them but being as I never seen a metal Athearn kit before I scooped up all of them. The RTR’s I picked up were around 50 bucks.
