When I was growing up in the 50’s I remember seeing cranes mounted on
regular trucks making them mobile. I already have one mounted on a flat
car but I need one that is not restricted by rails. Is there one
available in HO or is there a crane available that I can adapt to a
truck? Any help/information would be appreciated. Thanks Bob
Is there a particular type of crane you are looking for? Remember that it should be 1/87th scale(same as HO)
Yes, there are still truck mounted cranes but they look a lot different than what you remember from the 50’s. They look like this now:
[
](http://craneeq.com/new_equipment_list.htm#Medium Cranes)
They are hydraulic now rather than the girder boom with the winch and pulleys you probably remember. I know thee are several of the European vehicle companies that are making similar vehicles so check the Walthers catalog. If you want the old style truck mounted crane, I haven’t seen any of those in HO.
Like this?
http://www.dadscats.com/product152.html
I did a google for “1/87 die cast cranes”
Like this?
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/326-150972
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/405-15210
Steemtrayn-you and Loathar are close to what I am looking for.I think however they need to be older. Remember I’m doing the 50’s and if I remember correctly (and my memory isn’t so good) these cranes I’m thinking of were all cable operated. Thanks for the help though. I’m at least going in the right direction. Thanks again. Bob
Bob, are you by chance looking for what is commonly called a ‘Jib Crane’? ie a heavy ‘bob-tail’ type truck with a 2 legged boom mounted on the back that can fold over the cab for travel and then fold back with a cable-wench afair to a hook?
If so, they are still much in use around oil fields and junk yards, but I’ve never seen one for sale in the model RR ads. Tho, it shouldn’t be to hard to kit-bash one. [:-^] John T.
IIRC (and I may not; it’s been a long time!) back in the 1940s I saw something that looked like a cross between the rotating cab of a light-duty Burro crane and a heavy duty (10 wheel) truck chassis. The rig had folding outriggers and a spindly truss boom that traveled locked into a saddle atop the cab.
Not to say this was ancient history, but the truck was old even then. I seem to remember it having a chain drive and solid rear tires…[:-^]
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Too bad your not looking for N. Railway Express Miniatures has them in N scale. I don’t think they make HO.
http://www.jlinnovative.com/Catalog.ASP?WCI=DisplayProducts&WCE=ByCI1254B0
Getting warmer?
http://crcyc.railfan.net/mow/vehicles/cr-oakisland-crane.jpg
Dang, Loathar, that’s a nice selection of MOW equipment. Too bad it’s only in N scale. However, I wonder what the dimensions are on that Burro crane? I think an HO scale Burro would be too big to truck mount but an N scale version might be about right if I ws looking to build an older crane truck.
Only problem with using the N scale burro crane unmodified would be the need to hire a midget away from the circus to operate it…
Anything that has an operator’s seat or controls had better be pretty close to the main layout scale, or it will stick out like a fire on a dark shore.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Thanks to all. Real good info as usual.
Loathar- even though
that truck is in “N”, it’s what I’m looking for. From the looks of
it,it could be scratch built. The only changes I would make are to the
boom and the truck cab. Doing an offset cab would prove to be difficult
because all the trucks I use are metal. I probably would elect to have
the boom cradle centered behind the cab.
Thanks again to all. Bob
Check out Sheepscot:
Mark
Wow, $30 for just the crane cab and boom? It doesn’t specify if that photo etched brass needs to be soldered or glued together but I suspect it does. Then you still have to find the appropriate truck to rig the whole thing up to. I think I’d rather try scratchbuilding it with parts from other kits than to try to put this one together.
I was thinking $30 wasn’t too bad. Some of the ones mentioned above are $80. (with truck) Some of the other ones I found online were in the $500 range. (1/87!) I’ve seen some as high as $3500.[:O]
Mark- BINGO!! That’s it exactly. Thanks so much. Your help in finding it is really appreciated. Thanks again-Bob[yeah]
Before you plop down $30 for a kit, how about this:
It’s at http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/932-5611 and on sale for $7.49. I think you could make a nice truck mounted crane using this as the crane part on an appropriate flatbed truck.
Thanks again everyone.
Jim-I just finished scratchbuilding a flatcar mounted crane. I’ve been kicking that one around for sometime.
As
for putting out $30 for a crane kit-No Way!! I’m probably going to
scratchbuild this one as well. I’ll just have to get a three axle truck
to put it one.
Thanks again- Bob