I am looking to buy a crane and have decide on two. Im not sure which one is better so this is why I am asking you which one you would buy. Thanks
Bachmann: Silver Series 250K Crane Car & Boom Tender – Painted Unlettered
Tichy: Maintenance - Work Train Equipment (Plastic Kit) – 120-Ton Brownhoist Railroad Wrecking Crane
I have heard a lot of good things about tichy. I will be using it on a UP layout. Do you think the tichy is a big enought crane?
Kyle
Your links aren’t working for me…
Tom
Nor for me. All I get is ‘Address Not Found’,
I belive he’s inquiring about these:
Bachmann 250K crane and tender car
Brownhoist Railroad Wrecking Crane, tender sold separately.
I’m familiar with the Bachmann 250K crane and tender as I have two of them myself. I find them to be quite good.
You’ll note the different ratings on the lifting capabilities of the two cranes - 120T vs. 250T. The lighter Tichy model would be more suited for a layout set in earlier days. I have the Tichy kit (originated by Gould) and it is a fine quality kit that takes a fair amount of time, experience and skill to assemble. It is not a “snap together” model, the crane tender is easier with fewer parts but is also a quality kit.
So you’ll have to choose between eras that you model, and if you want to assemble the Tichy kit.
Ditto to what Railphotog says. The Tichy kit would be more appropriate for 1920’s-1940’s, the Bachmann from 40’s on. The Tichy is by far a better product. My [2c]
You said in the post you are modeling the UP, but in your sig you say ur modeling the CB&Q.
If you are going to model the UP I would go with the Bachmann. My reason…The UP is a large railroad and would us large cranes
If you are going to model the CB&Q I would go with the tichy. My reason…The CB&Q is not as large as the UP and you say your modeling the 1930’s so the tichy would be perfect.
Kile
Just because the UP is a BIG RR doesn’t mean that everything is BIG!! They own 25t cranes/hoists as well as the big ones!! Era is the key thing here - the big ones didn’t exist in 1920-30 in the Bachmann configuration - they were steam!![:-,]
The Bachmann crane is rated at 250 tons lifting capacity. These would be used for moving engines and cars at the site of a derailment or wreck.
The Ticht crane is a Brownhoist crane rated at 120 tons lifting capacity. These would be use to lift cars or for maintenance of way work, including lifting bridge sections, rail, etc, but NOT for lifting engines.
Okay, era is important, but the Bachmann crane IS suitable for the '30s: check out the stack, which tops a vertical boiler. Just couple a small but modern (post-1900) tender on the back and weather everything to suit. However, small cranes like the Tichy model were used in tandem to rerail larger steam locos, one working each end of the engine, once the tender had been disconnected and put back on the rails to get them out of the way. I remember seeing a series of photos of two such cranes handling a derailment in Rhinelander, WI, and it was fascinating to see how they tugged the medium-sized engine up an embankment to put it back on the rails.
Both these little grapplers had their booms almost vertical to avoid tipping them over. All cranes that had to reach off to the side of the track had outriggers, seated on cribbing, to offset tipping. Once the heavy object, usually a locomotive engine, was near to the track, the booms would be lowered a little (by feel!) and the cranes maneuvered to set it down on the rails—very tricky moves by highly trained crews!
That being said, most wreck trains are usually mostly for show, unless you want to simulate a wreck during an operating session, so suit yourself: either choice is to your taste—depending on the size of your steam locos, of course.
I have built the Tichy kit and it builds into a very realistic model. However, it is a model kit that is probably not for someone with very little or no modeling experience. Also, after the build, it has a few somewhat delicate parts so it’s not suited to a lot of handling from the five fingered crane.
I’ve seen plenty of steam era pictures of cranes just like the Tichy Brownhoist lifting engines at wreak sites. Often they would use two cranes. But the the smaller steam cranes were used extensively at wreaks.
Jeff
Have you considered the Athearn crane?
http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH75382
DITTO!!
It’s the same basic design as the Bachmann, but one heck of a lot better quality!! A little hard to find sometimes, but much better!!
Beat me to it. I have the Athearn crane. The kit assembles in a straight forward manner. I glazed the windows, converted it to diesel by cutting off the stack, and brush painted the grabs safety yellow. It is the center piece of my wreck train. Other cars include a flat car of spare trucks, another loaded with ties, a gondola loaded with rail, a wrecking caboose, and an elegant old truss rod diner to feed the wreck crew on site.
The Tichy crane kit assembly takes many steps but I would not consider any of them to be difficult. I built it when it was offered by Gould. The instructions said something like “if the part doesn’t fit you are doing it wrong”. I thought it was arogant but I soon discovered that the instructions were very precise as are the parts.
I don’t think it takes a high skill level - just a lot of patience and you end up with a superb model.
When Gould sold to Tichy I was afraid that the kit would not be easily available, so I bought another one to assemble at a later time. I have built various other Tichy kits and they are just as easy to assemble. At a train show I decided to assemble kits so people could watch - I assembled 4 tank car kits at one time. Several people watched for about a half hour or so.
The finished models are very finely detailed and delicate, so be careful when you pick them up. I have replaced some of the grabs and sill steps with wire and that helps.
Ray
Hello I have the Tichy kit and I thought it was great kit but you have to take your time with it. I just got the boom car a few days ago and I am going start on it soon. It looks as good of a kit as the crane. I would like to see a tender that will work for the Tichy can any one post a photo ? Thanks Frank