A while ago I picked up an unbuilt Walthers 25 ton crane for $5.00 at a periodic club swap meet. Recently, after taking it off the shelf, I discovered why I paid so little- there are no 2-56 screws in the box for the trucks or the coupler covers! Worse yet, there appears to NO THREADING in the four holes under the platform car, where the trucks and coupler covers attach. I am thinking I have to tap these holes, as I am not sure if the original screws were self-threading ones, or if there was a manufacturing error and the threading was just overlooked. Does anyone have experience with this model (Walthers # 5500 Industrial Crane) regarding the screw and thread issue I have come across??? Cedarwoodron
I don’t have the Walthers 25 ton crane, but I do have a Train Minatures 5500 series 25 ton industrial crane. I think these might be the same kit. I found an instruction sheet you can look at on-line to make a determination: http://www.hoseeker.org/TrainMiniatureslist/tm25toncrane5500pg1.jpg.
The instructions indicate that there should be quantity (4) 2-56 x 1/8 long machine screws for the trucks and the coupler box covers, plus quantity (1) 2-56 x 3/8 long machine screw to hold the hook drum assembly together.
Looking at the holes for the trucks and coupler covers on my kit, they are not threaded. I believe that typically the screws for these holes are supposed to be self-tapping. My personal preference would be to tap the holes, but I think the holes are too shallow to use a tap due to the lead-in portion of the tap.
Hope this info is useful to you.
Regards
Yes, basically the same kit, now Walthers, been has been around since the late 1960s, IIRC.
You should carefully thread the screws into the holes. They are meant to be self-tapping in this application, although it’s not technically a self-tapping screw design. You’ll encounter this with a number of the older plastic kits.
Yes, basically the same kit, now Walthers, been has been around since the late 1960s, IIRC
Mike,You might find this interesting.
Tru-Scale made that crane and several camp cars that came in sets or you could buy them sperate…This was in '60/61…I built my first crane in '62 and had several of the engineering-tool car…
These models came in kit or RTR form…
Larry,
I was going by my memory, which goes back to about 1969 as far as model railroading is concerned. Knew they were around before that, just wasn’t sure how long.
Mike,Look on the bright side.
You know you’re getting old when you can remember a 51 year old kit when it was new…[:O]
I still like that crane…[:D]
You are so right. Tru-Scale to TM to Walthers. Come to think of it, my Walthers version kit is about 20 years old, still sitting in the shrink wrapped box. Hey! I’m running out of time to build it.