Lionel Command Crane Car

This is the coolest thing ever. Several years ago a forum member located a brass clam bucket on ebay that worked with these cranes.  Unfortunately, they are no longer available. Maybe some searching over time would turn one up.

Be sure to scroll down and check out the video on this thread: Brass Clam bucket for TMCCcrane

I bought a couple of those clam-shell buckets, they had two sizes, I got one of each.  Since they're gone, I'm glad I got them while they were available.

The TMCC crane is one of the greatest operating cars that Lionel has ever produced.  Visitors love it when I operate it for them.  You don't have to be a train person to appreciate it.

Here is a wreck scene I staged on my layout:

Tom

Tom Densel posted:

The TMCC crane is one of the greatest operating cars that Lionel has ever produced.  Visitors love it when I operate it for them.  You don't have to be a train person to appreciate it.

Here is a wreck scene I staged on my layout:

Tom

I like that.  What did you use for a rigging cable to pick the car up?  Just a string?

I borrowed the truck I lifted with all weekend from a member, but only had some white twist ties available to use as lifting straps.  Your cable looks a bit more believable.

Looks like a eye glasses strap

I super glued Fireline fishing line, which is black and very stiff and will stay off the load so you can get the hook under the cable, onto some cannisters, which worked well.  You could do the same with anything you want to pick up.

SantaFe158 posted:

Tom Densel posted:

The TMCC crane is one of the greatest operating cars that Lionel has ever produced.  Visitors love it when I operate it for them.  You don't have to be a train person to appreciate it.

Here is a wreck scene I staged on my layout:

Tom

I like that.  What did you use for a rigging cable to pick the car up?  Just a string?

I borrowed the truck I lifted with all weekend from a member, but only had some white twist ties available to use as lifting straps.  Your cable looks a bit more believable.

Jake,  I made the lift cable out of a material called "Paracord"  It is a reinforced nylon cord that is fairly flexible.  I made the ends by slipping a short piece of 1/8" aluminium tubing over the looped ends then flattening it with a hammer.   I picked it up at Hobby Lobby, but other craft suppliers should also carry it.  I believe it was in the jewelry department.  There are different sizes and colors available.  

I made some extra cables of different lengths to put in the boom tender for added detail.

Tom

Thanks guys!  I like the paracord and aluminum tubing idea and also the canisters.  I’ll have to work on that for future operations.

Hey SanteFe158...I did practically the same thing as William1. Only I bought a few MTH gondola cars that come with either the cannister, or red boxes. I glued fishing line "loops" on the tops so that the hooks (choice of TWO  YAY!) could catch them.  Playing with the crane car and having an adult beverage is a "usefull/useless" time waster of the best kind! Please enjoy however you wish!

Jake I saw that deal.  Hard to pass on. 👍

MichRR714 posted:

Jake I saw that deal.  Hard to pass on. 👍

It certainly was.  After having made a large purchase the week before I was hesitant to spend that kind of money, but I'm very happy I did.  It's an awesome car to play with.

Tom Densel posted:

The TMCC crane is one of the greatest operating cars that Lionel has ever produced.  Visitors love it when I operate it for them.  You don't have to be a train person to appreciate it.

Here is a wreck scene I staged on my layout:

Tom

You have to "stage" a wreck on your layout???

Wow.

Such things just happen naturally on my layout.  

BTW, the crane is a GREAT toy train product.  A real attention grabber, for sure.

I couldn't resist putting together a demo video of the features.  I've run a full size steam wrecking crane before and the model is almost as cool to operate as that.  My only gripe is that Lionel used a diesel sound set in the boom car.  While many of these older steam cranes were dieselized later in life, the details on the Lionel model show that they were modeling a steam crane, not a dieselized one.  I can overlook that however as it's a great looking model that's truly enjoyable to operate.

SantaFe158 posted:

.  My only gripe is that Lionel used a diesel sound set in the boom car.  While many of these older steam cranes were dieselized later in life, the details on the Lionel model show that they were modeling a steam crane, not a dieselized one.  

 

Lionel first offered this crane with steam sounds on the NYC version in the photos above. The sounds are dead on.

A few years later they offered cranes with diesel sounds. It depends which version one gets as to the sounds, some are steam, some diesel.

RickO posted:

SantaFe158 posted:

.  My only gripe is that Lionel used a diesel sound set in the boom car.  While many of these older steam cranes were dieselized later in life, the details on the Lionel model show that they were modeling a steam crane, not a dieselized one.  

 

Lionel first offered this crane with steam sounds on the NYC version in the photos above. The sounds are dead on.

A few years later they offered cranes with diesel sounds. It depends which version one gets as to the sounds, some are steam, some diesel.

I may be wrong, but I believe all the “Legacy” ones are diesel sounds.  As I said, it’s no big deal but it probably wouldn’t have taken much to alter the details on the crane itself to make it a bit more believable.  

Where’s the foreman  on the job?

Many of these are two railed, Kadee couplers, by scale model clubs without many more changes, they are so detailed and operationally correct.  Of course, also changed over to dc, I am certain.  Have not changed mine, yet, but thinking of making my whip line a two part line for an increase in lifting capacity, though it won't make any difference on a model.  Reminds me of all my years as a heavy lift crane operator, of many sizes and types.. conventional, hydraulic, tower cranes, bridge cranes.. all the way to 300 ton cap. Krupp/ 100 ton Manitowoc… over the road to locations and in refineries/chemical plants.  Interesting work as I have been on both ends of the hook over my career before getting into management.

Jesse    TCA 

I liked working with crane crews more than my own. They never messed around or compromised assessments. You could be pulling up large clear cut stumps for a new stub to unloading large hvac, boilers and containment tanks. Maybe onto a semi; maybe onto a roof withing reach. Are the rails ok after the derail ? Transformers, communications & power poles. Pile driving/tamping rigs. Collapsed bridge &/or "marine recovery". 7 or 70yrs old; a crane is the most fun and versitile accessory I can think of really. There is that dog and fire hydrant bit; but I digress

texastrain posted:

Many of these are two railed, Kadee couplers, by scale model clubs without many more changes, they are so detailed and operationally correct.  Of course, also changed over to dc, I am certain. 

I'm at a loss how you convert this to DC as it uses Triacs which require AC for proper operation.

I saw this for sale on ebay...would this clam shell work with the crane? It is expensive.

NZG 1/50 SCALE ZUBERHORSEL CLAM SHELL MODEL | BN | 506-09

Looks like it would work, but $67 shipped???  I think I paid around $14-15 for the ones I bought!

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Looks like it would work, but $67 shipped???  I think I paid around $14-15 for the ones I bought!

Provided its fully functional, you'll have to rig up a cable to the lower pulley to close the bucket. Pricey, but its sure alot better looking than the brass one, painted with teeth and all. Its probably diecast so it would be more than up to the task.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

texastrain posted:

Many of these are two railed, Kadee couplers, by scale model clubs without many more changes, they are so detailed and operationally correct.  Of course, also changed over to dc, I am certain. 

I'm at a loss how you convert this to DC as it uses Triacs which require AC for proper operation.

My thought was "rectified anyhow" and I'm not always up for tackling the trending "dc is best" bit (I think its just more easily sorted out by most folk). Using triacs changes every theory I had bouncing in my empty melon from that DC comment 😏   You've mentioned the triacs before, it just hasn't stuck yet 😲

 Maybe they use another board adapted to the crane?

AC and DC both have thier uses, strengths, and weaknesses. One isn't better than another across the board.  I run both on different layouts simply because that was what was handy. Priorities should help decide really.