I'm looking into buying one of the new legacy equipped gantry cranes. I use Lionel fastrack on my layout, Can I use tubular track to power the rails on the crane instead of buying the ross/gargraves track section for the crane. The hopeful end result would look like the photo attached. Thanks guys. The reason I ask is because I want to use one track system throughout my layout It would look funny (to me) to have gargraves track on the passing siding and Lionel Fastrack on the rest of my layout.
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The gantry crane has different spacing for the wheels than the standard track, so you'll be doing something special anyway. I'd just use the Gargraves section, a lot less work. After all, it's not a RR track anyway, it's a track for a crane!
Your right. Do you know if the wheels on the crane power any functions on the crane like the motors or lights?
I don't think they've shipped yet, so I don't know that anyone except Lionel really know the details.
Very true. I guess we'll just have to wait and see
Since it's command only, they could have run all the power through the rails, but I suspect that's not what happened. I'll wait to actually see one, as the motion on the Mi-Jack is very jerky, they did a lousy job gearing the drive wheels.
Yeah, I agree on the mi-jack. My grandpa has one and it barely moves.
So you don't feel alone on mis-matching the tracks, I use Atlas track and switches on my layout and I got the Ross gantry track for my crane. If it ever arrives I will have a track for it.
I received mine the other Day, but I haven't set it up Yet.
Waiting for new track and transformer.
Good luck, John
Hope everything works out for both of you. John, please video your crane in action when you get it set up.
10/4
I really don't understand why they left the boom control manual on this. I would have thought they'd have used the same crane as what they developed for the command control crane cars. On the command control crane cars you can raise and lower the boom remotely. But on the "new" gantry crane that boom adjustment remains a manual wheel. But for the trackside "short" crane they went with the same crane unit as the crane car.
I have the year 2000 reissue of the 282 gantry crane (the one manufactured with grease that turns to cement) and would love a unit that could move along the track on it's own power. But I don't think I'm going to be willing to spend the money to upgrade unless I can get BOTH autonomous movement along the track and automatic up and down movement of the boom. I basically want the new trackside crane but on a taller platform and with the lateral movement.
I made my AMC crane move down the track some ten years ago. It doesn't lack for play value even without the moving boom.
The AMC crane suffers from major time delay between moving the knobs and any movement. I just end up using the levers on the controller. Hopefully for you guys getting the new TMCC crane, response is much better.
Pete