O scale overhead cranes?

Brad:

I use Walthers heavy duty  crane set (yellow portion) as a base structure then add to it depending on customer preferences. You can use all the parts except the shack since it won't look to scale. See the photos below for some ideas.

Joe

 

 

 

 

Joe,

 

Thanks---is this an HO kit then?!

Scratch built O scale crane pictures.

Nice work!     Platruct?   Can you please provide a parts list?

 

thanks

Brad,

Could you give us the Walthers heavy duty crane set item name or number ??

BradA

 

   The structure is made from Evergreen plastic there is no Plastruct in it. There is no parts list, but I can tell you there is a ton of plastic such as angles, channel, I beams, flat stock. I do not have a list of the actual sizes of the plastic but it was built to represent O gauge/scale.

 

Jeff

If you go to www.walthers.com and search under HO Cranes you will see they offer several. The Overhead Traveling Crane Kit 933-3102 is 12 3/16 x 8 5/8 inches with a regular price of $17.98 but is on sale for $14.98 in their November Flyer.

 

There is another Traveling Crain but I do not have the number handy. I believe this second one is the one refered to in the above post.

 

I am planning to build my own using HO track and wheel set for the left to right action of the hook. The forward and back action will be with rubber tires along the top of the side I beams. I plan to use a hook from the Lionel crane car (which I bought as a part at a show). Have not decided if I want to motorize it or not. Could become a rather involved project.

 

Paul Goodness

Here is a scratch built overhead.

 

Dave A few more images and a couple questions: 1 mill dimensions 2 lighting source?! Great work

Brad:

Yep - Walthers kit number 

 

933-3150

Cornerstone Series(R) Heavy-Duty Overhead Crane - Kit

$16.98

Brad:

I made a mistake - the first two photos only used the ends of the Walthers kit because the width was too long for the kit's girders. Whole crane kit was used in the third and fourth photos. 

I attached more photos of the custom design to give you an idea of the construction.

 

Also attached are some examples from various manufacturers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joe, James, Dave,

 

All superb work on the cranes.     James could weigh in on this, but I think a realistic dimension (width) for the crane would be 50' (12.5").  I seem to recall some bays in Weirton Steel being that wide.

 

This is a project I plan to do (after the 3 million other modeling items on my to-do list) .

 

George

G3750

 

  I spent 25 years in a steel mill running overhead cranes and I agree most of the cranes were probably around that width of 50'. Of course there were many variables to them through out the mill. The one's I operated were mostly 25 ton capacity.

 

Jeff

Jeff,

 

I remember.  We talked about that awhile ago - very cool.  I was a crane hook-up boy for a summer or so at Weirton Steel.  Cranes in the Tin Mill were hoisting 40,000-60,000 lbs coils.  I think (been 40 years now!) they were anywhere from 125 to 250 ton capacity.  I also worked with them in the Blooming Mill and Strip Steel.

 

Watched a ****ed-off crane operator on the night shift hookup the magnet, grab a coffee vending machine and dump it in the scrap bin for ripping him off.    Yeah, he wasn't a happy camper.

 

Anyway, the cranes look terrific!  As for motorizing them, I think you have 2 choices:

1. A stationary belt drive that engages a gear on the crane and moves it along the rail (I don't know how practical that might be).  I think Ernie at TrainAmerica did something like this with their motorized gantry crane - same principle.
2. A electric motor mounted on the crane itself that drives half a powertruck.  Again, I don't know how practical that is, either.

I haven't worked out the engineering details for either of these, but I have been thinking about them for awhile.

 

George

Dave,

 

Would you be so kind as to add some details to the size and products used in your rolling mill?   its great work!

 

Thank you in advance,

Brad

These are awesome! Thanks for sharing.