operating Gantry Crane...

If you are doing a scratch job I would try some of the robotic sites.  Make magazine has a great site with all kinds of micro motors, controllers, etc,.  Russ

http://makezine.com/

Either Gargraves or Ross makes a long track section with O three rails PLUS two rais for the Lionel gantry crane. The ties are wood and the rails are solid. There are adapter pins to mate it to Lionel tinplate track and some others.

There have been several articles on making the Lionel gantry crane move along the rails using a threaded rod, a long "coupler" (rather than a "nut"), and a motor.

I am curious as to why you do not want to use the Lionel gantry cranes especially the newer models that have multiple motors to provide the crane movement.

Paul Goodness

Hi Paul,

I need an overhead crane in the building that travels back and forth; ideally one with a magnet (that works lifting sheets) and another for the ingots.

I am thinking I will have to scratch build one as I don't see any but HO in the market.    I have the walthers HO model and its feasible for a small crane, but not for ignots etc.

Thank you

I think your best bet might be to find something that operates the way you want and then adapt it to your situation by scratchbuilding around it. Getting a reliable and good-looking operating mechanism is the hardest part, so starting with an engineered solution to that is smart. In this light, one of the HO items that you have found might be just the ticket.  The mechanism should be small enough to hide in an O-guage scratchbuilt structure.

OK, now I understand what you are trying to build. Something that looks like Walthers "Overhead Traveling Crane" # 933-3102 (12 3/16 x 8 5/8 inch footprint) but inside a building. Not like their "Operating Gantry Crane"# 441-76501. Right? 

What is the Length and Width of the building footprint? If you look at their "Heavy-Duty Overhead Crane" # 933-3150 you will see that it measures 11 x 2 3/8 x 2 5/16 inches. Is your building wider than 11 inches? If it is you could just expand the size and scratch build it.

For the rails that run the length of the building you could use H beams turned on their sides to make a "channel" for the bridge structure's wheels to travel in. You could use small rubber wheels connected to a small DC geared motor. But that would require a DC power cord that is problematic. I would use the threaded rod with long coupler and motor that is mounted at the end of the rod. That allows you to use a DPDT switch to move the bridge forward and back the length of the building.

The bridge could use HO track (without the ties) mounted on top of the two gerders that make up the bridge. A small geared HO power truck (slow) would move the hook / magnet carriage from one side of the building to the other. Power would be through the HO rails. Getting the power to the rails could be by having metal strips along the H rails and one metal wheel on either side of the building. A DPDT switch would control the left / right movement.

The Hook carriage would needs another geared motor with a winding drum to lower and raise the hook. Powering it requires a separate power supply system than the one that powers the carriage because the hook motor needs it's own DPDT switch. I am sure you can figure that out similar to the other methods. The magnet of course will require yet another method and DPDT switch.

Hope this is helpful in your quest for a neat accessory. 

Paul Goodness

Paul

Your ideas are appreciated.   I spent some time working on this today.    I found a magnet and several small motors.    I will look for a winch/drum tomorrow.    Even more exciting are brass I beams 36" long in o scale!!!

BradA, Lionel has a replacement part for a hook and an electric magnet that they use on their crane cars, their gantry crane, and several other items. Although Lionel probably do not have it in stock, parts dealers sell them (listed in OGR mag.). I see them at train shows too.

It sounds like you will be moving the bridge 36 inches while carrying a heavy load. The threaded rod would be great for this as it is very strong and the bridge will not jam at an angle. There is no slippage either.

In fact you may want to use a threaded rod for the left / right carriage too so there is no slippage and it would keep it positively straight.

Both the lift gear motor and the magnet will have to be rather strong also unless the steel sheets and ingots are light dummies.

I would think all the movements would operate best if they are slow and with strong torque. Keeping everything properly lined up will be important to prevent jams.

in my enginehouse, I used the walthers ho 250 ton crane. I used athern metal wheels and HO cement track for the rails glued on top of atlas o girder bridges.

as far as making the crane winch go up and down that will take a lot of work. back and forth for the crane travel would be feasable with a spring and a small rpm motor though....

I do not know how many posts have been on here wanting overhead cranes, either in buildings of outside of buildings. Looks like one of the manufacturers would get the hint. I am thinking of all the time that we spend in researching these, buying the various scratch build parts, etc. I bet they could sell more than any of us could think.

Just thinking out loud here, I just wish someone would build it....they will come, and buy them.

I have located several small motors; need to make or find a small winch for the cable.    I also found a magnet that lifts 22lbs---so I will be constructing a couple this spring.

Roger, I am sure that the market exists.    Lionel's gantry isn't bad, but it seems bulky.    I may yet kitbash a postwar version for my dock area.