Self Propelled Crane?

The Lionel Burro crane is self propelled.. #18402.....

Yes, but not scale. Does anyone sell a motorized axle motor, is there such a thing?

Lionel’s latest TMCC gantry cranes, cataloged in 2016, are self-propelledon their own rails.

Edmund Schwartzel 060518 posted:

Yes, but not scale. Does anyone sell a motorized axle motor, is there such a thing?

It's pretty close.  The Burro crane is the only crane that would be powered.  None of the six wheel cranes are powered, neither model or prototype.

Yes Northwest Shortline sells an axle motor.  It is called a Magic Carpet Drive.  They do come in 2 or 3 rail.

Gene Anstine

grfd59 posted:

Edmund Schwartzel 060518 posted:

Yes, but not scale. 

It's pretty close.  The (Lionel) Burro crane is the only crane that would be powered.  None of the six wheel cranes are powered, neither model or prototype.

Gene Anstine

As Gene says, the Lionel Burro is pretty close to scale, although the boom is a bit short. Prototype Burros are not very big. Note in the photos that the Lionel Burro is really too big for the "traditional" gondolas, and how small the prototype Burros are compared with prototype gondolas. The Lionel Burro would go better with scale gondolas and flatcars. And as shown on the bottom picture, they work fine in scale layouts. 

I built a 2 rail model of an American 825 Locomotive Crane starting with a MTH model.  It is powered by a Stanton Drive powered truck from NWSL.  I don't know if the drive is available in hi-rail, but they are custom built to order so maybe so!  Mine is radio controlled, battery powered, with a DCC sound decoder.  There is no actual crane functions, just self propelled.  I added a tender made from an Intermountain gondola.  The crane boom floats on the tender car and freely rotates to accommodate turnouts and curves.  The drive is powerful enough to haul the crane and tender as well as 3 NMRA weighted cars up a 2% grade.