Crane Inspiration

[Matt Dawson]

I'm going to try to build a crane, mostly using a (shortened) armature from the 7429 "XXL crane" set (Image here.)

Does anyone know of any links to an actual crane MOC that (sortof) functions? I'm putting pneumatics into the crane arm lift mechanism, and i'm retaining the sliding function of the arm. The main problem I'm having is the so-called 'match wagon' to support the crane arm - and counterbalancing the main crane.

So far, the closest to the crane I'm building is this:

Edited February 10, 2010 by TheBrickster

[TaltosVT]

I can't think of any MOCs off-hand, but I have some photos of actual cranes if that would help you out any.

The first is at the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, PA:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12534314@N04/...57622136804304/

There are more photos of it in that Flickr set, thought they are a bit scattered. You can see in that photo, however, that the main crane sits on the end of the crane car with the boom hanging out over the rest.

The second is a double-ended wrecker in the Danbury Railway Museum in Danbury, CT:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12534314@N04/...57621592167933/

Not as many photos of that one, as it's huge, and I couldn't get any really good angles of it. In that case, though, the center mass of the crane sits over the middle of the car, with arms hanging off both ends.

Both cranes basically just use a flatcar with the crane arm hanging over them. Photos of other cranes I've seen with the boom lowered, just have the arm resting over the flatcar.

-Elroy

[Matt Dawson]

EDIT due to little response, plus the somewhat specialist parts needed to continue, I have decided to cancel my crane project.

Edited February 26, 2010 by Matt Dawson