Crane Car Creativity

[WesternOutlaw]

Today's EB Train Tech discussion deals with Crane Cars.

Crane cars have been around for a long time. Since the introduction of blue-track LEGO Trains, maybe even early, the LEGO Train Theme has offered Crane Cars.

Crane Cars are an exciting part of Cargo Trains. Rough, industrial, yet precision engineering marvels that bring hook and haul play to your LEGO rails.

But what exaclty makes them so special?

A few questions to consider:

Is it the design and the angle of the crane that adds height to your trains, as an adjustable arm leans over the track?

Does the thought of having two train cars, one for loading and the other for transport add rail wagon excitement to your train?

Do strings, hooks, and turnable pieces add playability to your rails?

Or do you like the little construction box with classic train doors contained in the more recent 9V and R/C Cargo Train Deluxe?

Lastly, perhaps it's not the crane car itself, but the cargo that adds the real interest? Track pieces, cars, storage containers, and accessories that you want to hoist onto your trains.

So I ask, what is it that you like most about the Crane Car?

Discuss your thoughts here.

_{My Cargo Train Deluxe Crane Car helping in the construction of Cafe Corner}

[Zorbas]

Interesting.

Your topic takes me back to a discussion that was held in here about passenger trains vs cargo trains. I think that what makes crane cars so unique is playability in general.

A crane car has many functions and can easily blend with other train or town sets having a wonderful scene. Having that in mind, creativity can do miracles here especially when building smaller or bigger MOCs to accompany the crane car.

One more thing is that a crane car usually comes with extra elements such as cargo.

One last thing is the looks of a crane car. It's not boring. Most of the times crane cars are "oddly" shaped (in a good way) compared to simpler train cars and that makes them look different and more interesting.

[patje]

When a crane car is fixed at an ordinary train

en just running cirkels of wat ever...

you can do something else with it...

you can give a crane car something more .

certainly in a layout..

pat.

Edited March 20, 2010 by patje

[WesternOutlaw]

I love the pictures Patje, esp those with the old 12V crane cars. It looks like crane cars have certainly helped you build your layout. Unfortunately, I only own one - the newest from the R/C Cargo Train, but it is a nice one.

[Melfice]

Personally, I find that the crane car is a bit odd in set 7898.

No doubt everybody (who cares?) notices it's an e-loc pulling the cars.

How does the crane avoid the catenary (or, Overhead Contact System) wires? o_0

I'm a bit of a train-nut so that was a bit of a "Wait, what?" moment for me.

Anyway, when I let that set run a few laps, I generally don't have that car attached.

I dunno. It just looks a wee bit out of place on it to me. Currently planning on converting it to a container car with either a 40 foot or two 20 foot containers loaded.

I can only concur on the photos. Very nice work!

[Brickthus]

In the UK there's a Kirow crane that keeps its jib horizontal when moving track panels, so as to avoid the overhead wires. The picture shows the crane using its beam to lift track panels. The crane has an extra hydraulic foot to support the jib.

I built a working PF scale model of a Cowans Sheldon 76T rail crane. 76T would be 6 packs of 6 AA batteries, which I think it will lift at the scale distance from the centre of the turntable, given enough counterweights! I plan to have it in the yard on my layout, so that it can operate and be something other than a train that moves. Going round sharp curves is difficult, even with the turntable set to free run.

Mark

[Madcat2000]

I built a working PF scale model of a Cowans Sheldon 76T rail crane. 76T would be 6 packs of 6 AA batteries, which I think it will lift at the scale distance from the centre of the turntable, given enough counterweights! I plan to have it in the yard on my layout, so that it can operate and be something other than a train that moves. Going round sharp curves is difficult, even with the turntable set to free run.

Mark

I kind of doubt you need any extra couter weights if the thing has 36 AA batteries.

[Duq]

Read again MadCat. It doesn't have 36 batteries as a counter weight, it needs a counter weight to lift 36 batteries...

[roamingstop]

In the UK there's a Kirow crane that keeps its jib horizontal when moving track panels, so as to avoid the overhead wires. The picture shows the crane using its beam to lift track panels. The crane has an extra hydraulic foot to support the jib.

There are very similar cranes here in CH. The boom stays (more or less) horizontal during most of the lifting operation when laying tracks. The boom lifts higher when lifting things from adjacent tracks. A secondary horizontal boom extends from the rear (of the jib) to provide a counter weight. Cant find any photos at the moment.