Train-compatible Friends-style container crane

[mahjqa]

I was wondering whether to put this on the train forum or here- but technic won out.

 

[deltamc]

Interesting solution with the chain. I really liked it.

[Aurorasaurus]

I like this, its super fun and looks great to play with. The part usage of the hockey spring for the grabbers is fantastic, I'm really impressed. And the video was a pleasure to watch, I'm glad you built a little scene around the crane. Fantastic work, it looks like a lot of fun!

[idlemarvel]

Great build and equally great video. Very robust construction. I'm glad you let kids play with it at the show, play is what Lego is for after all!

[MKJoshA]

This is an engineering marvel. Thank you for sharing some behind-the-scenes.

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Wow, the use of the chain to manage the descent and hooking functions is wonderful!

The chain that spaces out a black piece every many gray pieces is the icing on the cake!

[lcvisser]

I saw (and played ) with an earlier version that still had the ropes I think. The chain looks so much cooler! Amazing work and video, as usual! 

[TinkerBrick]

Great MOC.
The mechanisms to control the crane is really cool. The weighing station ist fun.
Also - it is refreshing to see a the MOC being Friends-themed. Draws attention of girls getting into engineering.
Thanks for sharing.

[Zerobricks]

It's nice to see you back with another ingenious model in your signature colors. The single chain doing all the work is simply billiant and having a bit of color to see it move is a great touch too.

[Toastie]

Dear all,

again (yeah, happened before): This topic is tagged as “featured” but it is not appearing on the main page. If this is just a temporal issue (someone tagged it, the machine has a slot in a couple of hours to check for new tags), fine. But if it is not, I will just create a new thread in the TrainTech forum, with the message: Look here. As this is relevant there as well. I am browsing this forum regularly - but train heads may - or may not.

@mahjqa has selected this forum as target, but here, there are too many cars drowning everything not car related ...

All the best
Thorsten 

[mahjqa]

@Toastie Thanks for the info.

I was torn on where to post it- it seems equally appropriate on either forum- but I was worried that posting on both forums would be considered spam.

I'm so glad you all seem to like it, thanks for all the positive comments! 

In case someone missed it, I made this tiny one as well: 

 

Edited May 12 by mahjqa

[howitzer]

I think this is definitely more Technic than trains, because it's built mostly from Technic parts and has technical functions as the main point of interest, and with little changes could be adapted for other kinds of purposes too, beside lifting containers in and out of trains. (A harbour crane moving containers in and out of ships would be a nice adaptation.)

Anyway, great job, I love the mechanism performing so many functions with a single chain, and it's great to have a video of a simplified version too to demonstrate how it works!

[m00se]

Just rewatched the "grabber" piece 20 times, I love these kind of original mechanisms.

 

Also, the last video with the circular track: what if you make that into an arcade claw game: let the train run at fixed speed but have the user control crane turn speed and grabber simultaneously; should be pretty challenging then to grab a container.

[Zerobricks]

21 hours ago, Toastie said:

Dear all,

again (yeah, happened before): This topic is tagged as “featured” but it is not appearing on the main page. If this is just a temporal issue (someone tagged it, the machine has a slot in a couple of hours to check for new tags), fine. But if it is not, I will just create a new thread in the TrainTech forum, with the message: Look here. As this is relevant there as well. I am browsing this forum regularly - but train heads may - or may not.

I featured the topic and it is in the front page, the problem is that there's no photo, so it's not shown.

[Toastie]

27 minutes ago, Zerobricks said:

I featured the topic and it is in the front page, the problem is that there's no photo, so it's not shown.

Yes - I should read before I write. Sorry for that!

However, without picture it does not really “show” - I guess a brief hint (= new brief thread) in TrainTech would not hurt, would it? I agree with others that this is of course Technic, but the beauties making it shine it are all tracks, trains, and wagons - and it does really work well in such a setting.

All the best
Thorsten

 

[dr_spock]

Clever use of chain links on the tower crane trolley. 

[Shiva]

Thumbs up and nice video.

[aeh5040]

The chain system is fascinating! Definitely belongs here