Rail to ship transfer crane

[doug72]

Having a Lego Technic Control centre and two 9 volt motors lying idle I decided to build a Transfer crane for my Lego loft layout.

It uses studded lego technic beams and the legs from the 7939 crane, the legs are raisd to allow engines to pass underneath.

Motor 1 drives the hoist trolley along the boom using a drive pulley and elasticated cord.

Motor 2 drives the hoist drum inside the hoist trolley via 32L axle rod driving the worm gear and drum inside trolley housing.

Hoist trolley runs along the top of smooth tiles.

Both controled by the NS- EW control button on the Control unit. Biggest problem was fitting motors and gearing the drive into the Crane Cabin.

The crane is static and does not move along the dockside.

Small dockside shunter will form part of my planned layout with the Rail to Ship transfer carne and my Giant Block Setting Crane which can be viewed here:-

http://www.flickr.co.../116189129@N03/

Edited March 5, 2014 by Doug72

[dundarach]

Wonderful, I'll get there eventually with my crane. I really add a sense of real life to the layout.

[jayfield1979]

This is great!

I am planning on adding a ship to train crane in my project: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=92752

Cranes really do add a sense of purpose to the layout and massively increase play value (for little people and fun adults).

[JopieK]

Nice idea indeed. Crane still needs some aesthetic work though I think. B.t.w. I also like your little shunter, aesthetics the shunter is already quite nice ;)

[doug72]

JopieK:

Crane is made from parts I had available and the hoist trolley housing had to be big enough to hold the reduction gears and the hoist drum.

I might try and put the hoist winding drum in the green cabin structure as per my Block setting crane.

Shunter is based around the PF 88000 AAA battery box with the yellow sticky back plastic applied to the sides. It is quite capable of hauling several wagons.

[JopieK]

First need to sell some goods to gather money ey ;)

The shunter is very neat I think, maybe you can post us some 'inside' information?!

[doug72]

I'll post some photos of the dock shunter tomorrow - it was a tight sqeeze getting battery box, PF receiver plus connecting wires to fit out of sight.

There is a new Lego store near me now so I am able to get any new parts I need.

[dr_spock]

Nice work.

[doug72]

Mark 2 Crane:-

As I wasn't happy with the first version - i.e. hoist trolley too big and drive arrangment not reliable.

I rebuilt it to have both the hoist and trolley traverse drives within the cabin structure.

This allows for a more compact hoist trollley.

Main problem was gearing down the two 9 volt motors - this was done by a combination of drive belts and worm gears.

Traverse motor has a half bush driving a wedge belt wheel which in turn drives a worm gear meshing with a 24T gear turning another wedge belt wheel around which the 1mm o.d. elasticated cord runs pulling the hoist trolly back and forth. Gear ratio 86.9:1

Hoist motor - same arrangment except worm meshes with a 12T double bevel gear connected to the hoist drum - gear ratio 43.3: 1

Hook is double purchase.

The new drive set up is more compact, more realistic speed, more reliable and is protected from over travel by using rubber drive bands which allow motor half bush to slip if end travel reached.

Now to find a way to hide the connecting wires !

New photos here:- http://www.flickr.co.../116189129@N03/

Edited March 1, 2014 by Doug72

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Nice crane.

The video is amazing!

I like also the historical pictures!