Hi all,

One of my most recent 'micro' layout ideas (or an element/module of a larger layout), is to build a nuclear power station terminal (like that at Dungeness, for example), and to run it in a variety of eras, with different rolling stock, locos, etc.  One thing I'd need is a gantry crane - something not unlike this:



Anyone got any good ideas of where I'd find a suitable crane in N?  If I had decent 'close-up' images I could scratch-build one, though I'd prefer to 'bash' a kit into something resembling this beast.

Thanks,
Phil

Hi Phil,
That doesn't look too far off the Heavy Duty Crane Mill Lane Sidings used to do:
http://www.mill-lane-sidings.co.uk/mlsheavydutygantrycrane.html
You can download the PDF instructions from the link at the bottom of the page which might give you an idea whether it's something you could replicate from scratch or adapting another.
It is still listed on the NGS shop list 1/13, but you'd probably need to check with them to see if they still have actual stock.
MLS still list a lighter gantry crane you might possibly kitbash.
Knightwing also do some which might also be worth looking at:
http://www.knightwing.co.uk/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?next=27&cart_id=1364419755.314&product=N_Lineside_Kits

Regards, Gerry 

Additional: There's an 'indoor' gantry crane in the Scalescenes modern warehouse download that might also be worth a look at:
http://scalescenes.com/products/T009-Modern-Industrial-Building

Thanks chaps!  Food for thought.  I've sent an email to the NGS shop asking about the MLS crane.

I have decided, more or less, to scratchbuild the crane - it should be well within my capabilities.  I just need to find a few more photos of 'similar' cranes, to copy the features I like - it will not be 'accurate', but should, hopefully, be 'plausible' (unless, presumably, you really know about cranes...).  This decision was precipitated by having acquired a set of Ratio's 'Trestles' (kit #242) today:



which I thought would neatly solve the problem of the framing for the ends - which would be the hardest bit to scratchbuild (time-consuming and fiddly, rather than particularly difficult - cutting all the angles being the hardest part).  They're a bit tall, but I can saw some off the bottom!  I've got some Plastruct 'I' beam in my stock of plastic strip, which will form the basis of the bit the 'truck' runs on.

I'm starting to find decent photos...

Hi Phil,

Looking forward to watching this develop. I built a small crane for my layout based on one I saw in Edinburgh but it is quite basic.



It sits on rails and the idea was to have magnets in along the bottom and magnets under the board so I could moved it back and forth. As per usual that didn't evolve much past the thinking stage. The hook block is able to slide along the top rail.

Alex

How about this Scalescenes kit?  Different to the indoor one suggested earlier.

http://scalescenes.com/products/T032-Gantry-Crane

Thanks - at the very least there are useful bits in that!

Hi Phil
I think also one of the German manufacturers have a similar designed crane as well as a plastic kit. I think this will be a Faller or Kibri kit, (one of the two anyway).
The only thing is it will we 1/160 scale as most of the German N gauge stuff is.

Dil

Hi Phil

P&D Marsh do a gantry crane as a kit. I think it is in whitemetal with plastic parts too but I am not 100% sure. However it is a little on the expensive side.

Regards

http://www.pdmarshmodels.com/show_product.php?pid=607&cat=99&order=1&pageno=0

Quote from: Joe 90 on March 29, 2013, 08:20:42 PM
Hi Phil

P&D Marsh do a gantry crane as a kit. I think it is in whitemetal with plastic parts too but I am not 100% sure. However it is a little on the expensive side.

Regards

http://www.pdmarshmodels.com/show_product.php?pid=607&cat=99&order=1&pageno=0

Thanks...  Interesting.

Vollmer made the one that I made about 8 years ago........

Quote from: Alex on March 29, 2013, 04:01:45 PM
Hi Phil,

Looking forward to watching this develop. I built a small crane for my layout based on one I saw in Edinburgh but it is quite basic.

It sits on rails and the idea was to have magnets in along the bottom and magnets under the board so I could moved it back and forth. As per usual that didn't evolve much past the thinking stage. The hook block is able to slide along the top rail.

Alex

Hi Alex   

Did  it not work   because of the size of magnets you could find as i  have some small  ones that could fit the bill 

Hi Nick,

I thought about doing it but that's as far as it went. Didn't start to look for magnets. No point now as I will not be using that building on the new layout.

Alex

Hi Guys

A bit more variety from Bridgwater.

[smg id=4373]

Regards
Russ