Call the Big Hook! D&RGW Derrick 028


gjslsffan

gjslsffan

Well-Known Member
Been gathering parts for this project for a while. Finally got the single cable sheaves (27 of them) from Athearn a few days ago, so getting a good start on this. Grafted the Roco boom to the Athearn hoist house and reworked the draw works to fit 21 of the sheaves in all the blocks and 250 ton hook. Also rebuilt the cable winders on the old Athearn design. Fitted Phillips head screws into them so you dont have to use that older crank type tool in the winders anymore, also made up a sort of clutch so they work better.
A few modifications to the crane house as well like all the ladders sanded off the back and rounded a bit. Put on sheet styrene, cut a door and install it on the back, plugged a window, still need to cut another window out on the back, added a bunch of piping and grabs on the house as well as the rest of the crane too. The cooling coil is a P2K part and the rest were bent and installed, lot of handrails around the doors on this. Still a lot of work to do on this, and yes the whistle shows installed that way from a image I have. There are a lot of images of the "firemans side" of the derrick but detailed shots of the "operators side" are very scarce. The little White thing on top the house towards the rear is an exhaust stack and rain cap.
However, the most challenging thing is going to be building the boom tender for this thing, still gathering parts for that project.

I am so very lucky this crane sits about 2 miles away from my house so I have gotten a few pictures of the
" Big hook, Samson the Grande" over the past 25+ years.

Here are a few progress images
 

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Was looking at some photos of the derrick, and noticed there were some more details I could add under the crane house, the model did not show how heavy this thing was built, man there is a lot of steel on this. There is a heavy ring of steel with holes in it around where the house attaches to the bottom of thing, there are also huge heavy rollers on the back and a kind of hook looking thing on the bottom front.
Made the ring w .188 styrene channel with a bunch of holes drilled every scale foot, then wrapped .030X100 strap around the top of the channel to make a lip for the rollers. The rollers are Z scale wheels with the flanges ground off. I then used .060 styrene and carved the roller mounts and attached all to the house.
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Here are a couple progress photos The rigging of this thing has taken the last 2 days to do a lot of silk line on this little bugger. now some glazing for the windows and weathering. Whew! I need a drink after all this cable rigging.

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Great work, Tom. Wish it were not black soes we could appreciate the detail better.
How did you form the ring?

Thanks ...
 
ARGGGGG! Your second post came up after I hit the send button. LoL

That sucker had a bunch of cables on it for sure.
 
Fantastic build Tom, looks great!
I wonder if a little weathering might bring out all those details as Sherrel mentioned?
 
Thanks guys, it has been fun to build this, now I have a SL-SF a BN D250 and DRGW 028 big hooks. The BN one was a lot of work too, the boom tender was at least as much work.
Oh yea We gonna weather this up. I think it will bring out what needs to be seen LOL, and prolly some I dont want you to see. :D
The Tender for this one is gonna be the biggest challenge yet in the crane builds.
 
I'd love to see the D250 if you get a chance to post it.
I did a generic version and I'd like to do it up again.
 
That is an excellent build. Outstanding. I know it took a lot of patience. I have built a number of sailing ships and working on the rigging is some very tedious work.
 
Managed to get a little closer to being finished to this crane tender, for the D&RGW crane 028. I think this car started as an all purpose 89' flat and evolved from there into this. I have scratch build some spreader bars for the hoist too, but they are not finished. The slots under the car is for wooden cribbing for the crane outriggers. Built it based on the photo attached. There are oxy/acetylene bottles extra trucks/wheels, and some extra drawbars. A bunch more details to add, and a little weathering, as this car has seen little use. And thats a good thing. I have to built a few more MOW cars for this to be done but a update for you.
Thanks for stopping buy.

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WOW, TOM ... That has got to be the largest 'tender' I have ever seen!
Looks good the way you have fixed it up.
 
Very nice Tom!
Lots of details I've never thought about, might have to work on some of mine!
 
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