Loading dock and Travelling Crane

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Yes I've seen that kit and had considered it for another project on my layout. One thing I've notice that there is no shortage of uses for cranes on a model railroad!


I added the rails to the top of the structure today. I used code 55 (I think) left over from a narrow guage project.
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They had alreay been painted so it was just a matter of glueing them on top. using some elmer's hi-tech cement.
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Now the original Campbell structure had a winch and pulley system for moving the dolly back and forth on the rails. I think I'm going to electrify mine by putting a contol box on one the the upright legs with a conduit going up to the the rails. In researching I've seen other hoists modified in this way.
 


Older versions would have a tagline. Basically a steel wire with "hog" rings that the SO cord was attached to. As the crane moved it would pull the cord. Another variation was bare wires with conductive rollers. More modern is an encapsulated electrical bar with a copper shoe.
 
Many. Easiest though to type in "overhead cranes" in Yahoo! and then click on images.

If you have any specific questions I'll be glad to answer.
 
Thanks, I'll keep you in mind when I'm building the cranes for my intermodal yard. I would like to detail the container cranes more than the basic Walthers kit provides. I have 3 of their kits but I;m sure more details can make those kits look much better.

Dave
 
Older versions would have a tagline. Basically a steel wire with "hog" rings that the SO cord was attached to. As the crane moved it would pull the cord.
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Thanks that's what I'll do then. I was wondering what to do for a power feed to the dolly.
 
There would be two taglines. One would be along the runway supplying power to the crane and runway travel. A second tagline would run along the crane to power the hoist and trolley. I believe that OSHA regulated that the loops of the tagline could not hang down any more than 5'.
 


I'm not quite sure about the second tagline. I need power on control for the trolley (back and forth) and the hoist (up and down) Is there not a reason you could have all that in the same tagline since they are both going into the trolley?
 
That is correct. One tagline, along the bridge (or actual crane if you will) would have enough wires to supply power to the trolley and hoist. The other tagline would run along the runway structure to supply power to the bridge wheels so the entire crane can traverse back and forth on the runway.

A full power overhead crane has three electrical functions. Bridge, trolley, & hoist.
 
Slowly it's coming together. I started on the hoist dolly this weekend:
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It's about 8' square with a slight slant to the top so it wouldn't collect rain and snow in bad weather. I used my small carpenter's square to keep it straight.
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The roof and roof details added. The half round shape is the relief for the winch drum inside and the small square in the front would be an access door. I'm going to sand the edges and paint it in a neutral gray. when that time comes. The wheels are stolen from an old MDC handcar kit but I'm just starting to fit that together.
 
I've pretty much finished the dolly this weekend.
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As I mentioned before I used the wheels off an old MDC/roundhouse handcar kit The panel on the side is cut out of an Athearn GP-7 shell. I painted the dolly in flat black, then used artists tube acrylics (the thick tube kind) to brush a light rust down the sides and out of the louvers on the panel. The thick tube paint creates a nice texture when dabbed onto a flat surface, much like old surface rust under paint.
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I also drybushed a bit of rust running around the half-round structure and dabbed some around the top access hatch. Sorry if it doesn't show that well in pictures. It looks better in person.
After I rusted it I did a grimy black wash to blend everything together.
 
I like what you have been doing. Do you think you can get better lighting on the last photos as it's hard to see the rust color because of the black color car.
Thanks,
Dave
 
Hopefully this will be better. One of the most difficult things is to get a good detail shot on a black surface.
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Better but it looks like the green truck is in focus better then the dolly. Try to step back about a foot and that should help. Over all the dolly looks cool.

Dave
 
I think I'm on the home stretch now. I added the contol box, conduit and electrical pick rails today. I took pictures before I painted the conduit since it would be more difficult to see the detail later.
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I decided to use an electric rail/slider system for powering the dolly instead of a tagline (looped power cord) I think this gives a better feel for the era I'm modelling.
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The Contol box is a leftover tomestone from a woodland scenics kit (it was handy and the right size) I used two different sizes of brass rod for the conduit and power rails. The brackets on the conduit are stripped twist tie wire. There are two power rails, one for the winch and one for the dolly's movement.
After this I have to add the dolly and then fabricate the electical pickups from that to the power rails.
 


Did you put in 3 power rails? It was probably the mid-50s when the industry began switching from open/exposed wires to the enclosed buss bar.
 
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