'New' crane for the GWLR
Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 10:21 am
A couple of years ago I bought a bogie well wagon (low loader) at Elsecar, from Phil Sharples. Since building it (I gave it my customary six months 'cupboard seasoning' time first ) I've been looking for a suitable load. My initial thought was to get a tractor to go on it, but I struggled to find one at 1:18 or 1:20 at a sensible price.
Eventually, I came across a Heller plastic kit of the Little grey Fergie at 1:24 scale. Having built it, it then didn't fit the load area , so that got loaded onto the flat wagon that came with Santa's sleigh (from HGLW). With suitable chain and timber baulks to secure it, it makes a pleasing load - Farmer Piles new tractor for delivery!
That still left the well wagon. As my daughter had purchased a Model town manual crane for my birthday last year, and as it was now suitably cupboard seasoned, I decided to make it a mobile crane.
Just build, and plonk on well wagon I thought. But then, I started to think about how stable it would be as a crane in use. That needs stabilising jacks, I thought and so the plonking got more complicated
I decided to base the jacks on the type used on old turntable ladders; basically a large screw down leg, on swinging arms to stabilise the crane when in use. I found 4 suitable screws to utilise, and set to work.
Now it's dressed with various tools, baulks of timber and a rope or two lying around, as well as an operator (he's only standing in the crane whilst it's being moved - he has a large handle to wind on the right side when in use, to produce a prodigious 2 tons of lifting capacity)!
Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures during the build, but it is just a bit of bodgelling, which I'm sure anyone can do.
The paintwork was suitably weathered using citadel 'typhus corrosion' (gritty brown) and 'agrax earthshade' (a watery brown wash), with light touches of 'ryza rust' (orange) for newer rust marks.
The end result is as below. Charlie's Mum is giving him a stern talking to!
And the 2 loads together I just need to get a cameo photo of the crane in use now, with outriggers extended and jib swung!
Edited to correctly call the low loader a well wagon - I just couldn't recall that name when I posted!
Eventually, I came across a Heller plastic kit of the Little grey Fergie at 1:24 scale. Having built it, it then didn't fit the load area , so that got loaded onto the flat wagon that came with Santa's sleigh (from HGLW). With suitable chain and timber baulks to secure it, it makes a pleasing load - Farmer Piles new tractor for delivery!
That still left the well wagon. As my daughter had purchased a Model town manual crane for my birthday last year, and as it was now suitably cupboard seasoned, I decided to make it a mobile crane.
Just build, and plonk on well wagon I thought. But then, I started to think about how stable it would be as a crane in use. That needs stabilising jacks, I thought and so the plonking got more complicated
I decided to base the jacks on the type used on old turntable ladders; basically a large screw down leg, on swinging arms to stabilise the crane when in use. I found 4 suitable screws to utilise, and set to work.
Now it's dressed with various tools, baulks of timber and a rope or two lying around, as well as an operator (he's only standing in the crane whilst it's being moved - he has a large handle to wind on the right side when in use, to produce a prodigious 2 tons of lifting capacity)!
Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures during the build, but it is just a bit of bodgelling, which I'm sure anyone can do.
The paintwork was suitably weathered using citadel 'typhus corrosion' (gritty brown) and 'agrax earthshade' (a watery brown wash), with light touches of 'ryza rust' (orange) for newer rust marks.
The end result is as below. Charlie's Mum is giving him a stern talking to!
And the 2 loads together I just need to get a cameo photo of the crane in use now, with outriggers extended and jib swung!
Edited to correctly call the low loader a well wagon - I just couldn't recall that name when I posted!