Garden Railway Forum

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!

Very nicely done. Always liked the Fergie but they were developed after the period my railway is set. Clever design for the crane. Looks the job and I like ( of course ), your bodgelling.

Rik

Both those items of rolling stock are superb. Well done.

I'm guilty of running empty mineral wagons and flat wagons.

It's nice to see loads being conveyed and working vehicles. Is it a mess van next?

I too regard myself as a bodger rather than a modeller and I'm certainly not an engineer!

Ian

Both very nice, Phil.
I've always had a soft spot for the little grey Fergie and have a look for one from time to time with no success.
My attraction stems from a plastic kit that I was given when I was about 4 or 5 years old and my dad put together for me. Needless to say it soon got broken, but I've never forgotten it. No idea what make it was, way back then ( not Airfix though), but my childhood memory says it would have been about the right size for my railway now. It was certainly much to big for the Triang train set I got at about the same time!

Oooo......, I do love a crane, and that looks just the job. The Citadel paints are well suited to finish a good model and 'Agrax Earthshade' is use by the bucketfull on my railway as it settles in all the nooks and crannies where 12"/ft. scale muck would naturally settle.

Thanks for the kind comments all. The Citadel paints are a revelation Peter, and I agree with you about agrax earthshade. It's a shame the names aren't generally not intuitive. I think earthshade is probably the most obvious of some very odd names

Great crane - nicely set up and like the added extras like the supports and general clutter - must get mine underway!

Love the crane Phil, I also have a crane to build and a little grey fergie, but that was going to go on the line somewhere, but it’s a great idea that, can I pinch it.

I have all the bits for my crane, so when I get round to building it, I will post build photo’s…

Great cars! I also love the tractor. Must get one on a flatcar as well, they really look nice. The crane is also a brilliant piece of british engineering though I would give the gears a bit of blackish/ blueish grease to prevent excessive wear..

That just oozes atmosphere - such a lot of detail and interest on a single wagon with the crane, jacks, tools and materials! The tractor wagon looks superb too - those large chain links fixed to the deck look very effective.

Thanks Simon - the tie downs are just pieces of the chain used for links, one link cut in half and then drilled and mounted into the body of the flat.
And Daan - what do you mean, "typical British engineering" ? That was the effect I was after - I'm sure most narrow gauge railways had an enthusiastic engineer who enjoyed being let loose on a project, irrespective of whether they had experience at it or not!