Garden Railway Forum

Think you are confusing me with Mark but good luck with the move...the last two January's we have moved my son and as said before, not a favourite job.

I like the crane and the operator, Stan Laurel?

bazzer42 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 02, 2018 1:43 pm
I like the crane and the operator, Stan Laurel?

Sorry Derek It should have been Peter…

The drivers name is Dan I think…… It’s all getting to much for me…

Hi Rod,

I'm really impressed with your crane. It's a great looking piece of equipment. A really workmanlike machine. Very neat and tidy build too. Well done!

Andrew

Soar Valley Light wrote: ↑Mon Jun 04, 2018 5:57 pm Hi Rod,

I'm really impressed with your crane. It's a great looking piece of equipment. A really workmanlike machine. Very neat and tidy build too. Well done!

Andrew

I agree, very nice - lovely cranes all round in fact.

Just as I was thinking that a crane was one thing I wouldn't be building for my WHR-themed line I remembered the FR crane, seen here at Boston Lodge - seemingly up on blocks, unless it really was horribly out of gauge?
I suppose that might have ventured up the WHR, so I could find an excuse to build one if I ever fancied it. Hmmmm...

Cheers,

Andrew

Go on..... you know you want to!

Peter Butler wrote: ↑Tue Jun 05, 2018 2:33 pm Go on..... you know you want to!

It seems it was an ex-WD crane, like the L&B ones:
Not the most attractive item of rolling stock in the world, but one day, maybe...

It looks like it really was that tall, perched up on those Pechot bogies, so presumably couldn't head beyond Boston Lodge on the Ffr or through the Aberglaslyn tunnels on the WHR.

I think I recall reading that it was a Col. Stephens purchase (he had a bit of thing about cranes...) and that it never left that siding, although I may have made that up...

Cheers,

Andrew.

It looks a lot like Rik’s……only Rik’s has a straight Jib….

I love that photograph of the quirky FR crane, it looks a bit top heavy to be safe on those raised turntable mounts. Might it have ever worked in this configuration?
What would be its power source .... manual or IC?

Peter Butler wrote: ↑Wed Jun 06, 2018 10:43 am I love that photograph of the quirky FR crane, it looks a bit top heavy to be safe on those raised turntable mounts. Might it have ever worked in this configuration?
What would be its power source .... manual or IC?

I'd guess manual, can't see any sort of i/c engine, but then I can't see where you'd operate it manually either. Could those holes in the nearest gear be for inserting a handle? But then where would you stand? Perhaps the answer lies on the other side...

I've had a think... Wrightscale make the right bogies, but I think I'd go for the short-wheelbase Andel ones - close enough, much cheaper, and I'm happier working with resin than white metal. The flat wagons would be easy enough, but above that everything would be a real challenge - lots of curves, and just how do the mechanics of the thing work, what connects to or engages with what?

One for another day I reckon, maybe when I add a timber siding at Penlan and need a way of loading and unloading...

Thanks for the inspiration, crane-builders!

Andrew.