Hornby's Breakdown Crane origins???

link to the pics

BTW the problem of the tilting has been fixed with a plastic spacer ..... is definitely NOT a good look having the crane resting and the thing leaning forward!

Steve

Steve, Am not sure that the steam versions made it to yellow, I think all of the original "Cowan Sheldon 76 ton" (to answer your question) had been converted to diesel by then (The cab is extended and more round to the rear.)

The bad news is that the Jib runner is nothing like what the real thing is, but you have done a really great job and I'm not going to knock your efforts for Hornbys failings ! :-)

Have you thought about changing the chains and pulleys to something more prototypical ? There are some of these cranes still on the main and in preservation. The ELR and CVR have one, and I understand there may be one at The Railway Age\LNWR works at Crewe.

A great effort, well done.

Andy

I have just completed weathering and detailing Hornby's Breakdown Crane in yellow - I purchased this one in particular to go with my Pullman coaches......not that it would accompany them, rather be a dedicated Pullman Breakdown set in case anything happened to one of the Pullman Trains. It came with late British Rail insignia which I replaced with a decal from a sheet of Pullman livery I bought a while back. No doubt totally wrong when compared to what "should've" been done but I'm not fussed.

This is my first foray into weathering and detailing since childhood and so far, am very happy with the results - I know I can do better, especially with some more detail parts etc and an airbrush instead of Humbrol's and turps.

Have a look and feel free to comment

Anyway, to my point: What are the origins of the Breakdown Crane? Was it modelled after a real prototype and if so do pictures exist somewhere. I would love to learn more as I have another Crane I wish to detail and weather (this one is in what appears to be such a deep green it appears almost black).

Thanks folks

Steve

Further to the last Steve, I'll see if I can find the pictures of my effort at butchering the model that was in Model Rail some years ago !

Andy

"Andy Sollis- Churnet Valley model Railway Dept." wrote

The last steam cranes I saw in operational condition in the early 1980s (Eastfield TMD) were still painted red. I too have no recollection of seeing *any* in yellow.

John.

Thanks Andy

I have wanted to change them to something more like the originals but couldn't find anything. If they used cable, I would be OK though as I have some stuff that looks like heavy duty rusted cable.

Any ideas?

Further, I will make a things more prototypical if I can get decent pics.

best wishes

Steve

Also, I'd like to get rid of the god-awful finger knobs/wheels and at least replace them with spoked wheels.

BTW where did an operator sit?

The Hornby crane is 4 inches to short for scale, to save making a new mold for the match truck they used what was available. I aquired a set of drawings from Cowans Boyd for the 76t crane, with Roger Murray having a copy, and now Pete Waterman, I still have a copy in my 76t crane kit box (7mm). I will get round to scratch building a 4mm one which I intended in the first place. Good references are the Rialway accident books Jon Halls web site

a nice book if you can get a copy Railway Steam Cranes by John S Brownlie, I picked mine up recently after a long search.

Ian Gearing

thanks very much!

Those drawings would be something.

Steve

Steve, I'll take my camera and see if I can get some shots of our crane in the morning, providing they have not moved it out of the passenger section of the line...

mindesign wrote

Also, I'd like to get rid of the god-awful finger knobs/wheels and at least replace them with spoked wheels.

BTW where did an operator sit?

In a cab to the rear... See the picture at....

You may just make out the two windows.?

or better still as it shows some of it from the "tuther" side...

Andy

After I presented the drawings to Pete Waterman at Railex, he informed me that he owns the crane that the drawings are from.

you mean in 1:1?????

if so

WOW!!!!!

Steve

:)

brilliant Andy thanks .... see if you can get some of where the crew would go along with the pulley arrangements ....... I have decided to "archive" the crane I just finished, and go to town on my next one which is sitting waiting to be started, so all will come in handy. I also have the TICHY model from the US (American profile of course, but I don't mind that when it comes to industrial stuff) to do which will be an excellent model - pics available if anyone wants me to upload therm to my site just sing out

Thanks again

Steve

interesting, seeing as how there seems to be no windows on the Hornby at all - even in their latest offerings which is what I am using to "re" model. An odd omission considering there's room enough...... maybe I am missing something.

thanks again

Steve

The big open area is what became the cab on the diesel model. You probably needed the open space to let the heat out from having your back to the boiler. Mind you, I seem to remember a mate saying once the diesel engine was up to rpm it was still warm and stuffy in there. You may also need to extend to roof so it goes over the area where the drums etc are. It then rises with the "arm" that the lower pulleys sit on...

Sadly, the crane is back at Oakamoor, 1 1/2 miles south of where my DMU terminated today and as there is no vehicle access to the old quarry sidings where it is stored, I was a bit snookered!

I'll bear in mind and also see if I can dig out my pictures of the model I made which appeared in Model Rail a few years ago now.

Andy

thanks again

Steve

thanks heaps Andy ..... and I will continue researching

:)

Steve