Modifying a Tyco Crane

G`day Folks,
Some time back I decided to modify a Tyco American style crane into a more British looking piece of rolling stock. Some artistic licence required,but in for a penny in for a pound.
So below is an account of how it went.
A TYCO Crane that was given to me by a family friend.

Going by the name The Rock , I`m assuming it`s from the Rock Island Line.??



There is also an accompanying flat car with a caboose type fitted cabin on the end. To achieve something that looks remotely British, I`m not going to use the flat car, but rather two Mainline short, flat wagons.

The first issue is with the overall height. It won`t fit through my exit holes in the wall of my railway room. I can either go around and alter the four holes or modify the crane. So I decided to modify the crane. I took some material off the base of the cabin and I`ve reconfigured the top of the jib where the cables enter the cabin.

The other issue is the couplings. I am changing over all my stock to small Bachmann tension locks so to be able to run the crane, I need to remove the standard TYCO fitted version.



Basically, it`s out with the cutting tools and a bit of fudging and fiddling is required.

The overall height was fairly easily done and once that issue was sorted I was confident enough to proceed with the couplings.

The first one was fitted by using a plastic sleeper slid into the recess left by removing the TYCO coupling. A slightly trimmed Bachmann was screwed under the protruding end of the sleeper.



Once I could couple the crane to a loco, I could do some proper testing. Not knowing much about break down cranes, I`m learning as I go. One thing that was obvious during testing was that the end of the jib would over hang the the edge of the rails as it went around a curve. A bit of research revealed that the jib should rest on a trailing flat wagon with a device fitted to hold the end of the jib in place. That would mean then that the cabin would rotate slightly on a curve instead of the jib and the overhang problem would be fixed.

The solution presented itself in the form of some drop down plastic legs as used on a semi trailer. I have some TYCO plastic semi trailers that came with the crane and one has sacrificed it`s legs.



Please bear in mind that everything is going to be repainted and slightly weathered so any glaring abnormalities should blend in.

The flat wagons will need some scratch built metal boxes fitted as well to make the whole thing look authentic.

The other thing to be considered was buffers. Fortunately I have a damaged Dock Shunter body which has offered up it`s buffer beams and buffers to further modify the crane and give it a more English, although rather hybrid look. A coat of paint can hide a multitude of sins, so I certainly hope that is true in this case.

Here`s the first buffer beam fitted. I`ve also used it to fit the second tension lock.



And here`s the second buffer beam, over the top of the coupling attached by a sleeper, and incorporating some steps. I did say it`s a hybrid!!



Card has been fitted to the top to hide a gap in the plastic. In this pic you can also see the ring on top of the wagon that holds the cabin in place and allows it to rotate. That has been shaved down to a minimum to achieve clearances as well.

Below ....ready for a test run around the curves to make sure everything stays connected and doesn`t derail.





And with the crane fitted. Note the lettering has been removed. I intend to add glazing to the windows and further details to bring it to life hopefully.



A bit of inspiration happened last night. I remembered I had some wooden blocks about the right size for tool boxes to go onto the flat wagons. This morning I pulled them out and thought I would have a go at shaping them to see if it will work. The idea is to create the basic shape of the box with the block and then cover the block with card or paper or whatever?

This a typical block.....they vary in length but otherwise the other dimensions are identical.



I want to have an angled lid on top of the boxes so the next problem was how to shape each block and have them near identical. Because they are small and difficult to hold, I made a jig from two of the longer blocks. The two pieces are simply nailed together



Using the jig, I can now hold the piece securely and sand one face at an angle on the face plate sander.



The jig allows me to achieve consistent results and here they are sitting on one of the wagons





The next task was to make some for the wagon that supports the jib. These ones have to be shorter in length because the wagon also contains a jib support and retainer. I made the grey jib support yesterday. It`s cut out of an old Hornby sprung buffer stop which is rather over scale to be of any great use to me otherwise. It still needs a bit of a clean up.

So here we are with two of the shorter blocks awaiting shaping.



Shaped again at the same angle



I`ve also put some black onto the new buffer beams as a base coat. Note the safety railing which has yet to be fitted. That will be added once the crane has been sprayed.







So all is good.....coming along nicely, but still a way to go yet.!!
I then started on the tool boxes for the wagons following the crane.

The box body has been covered with good old A4 paper stuck on with PVA. The steel bracing with rivet detail is made from greeting card again stuck down with PVA. The rivet detail is done using a pointy tool to push into the card from behind. I lay the card on a cutting mat and I use a steel rule as a straight edge and these rivets are spaced every two millimetres. The box handles are made from small staples



All this will be disguised with a base coat



Base coat of dark grey acrylic.





And finally a comparison to where it started from.....a little block of wood. Now his mates need to be covered up as well!!



A little bit of a tidy up is required and then eventually the whole lot will be sprayed an even darker grey. The crane and the wagon colours will match.
Three boxes done.....one to go for this wagon



I`ve sprayed today in Black, regardless of the weather.

I`ve also done the tool box wagon as well



The boxes are only sitting on there for the photograph. I have a good range of wagon transfers that can be used as well.

Believe it or not.....this is matt black.....it looks dark grey here.....anyway what can you do????



Some other bits and pieces.





Well that`ll do for today folks........I`ll post some more later on
Cheers for now
Gormo

 

G`day Folks,
The continuing story.

Here are a couple of pics of the crane cord that I`ve tried to make look like steel cable. I simply dabbed some silver paint onto a rag. Wrapped the rag around the cord and pulled the cord through the rag. It`s a random effect which I like and the trick is not to saturate the cord with paint otherwise it will become stiff.





OK folks.....that`s where we are at the moment.

Still to do.......convert a Piko wagon into a Mess van and paint......paint the other flat wagon that holds the jib rest and a couple of small tool boxes. Paint the front of the jib white. Red details on buffer beams and axle boxes and jib hooks etc.

So as you can see......little details except for the wagon conversion
Painting, painting, painting......the detail stuff takes a good while.

Here`s a couple of pics showing a test fit, albeit a loose fit, but you`ll get the idea.
Axle boxes have been painted red, ladders white. There are quite a few bits not fitted here. I`ve painted the pulley wheels red also. Most of the red needs a second coat too, especially the buffer beams.





Part of the long haul through the break down train is the job of converting an old Piko wagon over to a Mess van. I have two of these wagons and one is damaged and not really serviceable, so that has become the test bench for my ideas and trial runs.

So here is the wagon that is to be converted. The roof is too long, the verandah and rails have to go, the couplings and steps. There are too many roof vents as well.



Here is my guinea pig. This is very much a test vehicle for experiments with card. I am not too happy with my sliding doors in the center, they are in the wrong place anyway. The timber panelling below the windows works OK and some will be added over some of the windows as well.

I will use this roof on the other wagon....no need to do it twice. A buffer beam has to be built for either end and couplings sorted out.



Here is a rough facsimile of how the ends will be. Please bear in mind these are trials and consequently no great care taken with the accuracy. It`s more a case of working out what works at this stage and not worrying about perfect fit.

The card used for the panels is greeting card. The double doors were done with cereal box card.

Even as rough as this sample is.....with some treatment from the air brush, it will be transformed.



This is where my mind is heading now whilst I`m finishing off the crane detail bit by bit. I`m fairly confident with this one.
Here is the first test run of the crane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BIpvKQ2zSo



I should add that after the video was shot, the wagon that has the jib rest, technically known as a Match Truck, was derailing occasionally on curves. The Match Truck not only supports the jib, but stops the jib from swinging out sideways on a curve. The movement, now being contained by the Match Truck, is transferred back to the cab, which rotates slightly as it negotiates a curve. I realized I had too much tension on the pivot for the cab, so that was easy enough to sort out. Things improved considerably, however I was still getting the odd incident. Finally extra weight was added to to the Match Truck and that has sorted it out once and for all.

It was suggested by Matt at the time that the crane should be able to lift it`s own Match Truck back onto the tracks after it derailed.

Well maybe it could as per below.




The remaining tool boxes were fitted so here is a pictorial update.
The eagle eyed amongst you will notice, courtesy of Macro photography, some inconsistencies with the box lids. The simple answer to this one is that, at some stage the boxes have been repaired with parts that don`t quite match. Just like the real world.

That`s my story and I`m stickin` to it !!!.....Aahemmm????







The front end or Match Truck







You will notice the glazing is in



An overhead of the works. The winding gear on the left was originally sited on top of the crane but height restrictions necessitated it`s relocation lower down. When I was putting the parts back together, the original shaft for the left hand side snapped in two. A replacement was made from a machine screw and luckily it works.



And these are the two windows that could not be glazed. I have a key that fits over these two squared off shaft ends, that is used to wind the cables up and down. The right hand is for the jib and the left hand for the hook cable.



So here it is folks with Pressfix transfers applied and ready for work





And another test run video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZqpEuuoyYc



I`ve created a Load Plate that seems to appear on most of the real cranes I`ve seen pictures of. So I gathered some detailed info about such things and knocked one up in my drawing program. It was then printed onto photo paper, given a spray with sealer and stuck onto the crane as per below


So I`ll leave it there for the moment folks and when I return it will be into the mess van build proper.

Cheers
Gormo

 

Thanks Ron,
Even though the crane is complete, the pics may be helpful for extra detail. This build is a compromise in many ways and a blend of different things I`ve found in my research.
It`s funny,....when you start looking up pics for cranes, you realize nearly every one is different. Different makers, different types of crane....some diesel ,some steam....different load capacities..etc.etc. etc.
In the end I just built what I thought looked right and I can create a history to explain it if necessary.
However, it would be interesting to see what you have.??? No hurry though....I know you have a lot on your plate at the moment.
Cheers
Gormo

 

Thanks Chris,
As I say....I looked at a lot of pics and basically tried to copy what I felt would suit my crane.
Here are some examples that I found in my research.
http://www.eastsomersetrailway.com/gallery.php?gid=61
http://warwickshirerailways.com/misc/025_03_1981a_s.htm
Basically if you Google British Railway Cranes......Images.....stacks of them come up.
http://www.click Gormo

 

Thanks Toto,

You`ve jumped in there while I was replying with this bit below.. the dreaded overlap...not to worry...a quick edit and we`re done.
Right Folks,
Let`s see if we can upload all the info and finish this topic today.???
The Mess Van
So here we go. The coach in question is this one shown below. An old Piko product that is free running however at the moment, not suitable for a British layout.



The task at hand requires removal of the end verandahs and steps, trimming the roof to suit the length of the coach, covering up some windows with timber panelling, timber panelling on the ends of the coach,creating side fitted sliding doors, fitting tension lock couplings ....etc. etc....So plenty to do to bring about a transformation.

First stage is to remove the metal ends and steps and save the buffers. There are plastic lugs/ rivets holding them in place.





Next stage is to remove the plastic verandahs. I just butt them up to the face of the face plate sander and grind 98% of it away and then go more carefully with hand tools. I also need to work the back ends of the coach to remove any obstacles sticking up. I need a flat surface to stick on my panelling.



The panelling is made from greeting card, Christmas card actually, and is marked out and scored accordingly to achieve the timber look.



For the panelling to be fitted some of the rivet detail has to be removed to give a flat surface. I`m also relocating doors so here is a rough cut version below.



The roof has been cut down from an identical test coach and some of the roof vents have been removed also. The panels are being cut out an fixed into position. One set of sliding doors with bracing have been fitted



Now the end panels are fitted





And a small panel next to the window in the door.



This wagon certainly will have a lot of artistic licence, however from the prototype wagons I`ve seen, they are a mixture of stock that has been turned over to a new role or stock that has been converted for their new role of Mess van. So I`m not too worried about getting it exactly right, just a close resemblance will do. The fun of it is to create something unique with even a fabricated history to go with it.

All the panels are on and some additional trim. The wagon has two different side profiles. Here is side A



And here is side B



The idea here, as mentioned earlier, is that this is a modified coach turned over to special purpose. So therefore the lack of balance or symmetry.

A piece of card has been added to the bottom of the end walls for buffer mounting. That`s probably the next job.???



Here it is in it`s intended position in the break down train. Take no notice of the brake van.....that will be sorted.!!



The next stage for the wagon is the spray booth. I`ve gone with GW Brown for this one.

Here are some pics of it still wet.......it`s good to see the end of the White look.

An end



The side with extra windows





And the side with fewer windows.



The under carriage will be painted Black. Handrails have to be made and fitted to the doors. The roof will be painted White

The roof has been painted, chassis and buffers as well, steps have been added and also transfers and the glazing has gone back in.



The opposite side





And an end



Well folks......it just needs couplings added and some hand rails for the doors and of course it`s too clean!!!!......so some weathering to make it look used

So we have some pics and a video to finish off.
Right!!!! ....to recap...this is where we started.



And this is how we have finished up...... even with the correct brake van.??







There are little bits and pieces that can be done to further enhance the detail, plus weathering of course, but they can now be done when the mood takes me.
The build is now officially ended and the train can be run.
Thanks to all those who have encouraged me and given me helpful hints and useful links to information.

So here we go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2p1dVAWIk8


Well folks......I hope you`ve enjoyed that. It was nice for me to go over it again. I quite enjoyed that build and I`m happy with the results......so that`s all that matters to me.
http://www.click Gormo

PS....You may also see the breakdown train having a run in Episode 2 of Gormo`s Shed...coming soon.!!!!