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45 ton Ransomes Crane


Hilux5972
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I posted a question in the Questions thread (with no replies), but perhaps here (where there is considerable expertise and also crane owners) might be a better place to ask...

 

I was fortunate to be able to spend an unexpected Xmas bonus on purchasing the red version of the crane from my local model shop. Yesterday I got it out for the first time, but am unable to remove the second of the two doors on the rear of the crane in order to lower the jib.

 

The door for the jib eventually came out, but unexpectedly flipped over as it came out using the turning knob magnet gizmo.  It would appear that the magnets are in opposition. The second (left/hook) door resolutely refuses to budge, and in fact I can revolve the crane using the magnet of the knob gizmo a good 1-2cm away from the model!

 

Is this normal behaviour with the magnets?

 

I have read all 38 pages of this thread, and nobody has mentioned anything odd getting the doors out other than the left hand one needed prising out.

 

I really don't want to return it and then have egg on my face if it is meant to work this way!

 

Steve S

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They do work as advertised but ensure you read the instructions before proceeding.  They are not the same and if you put them in incorrectly they will jam.  Further, once you have identified which is which do not force them in.  make sure the manhole door clamps in the plastic are vertical (as in real life.)  If you have put them in and they are stuck  then I suggest you use a pin as a lever to get them out as I did and learned the lessons above.  Just wait until the cotton cables for the jib come off the pulleys; you will need a lot of patience to get it all back working again, trust me, I know!

 

It is a great model.  My layout is in an uninsulated loft and the cotton cables keep shrinking a little in the heat lifting the jib off the runner so I have to lower a little form time to time as the days get warmer.  It will settle down I am sure and I do not intend to use it as a crane, just as another piece of rolling stock, normally stabled in a long siding in my depot.

 

Best regards

 

Julian

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5 hours ago, MG 7305 said:

They do work as advertised but ensure you read the instructions before proceeding.  They are not the same and if you put them in incorrectly they will jam.  Further, once you have identified which is which do not force them in.  make sure the manhole door clamps in the plastic are vertical (as in real life.)  If you have put them in and they are stuck  then I suggest you use a pin as a lever to get them out as I did and learned the lessons above.  Just wait until the cotton cables for the jib come off the pulleys; you will need a lot of patience to get it all back working again, trust me, I know!

 

It is a great model.  My layout is in an uninsulated loft and the cotton cables keep shrinking a little in the heat lifting the jib off the runner so I have to lower a little form time to time as the days get warmer.  It will settle down I am sure and I do not intend to use it as a crane, just as another piece of rolling stock, normally stabled in a long siding in my depot.

 

Best regards

 

Julian

 

Julian - thanks for the reply. I am a little desperate as I haven't actually got both doors out yet, so it is not a case of me jamming them in! I've read the instructions very carefully (it is an expensive bit of kit after all) but the diagram simply shows the tool removing the doors and indicating that it is magnetic.

 

When you put your tool on the door, does the door attach magnetically to the tool to allow it to be removed? If your answer is YES then I have a defective model!!

 

If I can I will post a video to show the issue...

Edited by SteveyDee68
Stupid autocorrect typos!
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Yes, the tool should remove the covers without hindrance.  However I took the "if all else fails, read the instructions" route to lowering the jib onto the jib runner and they became jammed when I refitted them, lesson relearnt.  Of course you can exchange the model but as I wrote, judicial use of a pin to remove the covers if they are jammed such as to defeat the magnetic effect of the tool will get them out and you can ensure that they go back in correctly.  At least that is what I have done and everything now works as advertised.  Be warned, when applying the metal notices it was easy for me to let the jib and hook cables off their pulleys and it took an evening to get everything straight again so I recommend you keep the cables gently taught at all times.

 

I find it rare that a model is perfect out of the box and am usually confident that I can effect necessary adjustments.  However on occasion this is not possible.  Sometimes the defect does not manifest itself until after I have done detailing, crew, headlamps, decoder and so on so perforce I am on my own.  However being a loyal customer of a single outlet (Paul at the Alton Model Centre) means I get a very sympathetic hearing when necessary.

 

Best regards

 

Julian

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4 hours ago, MG 7305 said:

Yes, the tool should remove the covers without hindrance. 

 

Hi Julian

 

Thank you. That sentence tells me everything! There is definitely something not right with my model.

 

Once I have the doors out, I suppose I could try to get the magnets out and reset them the correct way, but what happens if I botch it? I would certainly not be able to claim a replacement under warranty!

 

I suppose I could simply return it to the shop, but given that these models are not exactly high volume stock I might not be able to get a red version replacement.

 

So I now wonder if Bachmann do these particular parts as spares? After all, I am certain a few are going to be eaten by carpet monsters eventually! Guess it is something to enquire about after the bank holiday weekend and to while away a few more hours during lock down!

 

STAY SAFE - STAY HOME - PROTECT OUR NHS - AND KEEP MODELLING!

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10 minutes ago, SteveyDee68 said:

 

Hi Julian

 

Thank you. That sentence tells me everything! There is definitely something not right with my model.

 

Once I have the doors out, I suppose I could try to get the magnets out and reset them the correct way, but what happens if I botch it? I would certainly not be able to claim a replacement under warranty!

 

I suppose I could simply return it to the shop, but given that these models are not exactly high volume stock I might not be able to get a red version replacement.

 

So I now wonder if Bachmann do these particular parts as spares? After all, I am certain a few are going to be eaten by carpet monsters eventually! Guess it is something to enquire about after the bank holiday weekend and to while away a few more hours during lock down!

 

STAY SAFE - STAY HOME - PROTECT OUR NHS - AND KEEP MODELLING!

Your first step must be to take it back to the shop.

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The magnets will be fine, my issue was that there was an interference fit between the doors and the crane itself.  Once the doors were out and replaced properly, the key gets them in and out perfectly well.  I used the pin to get them out (overcoming the interference fit) and ensured that they were replaced correctly.

 

Best regards

 

Julian

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The stills are from the video Britain's Railways, The Home Front War Years 1941 to 1943, produced by Strike Force Entertainment.

The stills come from a sequence near the end of the video where a bridge is being demolished.

There are two other volumes in this series, covering 1938 to 1941 and 1944 to 1945. They all have seqences involving railway cranes. The 1944 to 45 video has shots of the guns at Dover being dismantled, and the are severl sequence relaing to the clear up after bomb damage.

 

Copies of the videos are available form here

 

https://www.videoscene.co.uk/strike-force-entertainment-1

Edited by Tony Cane
correction of dover
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On 11/04/2020 at 19:20, SteveyDee68 said:

 

Julian - thanks for the reply. I am a little desperate as I haven't actually got both doors out yet, so it is not a case of me jamming them in! I've read the instructions very carefully (it is an expensive bit of kit after all) but the diagram simply shows the tool removing the doors and indicating that it is magnetic.

 

When you put your tool on the door, does the door attach magnetically to the tool to allow it to be removed? If your answer is YES then I have a defective model!!

 

If I can I will post a video to show the issue...

 

One of mine didn't come out with just the magnet (the lower one)

 

This one is keyed at it seemed as though the key bit was stuck in the notch sufficiently for the magnetic tool to not overcome the resulting friction and pull it out - this is not a defect, more of a design flaw.

 

It was easily resolved - the careful application of a small bladed jewellers screwdriver helped prise it out with no damage.

 

The upper one lacks the 'keyed' feature and does come out with just the magnetic tool.

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Hi Phil-b259

 

The right hand door did came out for me, but tried to "flip over" in the process.  I got the left hand door out using pointed nose tweezers and pulling it out using the mounded detail (you are quite right - the added side protrusion does make it more difficult to remove).  Both doors are attracted to the tool back to front - the tool does not attract them but repels them when they are in place in the crane. I think possibly the magnet in the tool is incorrect - it is useful only for losing the doors to the carpet monster!  Frustrating to have something so beautifully made (and so expensive) have such a fundamental flaw.

 

I will have to speak to the local shop where I bought it from - who knows what can be done at the moment during lock down?

 

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

 

Steve S

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44 minutes ago, SteveyDee68 said:

Hi Phil-b259

 

The right hand door did came out for me, but tried to "flip over" in the process.  I got the left hand door out using pointed nose tweezers and pulling it out using the mounded detail (you are quite right - the added side protrusion does make it more difficult to remove).  Both doors are attracted to the tool back to front - the tool does not attract them but repels them when they are in place in the crane. I think possibly the magnet in the tool is incorrect - it is useful only for losing the doors to the carpet monster!  Frustrating to have something so beautifully made (and so expensive) have such a fundamental flaw.

 

I will have to speak to the local shop where I bought it from - who knows what can be done at the moment during lock down?

 

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

 

Steve S

 

Ahh, I see

 

Either the magnet in the tool or the magnets in the covers have been put in the wrong way round then.

 

I would suggest you contact Bachmann, they may be able to send you a new tool rather than the risk of sending back a fragile model.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

Cowans Sheldon 36/50 ton crane ADRC95202 (formerly LMS MP2 and BR RS1001/50 then ADM1001), one of three identical cranes built as a 36-tonners in 1931 and uprated to 50 tons capacity in 1938. At the time of the photo this crane was allocated to Wigan.

 

This crane and its two sisters were the first cranes built by Cowans Sheldon to use relieving bogies, and all three have survived. This particular crane is with the Midland Railway Trust at Butterly, the others are at Didcot and the K&WVR.

 

More photos can be found here: http://www.bdca.org.uk/gallery/index.php/Cowans-Sheldon/ADRC95202

Edited by craneman
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Did the LNER use these cranes? If so, it seems odd that Bachmann has produced them in the liveries of the other companies, but not the LNER. If they did, I don't feel inclined to attempt repainting of such an expensive model into LNER livery, so might Bachmann bring one out in the future?

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27 minutes ago, Pre Grouping fan said:

This is the allocations of this type of crane courtesy of Kernow's webpage for the crane. 

 

(table removed to respect copyright)

 

That's only the ones that got preserved. There were two more. The full article:

 

http://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/c/1703/Ransomes-and-Rapier-Crane

 

and @craneman's post on page 3 of this topic:

 

tell the complete story.

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  • 4 months later...

For those with the BR red version here are some ideas for suitable and easy to do tool/mess van ideas. An ex blue spot fish van, it's cheap if you go via the Parkside kit route, the ER had several in BTU service in both red and the later yellow livery used for wood packing. A Thompson BG, the Bachmann one in weathered blue can be used straight from the box as ADB975576 (numbers from Railtec). This is the route I've gone for because I just happen to have them around, compliment the train with a Bachmann or Parkside ex LNER highside for the spreader beam oil drum and "stuff". The mess van proofed to be a more difficult choice, if you've blown the budget on the crane then the old Hornby Gresley brake coach from the 70's might do. I just happened to have a crimson Gresley suburban to hand, I felt the superb crane deserved a good mess van, although mine does have a certain distressed look. 

For those looking for LMR inspiration, kit bashing the Dapol coaches could be the way to go and I found at least one Stanier BG in blue used. Plenty of ideas here https://www.transporttreasury.com/p444133904 and on Flickr here, its a big collection with lots of modern stuff, but worth going through

https://www.flickr.com/groups/1443566@N25/pool/

I'll post pictures of my own BTU set soon, as it's nearly finished.

 

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