Giles Posted November 5, 2018 Share Posted November 5, 2018 (edited) I've just completed (barring a couple of small details) a fully working self-propelled narrow gauge crane in 7mm. The aim of this was to get a full days exhibition use out of it, so I had to be able to fit a 1000mAh lipo into it, which was tight! Gearmotors and flip-gearmotors provide propulsion, slew and hoists. Edited June 10, 2019 by Giles 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin2 Posted November 5, 2018 Share Posted November 5, 2018 The construction details are here along with other wonderful stuff. ...R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted February 23, 2019 Author Share Posted February 23, 2019 Another one for the fun of it..... 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted February 23, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 23, 2019 Does it then load the two drums with cables onto the well-wagon? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted February 23, 2019 Author Share Posted February 23, 2019 Oh yes.... but I was bored by then!!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 How about a standard gauge 4 wheel steam crane, that like the real thing is also capable of shunting wagons? Gordon A Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted February 23, 2019 Author Share Posted February 23, 2019 could certainly be done..... in 7mm easy peasy. In 4mm one would have to look carefully at where to put a battery, because of the lack of width.... (could mean a small battery with reduced operational time) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymw Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 I could imagine a stack of button cells in the cable drums, could charge the cranes internal battery when required... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMJ Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 If the layout was powered by DCC rather than batteries you could use the track power to feed the crane - similarly if the crane was on a dedicated track like in some dock areas track could have a permanent power. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Young Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 Your steam crane is rather lovely Giles. Building a working 0 gauge crane tank is very appealing, just for a bit of fun having seen Dubsy operating at Foxfield. There are a couple of crane tank kits out there which could be used as a basis. But some would be easier to do than others. Andrew 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted February 28, 2019 Author Share Posted February 28, 2019 22 hours ago, AMJ said: If the layout was powered by DCC rather than batteries you could use the track power to feed the crane - similarly if the crane was on a dedicated track like in some dock areas track could have a permanent power. in many ways DCC is a rather more complicated way of doing the job - very much harder to control - added to which you wouldn't easily have proportional/variable speed control on all the motors, as one does with R/C. But yes, in principle it can be done with DCC (one would need to look into a set up to give you four bi-directional motor outputs). It has been done, certainly. A track with a pure 3.7v supply would also work fine (apart from dirty track and wheels!). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted June 10, 2019 Author Share Posted June 10, 2019 Latest up is this converted white metal kit from Duncan models. Driven by a 10mm dia 150rpm gearmotor mounter transversely in the fire-box, and driving through laser-cut gears to scratch-built crankshaft and motion. Servo in the tender steers via a rod through the boiler. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Have you got a 'speed' control for the steering channel on your transmitter - if so, you could slow the steering right down to give a more realistic look. Other than that (and needing a driver) it looks thoroughly excellent Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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