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00/4mm Coaling cranes


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Guest LU Standard Stock

I'm planning a generic (the dreaded "g" word!) non-region specific steam shed set during the 30-40s and rather than a massive coaling stage want a coaling crane, like the ones that were quite common on the Southern. Problem is I'm finding it very hard to find pictures online of what the cranes looked like in detail. 99% of the photos are of the later cranes installed post-war or by BR. Are there any crane models out there in 00/4mm that are suitable for a generic (he said it again!) coaling crane or could be modified into a decent representation? I'm not going for super accurate, just something that looks mostly correct. Thanks :)

1276284641_Brightoncoalcranes.jpg.15282eda89c297c62a311a13b50cc071.jpg

Edited by LU Standard Stock
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Waoow  ............ is that your model?

 

Yes, I know it isn't, but it is to me, always bizarre when the actual thing looks more like a model - and to think this photo was taken long before the fancy digitisation that we see regularly today.

 

Good luck in your search and generic crane finding - I don't think I've seen one modelled.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

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Apart from a few hand cranes my understanding is that the small steam cranes were used for lifting ash out of the disposal pits and dropping in wagons to be taken away.

Coal could be dropped in from coaling stages where the wagons were on a higher level than the engines. On small sheds coal would be shovelled straight from the wagons into the loco bunkers or tenders.

Or the coal could be shovelled on to a stage/ platform then shovelled into the bunker / tender.

I have seen a picture of a large steam accident crane lifting a 16 ton mineral wagon in the air to facilitate coaling a Duchess?

Always happy to learn something new.

 

Gordon A

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Guest LU Standard Stock

Gordon I know exactly the picture you are talking about! :) On the Southern it seems to have quite common for coaling to be done by crane, as many sheds didn't have multi-level coaling stages. Bournemouth, Brighton, Yeovil and some others all used steam cranes but the only pictures I can find in detail are of the BR era ones.

Edited by LU Standard Stock
Removed pictures and re-worded.
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Have you thought about trying to modify the Dapol (ex Airfix) dockside crane kit. As the kit is undersized for a dockside version you could probably hack it around to make something like the one in the picture of  30108 being coaled up.

 

Edit to add - the rail breakdown crane from Dapol may be a better option for kit bashing. 

Edited by Devo63
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Guest LU Standard Stock

Thank you for those suggestions Devo, but I need earlier steam crane designs. You are correct about the Dapol stuff being good for the BR era cranes. I probably shouldn't have posted the pictures of the later ones. ;)

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5 hours ago, cypherman said:

I have one of those on my main layout. I've done away with the crane that came with it and replaced it with a modified Ratio hand crane. 

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Guest LU Standard Stock

These are all great suggestions, thank you everyone! I can now start planning what I want to use and how to modify it to get the look I want. :)

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  • RMweb Gold
10 hours ago, Devo63 said:

I have one of those on my main layout. I've done away with the crane that came with it and replaced it with a modified Ratio hand crane. 

My feeling is that the crane supplied with this is too small and the whole thing feels a bit European, and that the photos of the Southern's coal loading cranes show something a bit beefier.  I'd go for the Dapol/Kitmaster 'Dockside' (actually dockyard and too small for serious cargo handling) for the jib and kit bash the cabin into something more suitable.  I made something like it for a club layout years ago, cladding the kit cabin in corrugated sheet and putting steps to a door and an exhaust pipe (it was purported to be diesel powered), riding on an old wagon chassis.  It still exists in a box somewhere.  The Dapol jib is not far off the size you want.

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G'day, all,

 

During the rundown of steam depots here in NSW during the 1960s, Eveleigh Loco Depot lost its huge coaling stage and its loco shed. The small number of steam locos remaining for shunting Sydney Station and Darling Harbour were coaled by means of a vertical boilered crane:

382609374_3107coalingcraneEveleighLoco17Sep68.JPG.660af35a1bcd77c36ba2a88cb68e644e.JPG

 

There were several varieties of such cranes scattered around loco depots and workshops, from such builders as Coles, Harmon and Grafton. Quite a few survived to be preserved in various museums around Oz.

 

There are plenty of images of Coles cranes here, which may help with the scratchbuilding of a model. https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ACYBGNQ4dha_WDBXuqn88JI82yRSWCHbrA:1571514848807&q=coles+steam+crane&tbm=isch&source=univ&client=firefox-b-d&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjM5MmCjanlAhWFTX0KHUJ-D3cQ7Al6BAgJECQ&biw=1400&bih=764

 

I hope this helps.

 

Regards,

 

Rob

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G'day, all,

 

A Grafton crane is preserved (?) on the dockside at Strahan, Tasmania. Lacking any vestige of a cab, it was easy to photograph it in detail, which may help other modellers.

423842070_SteamcraneStrahanTas22Apr051.JPG.fc2b68ea3231ea8135e84e1544595288.JPG

1908065210_SteamcraneStrahanTas22Apr052.JPG.05d48b40d6875f6cdb914ec02b21dce7.JPG

 

40251062_SteamcraneStrahanTas22Apr053.JPG.e2c1e83ecd11e5f18bafc9f213723e94.JPG

 

843418404_SteamcraneStrahanTas22Apr054.JPG.559e3f8515d15afc6cdc8b1927e3296a.JPG

 

1420000886_SteamcraneStrahanTas22Apr055.JPG.5c13bc71596d46c7aeb75ce344632a13.JPG

 

1245138029_SteamcraneStrahanTas22Apr056.JPG.9462c5d076877c3144547e0ae441ab57.JPG

 

1800436588_SteamcraneStrahanTas22Apr057.JPG.beeb1da35c9e05c2269b030f99094ea0.JPG

 

1679823237_SteamcraneStrahanTas22Apr058.JPG.941d7f83e3de6ef196cf6aca65c410e3.JPG

 

I hope this helps.

 

Regards,

 

Rob

 

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Guest LU Standard Stock

Thank you Rob, those photos are marvellous! Certainly lots more great inspiration. I've go a few ideas floating round now that I'm narrowing down. ;)

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  • 9 months later...
  • RMweb Gold

The Hornby (ex Triang) crane, which was produced as a static goods yard crane as well as the well wagon version, is I believe based on a wartime Ministry of Supply type that was produced as a mobile small crane that could be taken to sites where it was needed.  Post war many survived and were used in much the same way, being sent to yards or private sidings that needed the services of such a crane as required.  It is AFAIK a fairly accurate model and does not, again AFAIK, need a match truck for transporting to the site where it is needed, as the jib could be lowered without needing support and any flat or low wagon could be employed.  They had a 5 ton SWL.

 

The static version came with a section of loading dock for it to be mounted on, and these were also TTBOMK MoS items that could be easily erected on to a concrete plinth wherever they were needed, not just railway facilities.  Many locations had a wartime need for handling equipment, especially during late 1943 and 1944 when the build up to the Normandy landings was in full swing.  The cranes were mostly left in situ after hostilities ceased and some may have seen further use, but were mostly left to rust.

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