45 ton Ransomes Crane

[Going2theDogs]

Hi All,

I have been considering purchasing one of these Bachmann R & R cranes for some time.....

My modelling period is from the mid 1980's so at a stretch the red variant could be considered.

But what about the cost? 

Paying in excess of £200 for this model, could this be justified?

Well earlier in the week, I decided to invest in one of these models working on the premis that further variants of these models may not be introduced and if they were, inevitably the price would be impacted.

And of course, do I want to wait another few years?

This model arrived yesterday and Wow.

Looking at this in the flesh I have been blown away by the detail.

As someone once said, quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten.

Edited April 10, 2021 by CB Rail

[w124bob]

I posted some poor quality pictures of my weathering efforts, so to make amends here are a few better ones. Tool/mess vans are based on real vehicles, although the Gresley coach was actually in use by the S&T. The ex Thompson BG is accurate but I can't find the image source at the moment, a third vehicle is on the bench, an ex blue spot fish van(Parkside kit). Please check out the entire Flickr album, 20 images in total.

 

Edited October 18, 2021 by w124bob
Extra photos added

[The Fatadder]

Having debated buying one of these cranes since the time of their release, the appearance of the crane in the bargain hunters thread last week tipped me over the edge and I now have a GWR example sat on my desk awaiting preparation for the layout.   First impressions are that its every bit as impressive as I was expecting.  This evening my plan is to get the etched plates & details fitted along with improving the couplings.  Would be interested to hear if anyone has fitted new couplings to their crane, I am planning for Dinghams in the headstock.  I think the best route will be soldering scrap etch to the tail of the hook to thicken it up to the size of the hole, then having a very short tail glued in place (much as I have done previously on locos with a cast headstock).  Im surprised that Bachmann didnt include an alternative fixed bar coupling between the match truck and relieving bogie A which would have been an improvement on the tensionlock. 

edit: I did have one slight issue in that the cover for the jib mechanism was jammed in the hole, after calling Bachmann to see if I could get a spare in the worst case, I followed their suggestion of levering out with a craft knife without success.  then tried with tweezers which worked (and thankfully didn't damage the part) 

 

The other job will be changing its number, out of interest has anyone renumbered their crane?

 

I have been looking without success for replacement number plates for the GWR model to change mine from Old Oak Common's No16 to either Canton's No 18 or Swindon's No19 to get something which has more of a chance of having made it to West Devon in 1947.

 

One final question, where does the short ladder go?  I dont see mention in the instructions, is it just stored on the match truck?

Edited January 26, 2022 by The Fatadder

[jonhall]

3 hours ago, The Fatadder said:

Having debated buying one of these cranes since the time of their release, the appearance of the crane in the bargain hunters thread last week tipped me over the edge and I now have a GWR example sat on my desk awaiting preparation for the layout. 

 

Easily led astray  

Jon

[The Fatadder]

14 minutes ago, jonhall said:

 

Easily led astray  

Jon

Well worth being led astray for 

[MG 7305]

I was led astray to buy a second GWR crane to create a breakdown "Pair".  The newspapers will tell you that inflation is now around 5%, but they never checked model railway inflation.  I paid GBP 212 for each of mine and they are beginning to look like a snip compared to incoming prices.

 

I thought long and hard before buying the Western Pullman from Kernow which was split from the ridiculous train pack part designed to get rid of the obsolete DCC controllers.  Looking at the prices for DCC fitted D and E MUs today but without sound chips it looks like it was a "sound" call.  I would also suggest that it will be a long time before Bachmann produce a new run of these fabulous crane models and if they do it will be at a really eye watering price.  They are something of a niche product and I suspect that this niche has been filled.  They are long, expensive and need other vehicles to make a convincing train.  This demands a long siding in your loco shed;  happily I have such a siding and they go out on a run far more often than derailments demand.

 

I recognise that we are incredibly lucky to be offered these models and even if it is a stretch to obtain one I take the opportunity to do so, as the old adage goes "Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten".

 

Go for it.

[Zunnan]

At this stage with them having been available for some time now, times and prices have certainly moved on to the point where they are seeming to be a bit of a bargain now. I've been actively avoiding certain shops recently because I know I'll come out with a second crane...but then converting a few more vehicles for a larger train would be rather fun.

 

 

I really enjoyed ripping an old Mainline D1694 into one of the five such coaches converted for BTU to partner this one, mines numbered as the Westhouses staff and tool van so converted in 1958; whether it survived to see red is a different matter! The complete train normally runs with an ex-LMS ZTO and grotty 16 tonner but a twin crane and full complement of bogie support is becoming harder to resist.

[Michael Delamar]

On Facebook there is a great bit of footage of the Gorton crane and its vehicles which I would like to identify. Early on in this video..

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/241602306609299/permalink/1477803152989202

[pom-pom]

Something for you guys that is hopefully of interest. My partner lost her Uncle Ron in February last aged 93. We have necessarily been sorting through his affairs and I happened into these documents. Ron was a senior engineer in BR until he retired in 1992 and I believe was based at Stewarts Lane although the Ransomes and Rapier steam crane certificate below mentions Hither Green. Quite a few of his tools have 'BR Hither Green' stamped on them too.

 

I also have several photographs of the breakdown teams working in the 1970s/1980s if anyone is interested. I'm not sure if this is the correct forum.

 

Ron was almost totally deaf in his latter years and of those I have known him quite well for about five years. He often spoke enthusiastically of his work. Had I known of these documents and other things in his possession I would have engaged him in most interested discussion. For example, I found several large quality prints of a LNER 04 presumably at Stewarts Lane - no notes, nothing, so no idea of the why and wherefore of these! He worked on the Southern Region most of his working life, having had an initial engineering apprenticeship at Short Bros. in Rochester. His love of aluminium and of fabricating all manner of things out of aluminium never ceased!