NZ120 40 Ton Craven Steam Crane - Part one.

Showing a new design challenge, a Craven Steam crane in nz120 but with working pistons, driven when the hook is raised or lowered. In the rear their should be room enough for 2 motors.

 While not yet finished in the design stage some pictures are being posted on whats been done so far.

The wheels for the chassis I had considering using the driving wheels from a n scale bachman locomotive(grandad would approve of this!), I could fit 1 at both ends, where it would be visible & pull off the look.

For more info & pictures on the crane itself, check out http://www.nzrcranes.org/gallery.html

So, to make things work, we start to wander into lego territory..

Showing the gears in all their glory. I have an idea of using a tiny motor from an eftpos printer, should be able to fit 2 in the rear near the waiting gears. if that fails then manual operation it is..

The blue dots are designed to enable the axle to click in & remain there without any gluing brackets. Also enabling them to be pushed out for painting etc. Thats the theory im workin on anyway.. The parts will need to be left in the sun to harden under the UV goodness. I'm expecting things to snap, hence the "probably not thick enough" axles.

Meshing of the worm to the gear. The boiler, cab & counter weights will be a seperate shell, similar to the coal grab crane will fit on snug enough to not require screwing together.

Credits http://www.nzrcranes.org/gallery.html

More to come...

NZ120 DBR Arrives

Just a quick post to show some pictures of the NZ120 DBR Printed by Shapeways in Frosted Ultra Detail.

When I took the pictures I had already washed, scrubbed the model & blown out with the air compressor a few times before spraying a coat of Tamiya Fine Primer.

Recommended Chassis type; N scale Atlas (SD35, SD24) Kato (SD7/9), same as the DC class

The DBR Shell is available for purchase here 

Sitting on chassis

Sitting on chassis, nz120 nzr style coupler

Sitting on chassis, nz120 nzr style coupler. Sideframes will be filed down & brass sideframe needs some filing down..

Not enough primer, try again... Lovely rear tho...

Will update this post as I paint her up.. if I can decide what scheme that is...

After painting her up, shes almost presentable, still need to apply handrails, rear coupler, air hoses & window glazing.

After attaching handrails as carefully as I can, some cruel closeups are posted showing the damage!

NZ120 Wooden Trestle Bridge - Part 2

This time a video has been made since the upgrade of scenery on a part of the layout that made no sense at all. The bench was cut & lowered to the height of the riverbed of the inner shelf.

Before the changes..

Now the Layout looks something like below

NZ120 Db hauls Steam Coal Grab Crane

Steam Coal Grab Crane

NZ120 Db hauls Steam Coal Grab Crane

NZ120 Db hauls Steam Coal Grab Crane in background. SM Bus with a few details painted

Silver Fern crosses the bridge

Assembling a more modern bridge. Girder truss was a Kato N scake Truss

Video of the train in action.

NZ120 Wooden Trestle Bridge

Building a bridge, again or still. When shopping around local dealers I came across thin wood & doweling in vast quantitys at ridiculous prices. So like anyone else I purchased what I needed to build a wooden trestle. Inspired by a bridge built by my granddad I went about creating one loosely based on the following photo's. Photo credit unkown.

The bridge area finally had a make over with 3 bags of 1kg plaster of paris being used to cover & shape the landscape. Mixing the plaster spoonfulls at a time into a container of water until all the water is absorbed allowed for a good 8-10 minutes of working time. 

Belmont viaduct (near Johnsonville) shortly before being demolished - Credits?

Manawapou Viaduct 1966 - Credits?

A brave driver takes the NZ120 Q across the bridge mid construction

English Electric DF poses on the bridge shortly after completion

English Electric DF poses on the bridge shortly after completion

After plastering has been mostly used up, river is slowly built up in layers of PVA, water & colour pigment.
Da,Da,Db

A scene showing the back of the %100 Barrells store

Showing the state of the current road, the plan is a smooth plastered road to mimic a far north rural road, with at least tarseal. The bridge arch road tunnel will be one way & coloured to represent the age of the bridge.. DCC Sound DE using the chassis from the DH..  

Showing the currently clay road, with a tunnel portal sitting in place on what could be part of a foundation. If only I can find the other tunnel portal...

Showing the cutting leading to the bridge & the road

Da,Da,Db

The bridge in the rear will be a girder bridge, 3d printed in sections. of concrete pillar & steel construction. If I get that far..., then the wooden trestle could be replaced with something quite ambitious indeed!

Using some photoshop skills I've recreated the scene a few times & have a few pics with added backgrounds to share as a result.

NZ120 Pneumatic Crane

The Pneumatic Crane was a success, however the pulleys are a bit thin, so filing in more of a grove is required to keep the thread in place.  I did find the thread being too "furry" but perhaps im nit picking. The bucket can be raised & lowered & emptied. Two buckets come with the Kit, I've added weight & a covering a coal to one & left the other empty

The crane can now be purchased! can be found here

Furry?

Working buckets. The hook was made with CAT6 Solid core cable with enough solder to create tension in the cable & then bent into shape. Same as the bucket wire.

A rather good lineup of cranes...

Pneumatic Crane & Q Class

Other projects im working on include a nz120 Craven 40 ton steam crane, applying decals to the NZ120 VRA & a G scale Ub (some imagination required) using a Bachman 4-6-0 (cost $50 brand new from bachman parts, Heres a link, N scale parts & chassis are also listed for those wanting steam loco chassis http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=66_69_75) The cow catcher/pilot chimney domes & airpump are 3d printed, although the chimney needs to be redone.

A very brave driver running the Q over a partially built bridge. The Q having received handrails from a donor locomotive shell after an OSH incident...im sure destroying good loco's for such a small & trivial part has earn't me a special place in hell :P