NZ120 40 Ton Craven Steam Crane - Part two.

A test print of the NZ120 Craven Breakdown Crane, has arrived, and in the new material "Frosted eXtreme Detail) or FXD. Far superior to Frosted Ultra Detail, and the result can be observed in the following pictures. There are small imperfections in the print surface, but overall the result is satisfying.

The gears are a mixed result, the manual worm drives are meshing with the gears ok, however the small gear, that was reduced in ratio ended up having too much friction, so I ended up leaving it out & glued the pistons in place. I think im going to leave the parts as they are, for most I think super gluing the pistons etc is the status quo and leaving it open for the brave to have a go at. Your going to need proper axles & little gears...

Photos partway through assembly. Painted grey but still not the final colour, and having to re-rig the crane every coat of paint gets old...

The models are available in 4 parts, with the 5th part coming soon.
(1/5) Craven 40-ton Steam Crane - Chassis
(2/5) Craven 40-ton Steam Crane - Gears
(3/5) Craven 40-ton Steam Crane - Body
(4/5) Craven 40-ton Steam Crane - Jib

The money shot, count the rivets...

NZ120 Craven, Printed in FXD

NZ120 Craven, Printed in FXD

NZ120 Craven, Printed in FXD. (NZ120 flying drone view :P)

Craven & Q

Now time is all that is needed to make the final part set (5/5) which includes hook & pulley, cab shell & modified flat wagon.

NZ120 Steam Crane arrives

The NZ120 Steam crane test print arrives rather quickly from shapeways, After cleaning up the body the process of carefully removing the pieces began. Then painting & assembly resumes. I had intended on a working bucket, but seeing how tiny it is in nz120 scale I realize i'm lucky to have a bucket at all. So I ended up simply super gluing it in a position i'm happy with.

I used 2 wheels, the center wheel is missing, the space used up by a rather big screw, securing the deck to the chassis.

Thin wire is used for connecting the pulley/jib/chassis. I had intended to use wire to enable the bucket to function, but the connecting parts need to be enlarged which means compromising on the look. I might work on the bucket a bit more.

The design is now available from the shop https://www.shapeways.com/shops/kiwitrains

2 Screws enable the boom and bucket to work, a screw driver is required to operate the crane.

Coaling a loco on the mainline is probably not advisable.

Painted & weathered. Note the screws are accessible via the open back door.

Showing the underside, no brass bearings, just burr one end of the wheel and pop them in. The center wheel is quite un-necessary... The couplers attached with tiny screws picked up from the local watch repair man. 50 screws for $8!
The rather big screw adds weight, and a rubber washer to give the right amount of friction.

A snapshot of events during second crane build

Showing 2 cranes ready to work.

A rather good shot of the prototype.

Also, more info on nz cranes here http://www.nzrcranes.org/

New Design, NZ120 Steam Crane

This weekend sees a new design come forth. A Priestman Steam Grab Coaling Crane, Photo's Grant Morrell has collected inspired me to design one for nz120 scale.

I've designed it in kit form, so basic assembly is required. The jib can be raised & lowered, also the cab can be rotated. The grab bucket also will be printed in parts and is designed to be fully functional.

The reels & axles are designed to be fitted with a spring on one side of the pulley, pushing against the reel, and ensuring it remains locked in position. A screw driver (Phillips) can be then used to push in, and wind.

Some work is to be done once i'm assured it can be printed after a test print is successful, to then allow me to create some instructions. Some photo's in the meantime can help illustrate what I mean.

An exploded view, Right side

An exploded view, Left side

 The crane will be available in 2 separate designs, it simply wouldn't upload with all parts, not sure why (Max polygons perhaps?).

NZ120 Steam Crane (1/2)

NZ120 Steam Crane (2/2)

A close up view of the bucket, Wire or fine screws will be needed to connect the bits together. Weight will need to be added to the yellow parts to make it function.

The model as it should look assembled.

A rather good shot of the prototype.

Also, some good info here http://www.nzrcranes.org/