tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26391908.post6868526735642591044..comments2024-03-27T09:44:09.432+00:00Comments on Peckforton Light Railway: How I constructed a crane wagonGE Rikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825168874175339847noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26391908.post-68435518294823720352022-05-24T11:22:20.322+00:002022-05-24T11:22:20.322+00:00Great idea. In this case I had no idea the crane w...Great idea. In this case I had no idea the crane wagon was there - I just happened to come across it when I decided to walk the trackbed from Douglas to Peel. However, I might shove one in my rucksack for any time I'm near a disused railway.GE Rikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01825168874175339847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26391908.post-84023095521214876142022-05-23T13:34:41.094+00:002022-05-23T13:34:41.094+00:00When I go on expedition to survey narrow gauge ra...When I go on expedition to survey narrow gauge railways I always take a piece of 2mm sheet plasticard with me.<br />12" x 2" marked off on both sides into 3" sections and painted in different colours and some bluetac which I use to scale and vehicles or buildings I might wish to model.<br /> I recently modeled the great laxey mine railway in 1/35 scale and using this method my coaches were only 2mm out in sizeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26391908.post-80908315224547454222021-05-06T09:14:36.439+00:002021-05-06T09:14:36.439+00:00Ah, yes. I see the threaded rod now.
I assumed th...Ah, yes. I see the threaded rod now.<br /><br />I assumed the lower small gear was the drive for the rotate mechanism. I can't see how the winding mech can be disengaged, so thought that maybe it would wind and turn at the same time.<br /><br />I wish I could just pop out and check....<br /><br />RikGE Rikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01825168874175339847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26391908.post-76296684448513946512021-05-05T13:26:54.378+00:002021-05-05T13:26:54.378+00:00Rik,
Thanks for the quick reply and the extra phot...Rik,<br />Thanks for the quick reply and the extra photos.<br />Its much clearer now. I see that there is a dog-clutch beside the inner gears and it is currently engaged, so I assume that means connecting a handle to the small gear shaft will turn the crane. On the same shaft between the sides there is a half collar that drops between two collars to keep the dog-clutch engaged.<br />Now when I look at the photo from the jib to crane I can see the small lower gear on the left is pushed out and disengaged, but is the small gear on the right still engaged? If not then that's fine and means just the crane will rotate.<br />If the dog clutch is disengaged by moving the lever between the sides then yes the small gear will engage and a heavy load could be raised.<br />But what is the small gear on the other side for (the lower one)? Can't see how that would engage as the shaft is fully over? Or is the shaft square inside the dog-clutch and is able to move over more? If so it would wind the chain, but with less reduction.<br />So by moving the shaft and the dog-clutch are there three modes? Rotate, heavy load and light load?<br />I think the counter weight has a threaded shaft underneath and is turned from the rear buffer to move it?? <br /><br />Thanks again for your great webpages and blog.<br /> Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17099619312194925721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26391908.post-44130620355319368392021-05-05T13:13:47.133+00:002021-05-05T13:13:47.133+00:00I've found a few more photos which i've ad...I've found a few more photos which i've added to the bottom of the blog post and which I think make the mechanism clearer. <br /><br />It looks as if there is one basic mechanism. Looking at the crane with the jib facing left - a crank handle is placed on the small gear to the base of the large one. Turning the handle turns the small gear, then the large gear - switching to the other side, this now turns another small gear which turns the large gear which winds up the chain on the hook. So, a lot of gear reduction to enable a heavy load to be raised. <br /><br />Now, the new photos show there there is a lever between the two vertical sides which disengages the winding-up gear and engages the turning-round mechanism. So the same handle now turns the crane around via a small gear beneath the lower bevel gear which engages with the large internal gear on the turntable. <br /><br />As far as I can see, the counter weight isn't connected to a mechanism so they must have wheeled it in and out with brute force or maybe a steel bar acting as a lever. Hope that makes sense.GE Rikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01825168874175339847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26391908.post-35381826421348844552021-05-05T08:15:55.793+00:002021-05-05T08:15:55.793+00:00I'm not sure if there are any more photos. I&#...I'm not sure if there are any more photos. I'll check my archive later.<br /><br />Looks like there are two possibly three mechanisms, one to raise and lower the hook, one to rotate the crane and maybe another to move the counterbalance weight back and forth.<br /><br />RikGE Rikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01825168874175339847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26391908.post-72257375780955861362021-05-02T20:02:42.132+00:002021-05-02T20:02:42.132+00:00Rik, I really appreciate your webpages, they have ...Rik, I really appreciate your webpages, they have given me inspiration for my garden railway.<br /><br />I would like to build a wagon crane, so I've been trying to understand the gearing of the wagon crane on the Union Mills Station on the Douglas to Peel line. The photographs are great, but I still can't quite understand the gearing. Can you help? Do you have anymore photos?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17099619312194925721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26391908.post-6009724787783139062014-08-10T18:54:43.999+00:002014-08-10T18:54:43.999+00:00Rather than making drawings, I've posted some ...Rather than making drawings, I've posted some more photos and given some key dimensions. From these you should be able to determine the other dimensions. The photos of a prototype crane on the IMR might help you to make a more realistic model than mine which was based on a couple of pictures of standard gauge cranes.GE Rikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01825168874175339847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26391908.post-50331804755325090262014-08-10T18:09:07.997+00:002014-08-10T18:09:07.997+00:00I'll see what I can do. Unfortunately, I'm...I'll see what I can do. Unfortunately, I'm no draughtsman and haven't yet mastered a CAD package.GE Rikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01825168874175339847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26391908.post-84300744891099940812014-08-10T17:57:07.867+00:002014-08-10T17:57:07.867+00:00Would it be possible for you to make a set of draw...Would it be possible for you to make a set of drawings for this, even if they are only rough?Simeonnoreply@blogger.com