rigging for large railroad cranes

[banjobenne1]

Hello, I want to install a 100ft 100ton boom on a 200ton wreck crane in HO scale and I need first: if this is something that the proto type whould do esp. if it is doable from a engineering point of view? Second: what would the rigging look like? Third: should I use dampening struts. Fourth: should I use a pulley block between the top of the boom and the top of the cab? Fifth: what is the proper nomenclature for all this, and I have more questions? Ben

[dknelson]

I am having a hard time picturing exactly what it is you propose to do but a 100 foot boom would require substantial bracing on the crane. Even normal booms require that the crane be braced to avoid tipping over but 100 feet -- hard to imagine how it could be safely hauled on prototype curves (much less model curves!).
Now I HAVE seen some pretty impressive pile drivers but I assume those are more or less assembled on site.
Dave Nelson

[banjobenne1]

Hi Dave, first off we are useing a Athearn 200 ton crane body and a Sheepscote 100ft 100ton boom. Sheepscote has been no help here. This equipment doesn't even start picking up until all outriggers are firmly set on solid ground. I may even replace the existing outriggers with some kind of swing out arrangement. Of course the prototype contracter would break the boom down to transport on a flatcar with tiedowns and blocking. Lets say the boom weighs 10 tons, the crane is rated for 200 tons, should be able to travel (craneing) short distances SLOWLEY. I think I can do this, but the cable rigging has me stumped. I have a friend who said some years ago CSX rented a crane from Alabama like what I want to build. They used it to remove loaded 100 ton hopper cars from a high bridge I think in Kentucky. Ben

[joseph2]

Hi Ben.In the May Walthers flyer there is a photo of a Kibri crane.It has a telescoping boom of three or four sections,hydraulic,on four trucks.Walthers number405-16000 it looks European though.