I have built many of the Woodland Scenics earthmoving kits. Unless they are using different castings, these are zinc alloy (pot metal) vehicles and NOTHING moves on them. With plenty of filing and flash clean-up they build into nice period equipment but they are strictly stationary display pieces.
http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/Item/D237/page/1
I can not find a "back hoe" unless you are talking about the Insley model K (above), but if this is any thing like it... http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Woodland-Scenics-HO-AS5562-Dewie-s-Dozer-p/woo-as5562.htm It is just a nicely detailed slug of lead!
I would surmise that the other "pre-built" models are the same. Do you have a link to the model you have in mind?
Happy Modeling, Ed
I built my Insley. The arm is somewhat poseable and the cab rotates. Don't know if their RTR version does that or not. The kit is cheaper and not too big a deal to build. The "cables" are elastic on the kit version, so would think that's be the same on the RTR.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Nice work on that, Mike.
Thanks, Southgate.
I wanted to confirm exactly what movement there is in my backhoe. The boom and dipper arm both move through quite a range, but the elastic tends to bring them back to the same position. So it's not really poseable in the way diecast models often are.The elastic can only do so much against the weight it's supporting.
That said, you might be able to do something to add friction to the pivot point between the two. I tried squeezing with my pliers, but since the pin holding them is CA, I can't really add friction to it now with disassembly and rebuilding it. I think if you can figure a small washer to put on each side of that joint to take up any slack and add some friction, then it might be able to hold more than a single pose.
Do keep in mind this was from my building the kit. Perhaps WS figured this out with the RTR version? Or maybe they just left as is? I don't know myself.
I believe the built-up models are one piece resin castings, while the kits are the old white metal ones. Both are to be static models, but while building the kits you can pose it in any one position before gluing. If you'll notice, Dewey's dozer is missing the arms that actually hold the blade on the dozer. Mike, your back-hoe needs the cables from the hoe to the reel to pull the hoe in while digging.mh
m hortonMike, your back-hoe needs the cables from the hoe to the reel to pull the hoe in while digging.mh
OK, probably missed that reading the tiny instructions sheet.
Just to note, the boom and hoe comes to rest at one position, but the kit-built one is moveable (rotates, too), just not poseable beyond the one position without some extra work, possibly as I described above.
Went to work on my backhoe to add the cables to pull back the scoop/arm and had a brainstorm re solving the poseability problem. What if I add wires, instead of elastic, that could hook on at either end? And that you could make up in multiple lengths to represent different arm positions? Might make searching for and building the kit worthwhile.
Here's the take-up drums for the cables that are supposed to pull the arm back, but which I missed in the original. They are the ones on either side of the center drum, which holds the over all arm elevation cable. and which is black elastic here.
The pics here show the wires intended to represent the bucket pull-back cables unpainted to help illustrate. The nearer one is hooked about right on the bucket, while the far "cable" needs to be bent a little more to retain it.
The next shot show how the wires/"cables" look -- except you have to imagine the wires as cables since the black paint's not dry yet.
I have three differnt length pairs of the formed and painted wires, plus the natural resting position of the bucket arm, which gives you 4 different poses. You can obviously make more wires if needed for different poses. So if you want a backhoe that is poseable, get the kit and make-up some wires to "animate" it.
Here's another good reason to build a poseable version. A moveable bucket makes interfacing the backhoe with a flatcar to carry it for MOW work easy. This car is a Eastern Car Works depressed center flat that I converted to HOn3. It is quite similar in size to DC flats the WP&Y has and which are often used similarly to transport machinery for snow-fighting, etc. I built a very simple contraption on one end that the bucket can clip under. With the kit's elastic cables pushing back and the rear of the treads up againt the other end deck, the Insley is locaked in place. Tie downs are needed for cosmetic purposes only with this rig.
Here's the bucket at rest with elastic only.
Longest "cables"
Medium length "cables"
And the shortest "cables"
Usually when these were transported on a low boy truck or railroad car the bucket was pulled back all the way to the boom and the boom was dropped down as far as it would go to clear bridges etc. They still do that with the hydraulic versions today.
Yeah, if this was strictly for transport, it would make more sense to set the boom all the way down. But since my main piece of railroad is the Silverton Branch and its narrow, riverside ROW perched at the bottom of a sharply sloping canyon, this machine has to work from the car itself in many places. The boom is also just long enough when all the way fold down it overhangs the end of the car, which would require an idler car if shipped this way.
Clearance is not an issue here, as the top of the boom when locked in the cradle is well within the HOn3 loading gauge.
One more thing, to keep my extra "cable" sets handy, I laid them between the treads on the car.
Nice work Mike, I might just get a kit.
You'll enjoy the kit. It's one of the better WS kits in my estimation.
Wanted to note on my crane rest...as it turns out, it almost allows a position with the boom collapsed down as they are typically moved. It only needs the boom rest moved slightly towards the center of the car. Then you'd have the option of quickly hooking the back of the bucket under the bar on rest or tying it down for a photo shoot in more prototypical fashion by collapsing it a little more. The rest also keeps it up just enough to not require an idler car for clearance, so it actually is "functional" like this.
Of course, the real issue is the prototype is strung with cable, while the model is strung with elastic cord. Kind of hard to overcome the physics at play. The difference isn't bothersome for me, because it looks "right" under the circumstances.
Video of a similar Bucyrus Erie 10B backhoe working.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF1FdaBEIjU
you mean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF1FdaBEIjU