I bought one and wondered if anyone had any info on it. Anyone know the age. Anyone know if the crane is supposed to go on the flat car that comes with it and how it fits. Kinda cool! Ron
Looks like mayber early "80's vintage.I picked one up at a swap meet.I glued some rails on the flatcar and mounted some trucks to the rails.The flatcar was to haul supplies for a derailment or trackwork they were heading to.I painted and decaled mine to match the Missouri Pacific's cranes.I left the pizza cutter wheels on.I simply blackened them with a Sharpie marker so they would dissapear in the shadows.I couldn't justify putting $8 worth of trucks on a $4 car.Looks like a nice project for you.
My crane its a ROCO model I bought exactly the same model on a swap meet in Germany. it's a ROCO crane. Part # 2350A Ron, if you are looking for a modern crane that could be a solution for you. It's a european model from IBERTREN. Spanisch produkt. It's easy to convert it to an American model.
Your post is very timely. I have the same car in PRR markings, but mine dates from the early 1970's. My older brother bought it for me at a hobby store, now long gone, in Richmond Hill, NY. It was probably about 1972, so this is a sentimental thing for me. Oddly enough, I have been thinking of working on it to replace the pizza cutter wheels and Rapido couplers with Micro Trains couplers and low profile metal wheels. I have wanted to get the old girl back on the layout. Just reopened the box yesterday in fact, and it is now sitting on the workbench, waiting for inspiration. I am also thinking about getting rid of the thread that comprises the boom cable and replacing it with thin wire and adding windows to the crane cab.... To answer your question, yes, the boom is supposed to rest on the flat car.
Check with our advertisers for Tichy Train Group. They make the former DemiTrains steam powered crane and the idler flat/tool and equipment car is still availble also by them. Typically this crane also had either a flatcar with part of an old tender, or a tank for a water supply since it was steam. There used to be a tender by DemiTrains that was for the crane or the rotary plow but I don't believe Tichy offers that still. They are both nicely made plastic kits that assemble fairly easy. In my book the only rivals in appearance are the products put out by GHQ and Stewart.
The AHM (and others) crane is 'close' to the big ones used for wrecker service on ATSF. Most have long been scrapped or retired. One has actually been preserved with its boom car and is at Winslow, AZ. The original paint was black and silver, but this scheme actually was used up until retirement: http://www.morscher.com/rr/1999/19990102_07.jpg What I really like about ATSF was the wacko boom cars. Forget simple flatcars or gondolas. They liked to modify old passenger cars, and the 'center hut' may be anything from a chunk of the original passenger carbody to a boxcar conversion. http://www.morscher.com/rr/1999/19990102_08.jpg One of those boom cars is now an open excursion car on the Niles Canyon railroad.
This big guy was up on the South Branch Valley back in the 80s. In December it was still in service, later in June when I caught it again it may not have been. Steam powered and self propelled.
I have the same car as in the original posters photo. It is made by Roco and is now sold by Con Cor. It also has the boom car with the boom cradle I bought it new several years ago decorated for Conrail. It does not have metal Pizza cutters but plastic wheels. The truck mounted couplers limit the curve radius it will operate on.
