Steam Travelling Breakdown Crane
Built by Adrian Ashford in January 2012
This is a close copy of model 2.28 in the 1954–62 outfit № 2 manual.
I’ve always thought it doesn’t really look like a “proper” breakdown crane. But in issue 79 (Summer 2011) of the quarterly Great Western Journal Magazine there was an article on Great Western Standard 6-ton Steam Travelling Cranes, to which this model bears a more than passing resemblance — even to the lightening holes in the jib!
Using additional parts to those in the outfit, to make a longer jib, a better bearing for the crane to swivel on, and a match-truck, one could make a much better model.
31/03/2012
The second photos shows an improved version of the crane. It struck me that although not a model of a railway crane for heavy lifting, it bears a good resemblance to the 6-Ton Steam Travelling Cranes, of which the Great Western Railway had a number, as featured in an article in the Summer 2011 issue of the quarterly Great Western Railway Journal. These cranes could lift a maximum of 6 tons, with the jib at a radius of no more than 15’, and were therefore used for lighter jobs around the system, such as lifting new signals into place.
My ‘improved’ version has a longer jib, 9½” long, instead of 5½”, a more robust bearing, made from two Wheel Flanges, for the crane to swivel on and improved winding arrangement for the lifting hook and luffing, which has been simplified because of the small size of the model. In addition, I’ve also made a match-truck with a support for the jib and two large lockers for storing various pieces of equipment. Both the original model and the improved version run on small Flanged Wheels(part № 20B), gauged to run on 0 Gauge track.