Legacy Crane Car - Best Lionel Item Ever Made

Bummer that it had problems, But .... they'll fix it up for you.

I never had to re-thread mine. But, folks do say its a bear to do.

Yes, and others here will agree .... its the most *fun* train thing made. I get a real kick out of it. Everyone that has seen mine has, too.

Did you get the boom car? It actually adds quite a bit to the fun, I think.

Have fun with your boy!

I got my TMCC one tangled and had to restring it.  It took about an hour between reading the instructions and getting everything back in place. 

Important safety tip:  Don't turn if over without keeping tension on the strings!

EBT Jim posted:

 

Did you get the boom car? It actually adds quite a bit to the fun, I think.

I got the boom car back in January.   I can't figure out why they didn't sell them packaged as a set.  It's sort of like separating a steam engine and it's tender into two separate items.   If you spend the sort of money that the crane requires it seems like a no brainer to get the boom car for the sounds as well.  

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I got my TMCC one tangled and had to restring it.  It took about an hour between reading the instructions and getting everything back in place. 

So, once I get past this initial glitch, how have these held up to frequent use?  Or at least the TMCC ones that folks like GRJ have had for awhile?  It doesn't look like the Legacy versions are different mechanically so I'd imagine their durability would be similar.  

Like if you should avoid taking the boom all the way up or all the way down.  Or don't rotate the cab more than x degrees at a time or things of that nature.  It'd be nice if I only really need to worry about keeping tension on the boom if I turn it over but otherwise can work it hard and not have to worry about additional trips to Concord - particularly after the warranty is up.    I've done a lot of taking my trains apart, but this is one item I can't ever imagine wanting to open up.

I had to fix mine, I bought it used.  However, once I got the strings back on and the board replaced, all is well.  I don't have any plans on taking it apart again.  Before anyone asks, if they want one worked on, it ain't going to be cheap, at least not with me doing the work!

It's the best Lionel item ever remade

The legacy crane is neat.  I almost bought a used one but wound up opting for the MTH version.  Growing up I remember watching a real one picking up derail freight cars on the old New York Central.  What an awesome piece of machinery.

mopac01 posted:

 

So, once I get past this initial glitch, how have these held up to frequent use?  Or at least the TMCC ones that folks like GRJ have had for awhile? ....  

Like if you should avoid taking the boom all the way up or all the way down.  Or don't rotate the cab more than x degrees at a time or things of that nature.  It'd be nice if I only really need to worry about keeping tension on the boom if I turn it over but otherwise can work it hard and not have to worry about additional trips to Concord ...

I never had a problem with mine. Though, I never use the outriggers.

I have the green BN version ..... I bought it new, don't remember what year that was .... and it gets used often by people.

I never baby/limit it in any way.

Have fun!

My  first  impression of the crane car is it was heavy and looked well made......instructions were a bit vague to me and I had to reread them a few times but they do make sense......probably me. It synced up well with my boom car......but then dissappointment reared its ugly head.

Like the OP, the problem lied with the auxiliary hook......the main hook worked well but the auxilliary hook failed to retract.....it lowered but would not retract. Through the cab doorway you can see the gear that operates it. That is where I could see it turn to lower but fail to reverse.

Also, the outriggers were a pain to set and did not eject as they should. They only worked intermittently and would pop out when going around my track......which could be an issue if they pop out and catch onto scenery or other items along the track.

I immediately called my dealer after spending some time troubleshooting and concluding it had to be a board or loose wire problem with the hook. He advised, which I did this morning to ship it back, where he will replace it or repair it.
Here's hoping I get a direct replacement.

Side Note: Take a few pics of the strings going from the boom to the hooks for future reference......alot going on there.

Addendum:

Kudo's to my vendor, for sending me a direct replacement for my defective crane car.  But once again, that faded into disappointment. After giving it a trial run, I noted all features worked as they should until I tried to turn the boom left or right on its platform......it would not work with my 990 controller. Frustrated I called Lionel to check if I had done something wrong but the service rep, who was excellent by the way, said I was doing everything right and that I should send it in for repair or recontact the vendor. At this point, I did not want to lose another week due to repair. So, since they are only 6 screws to take out to release the cab, I decided to investigate. I immediately found the problem to be one of the gears utilized by the crane loose inside the cab. Upon close examination that gear had a set screw used to tighten the gear down on a shaft. I looked around and found a shaft that looked like it needed the gear, reattached it, and tightened the set screw.......this appeared to be the fix and everything now works great. Hopefully this will help anyone out there who has a similar issue.

The only other thing of note I noticed about this crane is that there is a bit of lag time when operating the hooks and turning the boom left or right. Anyone else have that issue.....its not excessive lag time but noticeable. In addition i noted a handwritten note on the styrofoam insert stating you should always keep the hooks 1 inch from the top of the boom.

-Pete

-Pete

Other than the outriggers being a bit balky, mine has worked well.  Since the outriggers also require you to manually set up the stands to support them, they're only a gadget anyway, so I just don't use them.  As Pete says, with the TMCC version there is a bit of lag as well, but not too bad.  I'm guessing the crane didn't change much from the TMCC to the Legacy version, the Legacy boom car got better sounds.

I've had mine since they first came out. Mid-2000's? Sometimes some of my outriggers don't stay latched in, but I think that's the only issue I've had durability wise. My son as a toddler grabbed the boom, lifted up, and I spent some time re-running the string through the pulleys. My biggest complaint is that Lionel ONLY makes the boom car. Many railroads gave MOW equipment special paint. How about MOW gondolas, flat cars, and a crew car like an old passenger car. This isn't some lowly Burro crane sent to replace one worn rail section. This monster is sent on derailments and wrecks where dunnage, shop trucks, wheel sets, extra cables and wire rope are needed. I really wish Lionel would come out with MOW support cars.

Sam Jumper posted:

 Many railroads gave MOW equipment special paint. How about MOW gondolas, flat cars, and a crew car like an old passenger car. This isn't some lowly Burro crane sent to replace one worn rail section. This monster is sent on derailments and wrecks where dunnage, shop trucks, wheel sets, extra cables and wire rope are needed. I really wish Lionel would come out with MOW support cars.

Just a guess but the reason Lionel and others continue to offer that crane tender sporting a bobber caboose structure and storage bins is that it is generic.  As you said most railroads recycled old passenger and freight cars for wreck train service and there are probably no two alike.  Why not recycle some old rolling stock of your own and create something unique to your railroad?  K-Line used to make a 40' O scale bunk car with lighting, interior, opening doors and a smoke unit.  Lionel continued with that product but it wasn't the same.  That would be a good start.  Just sayin.....

I've changed my mind on the crane.  It just returned from Lionel service and my experience was a mirror of the original unboxing.  Everything worked out of the box but after 10 minutes of putting it through it's paces the large hook stopped retracting.  It will lower further but not go up.  The motor makes no sound at all when commanded to retract.  I suspect an intermittent electrical issue and rotating the cab or raising/lowering the boom probably contribute.  There are limit switches to shut off the motor if you've raised the hook all the way.  I'm wondering if something is shorting that is making the motor think the hook is all the way up when it isn't?  

My son has lost interest in it as it's proved defective both times we've tried to use it.  I regret my purchase.  I bought the matching boom car at the beginning of the year so I can't return that.  I can't return the crane either after it's been worked on.  For the money involved I wish I would have bought the ZW-L transformer.