What O gauge crane should I use for my tinplate harbor scene?

I vote for this one.

Northwoods Flyer

George S posted:

Hi all,

I am creating a tinplate harbor scene. It will have both O gauge and STD gauge track. I have this little tugboat.

I will make a small, non-descript barge to hold Lionel merchandise containers. For the STD gauge crane, I have this Dorfan.

 

I am trying to decide on an O gauge crane. I found this NBN crane for sale. It's clockwork. Very cool.

I also found this Joustra crane.

The Joustra looks like a lot of large seaport cranes. The NBN crane seems older in style and more like the Dorfan. The Joustra is a fraction of the cost of the NBN, but does it look too modern? There are several others, like GELY, but those are out of my price range right now. Maybe later... 

What do you think?

George

George -I also like this one better.

Will you restore it of keep it original?

Sean007 posted:

George S posted:

Hi all,

I am creating a tinplate harbor scene. I am trying to decide on an O gauge crane. I found this NBN crane for sale. It's clockwork. Very cool.

What do you think?

George

George -I also like this one better.

Will you restore it of keep it original?

The NBN crane looks to be in very good condition. I believe the silver is the original color of the structure. The litho looks excellent. There is a little rust or stain on the silver crane structure. I may see what can be done with it. I always worry that rust will expand to other areas. Sealing it with wax after a cleaning usually slows its progress. It is missing a bucket, but I don't think I will need that. The bucket would be used to transfer coal or sand from a barge. I will imagine this as more of a container operation. So, long story short, I don't plan to restore or change it other than cleaning.

George

I looked a little more closely at the NBN crane. It has a lot of rust on the boom and the wind-up key. I think I will try Evaporust on those. The enamel base and top have some scratches. I will use car polish to clean those but don't plan to repaint them. There is a little dirt and rust on the litho. I have a plastic cleaner that I use on litho. So, a little more extensive cleaning is in order, mostly to preserve it.

George

Is that a tinplate tugboat? I like it!

Tinplate Art posted:

Is that a tinplate tugboat? I like it!

Yes. It's a completely tin litho Marx floor toy. I have seen them listed for a lot of $$$ or less with missing pieces. I made an offer on this one and think I got a good compromise. I tested it with 3 D cell batteries after fixing a broken wire. The light shines and the wheels on the bottom spin! I don't expect to use it that way, but it is cool that it still runs after 60 years!

George

The seller in Amsterdam accepted my offer on the NBN crane, so it will be headed to a new home (mine). 

Thanks for the input! I was leaning the NBN way the whole time but needed the push.

When I get this setup, I will post pictures!

George

How about biller?

Something Big! Bing or Marklin! 😎

Dennis Holler posted:

Something Big! Bing or Marklin! 😎

My Dorfan one is pretty big. The Bing ones I have seen look small. I did see a Marklin. It was pretty intricate looking, and very expensive.

George

Jim O'C posted:

How about biller?

The Biller is cute. I was unaware of it. It's a little undersized for my application though.

George

Dennis Holler posted:

Something Big! Bing or Marklin! 😎

These are still available. I'm not sure the size.

This Marklin one is listed as Standard scale but seems more like O when comparing to the door in the background.

This is a Bing. Looks like the same door and seller.

Not quite what I'm looking for.

George

another style Joustra

Kibri

Gely are they the same as NBN?

Dennis Holler posted:

Something Big! Bing or Marklin! 😎

Something small like CR:

Regards

Fred

There are a few GELY cranes listed. Several look the same as NBN. One has much more detail but the litho is a little more whimsical. GELY stands for George Levy of Germany founded in 1920. I just found that George Levy sold his foundry company and die in 1934 and NBN Nuernberger Blechspielwaren was formed. So, yes, same heritage, but GELY would be older. 

George

George Levy (GeLy) had to sell his company and emigrated to England, because he was Jewish, in the dark years in Germany before WW II.

Regards

Fred

the one I have  fs on bay,,,hahahahaha

Neat cranes & neat idea George. I came across this picture and was thinking it would make for a great scene on my layout ; never seen them mounted like that. 

May give you some ideas.

sncf231e posted:

George Levy (GeLy) had to sell his company and emigrated to England, because he was Jewish, in the dark years in Germany before WW II.

Regards

Fred

That figures and is a very sad testament to the time. Thanks for the history lesson.

His cranes survive and are wonderful. This one is really nice and available.

George

George, I am talking the big harbor crane     They are huge, will try to post one up when we stop driving.

terry hudon posted:

the one I have  fs on bay,,,hahahahaha

Now, which one would that be? 

I forgot I had this until I started going through my photo archive.  I don't know anything about its origins.  Can anyone identify it?

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

Greg J. Turinetti posted:

I forgot I had this until I started going through my photo archive.  I don't know anything about its origins.  Can anyone identify it?

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

Bandai is a Japanese tin toy manufacturer. It’s from the ‘50’s. Someone has one on eBay with a box for $499. Maybe it’s Terry...

George

I like the Biller!

A cheap alternative you can make.

If you can assemble enough British Meccano pieces, the hammerhead crane is a real eye-catcher.

The locomotive seen below was made of straw for a public art installation on the Finnieston crane in Scotland. Maybe an idea for some tinplate locomotive exports from your harbor?

overlandflyer posted:

Wow!  Now I know what to do with all of those random pieces of Erector that I have been gathering.  Thanks overlandflyer.

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

From my Navy days in Long Beach, I recall my ship vibrating from the throb of massive diesel engines.  I went topside to find a huge floating crane alongside.  That was "Herman the German" (officially YD-171) that was built to lift U-boats out of the water and towed to Long Beach after WWII.  The sound of the diesels, best felt rather than heard, would be a challenge for a bank of sub-woofers.  There's a good story on Herman here.  It would be a good project to build (not to sale - it would be huge) an Erector set approximation of Herman.

Now, that is a CRANE!

Wow is all I can say with these options! I might have to join the Crane Collectors Association!

George

That one......although PaPa Steve's is a close second

The NBN would be better if the tires were taken off and wheels installed with track. One can never have enough cranes in a seaport. Your choice was excellent also.

F&G RY posted:

The NBN would be better if the tires were taken off and wheels installed with track. One can never have enough cranes in a seaport. Your choice was excellent also.

I have seen pictures of one mounted on a gantry, but have not found any for sale. I'm not sure if that was original or a mod.

George

NBN ...I like the Bandai a lot too, but the cab looks like more of a Marx match.

  I like the looks of the NBN better than the Dorfan, but thats a style thing; the Dorfan screams pre-war loud n' clear.

Hi George S. I have always liked this Biller crane. It supposedly was a HO, but has worked well for O Gage for me. My idea was to run a track parallel to the water front with this. The crane moves side to side on wheelers on can run a couple of rails for the four wheels, and when one shifts the (levers) gears in a stationary position the bucket moves inward as in the photo inside the crane frame to train area over what ever load one is picking up. Then a shift of the gears lowers the bucket just as this happens the bucket opens onto the load. Then gears shifted again, the bucket closes accepting the coal or what have you, and the bucket raises up.  Another change of  level,  bucket travels across to the outside of the frame. Then one can maneuver the bucket downward and the bucket opens onto the grey delivery tray. One can make a few loads like this then open the trap door to load whatever is accepting load. Coal works great. The mechanical mechanism is quite good powered by a D cell. I may be able to get a D cell and make a movie of it next time soon.   Sorry for the fast photos tonight. 

thanks to all for sharing your toy cranes. I  am fascinated by them.

leroof

Leroof posted:

Hi George S. I have always liked this Biller crane. It supposedly was a HO, but has worked well for O Gage for me. My idea was to run a track parallel to the water front with this. The crane moves side to side on wheelers on can run a couple of rails for the four wheels, and when one shifts the (levers) gears in a stationary position the bucket moves inward as in the photo inside the crane frame to train area over what ever load one is picking up. Then a shift of the gears lowers the bucket just as this happens the bucket opens onto the load. Then gears shifted again, the bucket closes accepting the coal or what have you, and the bucket raises up.  Another change of  level,  bucket travels across to the outside of the frame. Then one can maneuver the bucket downward and the bucket opens onto the grey delivery tray. One can make a few loads like this then open the trap door to load whatever is accepting load. Coal works great. The mechanical mechanism is quite good powered by a D cell. I may be able to get a D cell and make a movie of it next time soon.   Sorry for the fast photos tonight. 

thanks to all for sharing your toy cranes. I  am fascinated by them.

leroof

That is very cool!

George

Leroof posted:

Hi George S. I have always liked this Biller crane. It supposedly was a HO, but has worked well for O Gage for me. My idea was to run a track parallel to the water front with this. The crane moves side to side on wheelers on can run a couple of rails for the four wheels, and when one shifts the (levers) gears in a stationary position the bucket moves inward as in the photo inside the crane frame to train area over what ever load one is picking up. Then a shift of the gears lowers the bucket just as this happens the bucket opens onto the load. Then gears shifted again, the bucket closes accepting the coal or what have you, and the bucket raises up.  Another change of  level,  bucket travels across to the outside of the frame. Then one can maneuver the bucket downward and the bucket opens onto the grey delivery tray. One can make a few loads like this then open the trap door to load whatever is accepting load. Coal works great. The mechanical mechanism is quite good powered by a D cell. I may be able to get a D cell and make a movie of it next time soon.   Sorry for the fast photos tonight. 

thanks to all for sharing your toy cranes. I  am fascinated by them.

leroof

To borrow from Tinptate Art "Now, that's a GANTRY CRANE!".

if you want something new and inexpensive, but still appropriate, there's this from Lee Valley:  http://www.leevalley.com/us/gi...8007&cat=4,53201

Personally, I would lean toward one built from Meccano or Erector.