# Log Loader from a toy crane



## alcashj94 (Jan 2, 2008)

I recently had some fun making a freelance log loader from a cheap toy crane, not based on a particular prototype but it has features from both Barnhart and American in its make up.
Here is the toy I started from, picked up cheap in the sales after last Christmas and sat in the corner for nine months before I had the urge to do something with it.










Cut it apart to get the base with the rotating bearing and the two motor / gearboxes and went from there.

Here is the part finished job.



















And these are the individual assemblies painted so you can see how it goes together.










Got it finished in time to include on my display at our local Garden Railway show last month, had a lot of fun moving logs and the kids loved it!
I mounted it on a flat car with the skeleton log car in front, fixed wire loops to some of the plastic logs and lifted them on and off the truck when nothing was moving on the auto shuttle on the display track. The control wire was fed under the board to the back of the display but it does prevent you from slewing too far, might have to think up a slip ring conection up through the base to get rid of the trailing cable.





























You can see my display was in a 'convenient' location!


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Great model!


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

That looks really neat. Nicely done. Later RJD


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## itsmcgee (Jan 4, 2008)

what great fun thanks for sharing


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

I have the same crane that I purchased from Ebay last year. It's been sitting in my barn attic waiting for a chance to put it to use on my layout. You have inspired me to do something with it. Thank you.


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## tbug (Feb 16, 2008)

Creative and well done!!

tbug


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## Steamnutt (Apr 12, 2008)

Nice job!, thanks for sharing the pics with us


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## cjwalas (Jan 2, 2008)

Beautiful work as always, Allan! I can see where this one would be a real treat to see operating. Great display set up as well. 
Chris


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Very cool!


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Very nice job adapting the toy crane. Looks great and right at home next to the Shay.

Thanks, Bob


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## Gerd (Jan 7, 2008)

That's a great idea and a very nice model that you've created out of that crane. 

I plan to bring my Fn3 logging railroad back to life next year with an indoor layout. As I'll use Ely Thomas log cars, a loader such this one would match very well with my railroad. 

My latest log loader project came out of the worksoop last weekend too, but it's a little bit larger then yours (2"-scale) 
The loader is powered by hand cranks and levers (non electric, no steam) More on my website www.bclrr.de.ki 










Bye, Gerd


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Just two words: "Excessively cool!" Thanks for posting the pixes.

Les


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Wow, that's a great model, Al! 

Gerd, your 2" scale model is cool too.


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Al,

A great model! Thanks for posting the intermediate pixes.

Les


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## Dale Loyet (Feb 12, 2008)

Very nice crane ! I love it, and the layout it is displayed on. We can't have too much logging equipment.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Al, Great little crane!! It doesn't look like there is much of the original left. I almost passed up this thread until I noticed it was your work. I know that what ever you are working on it will be interesting! Thanks for posting.


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## R.W. Marty (Jan 2, 2008)

Al,
That is a beautifully improvised slide-back jammer. ingenious use of materials, well detailed and painted.

You need a few more flats with rails and drop-ins to show the proper use, and drop the brake staff.
Later
Rick Marty


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## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow both you and Gerd have nice loaders there. Thanks for sharing. 
Robert


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## alcashj94 (Jan 2, 2008)

Your right Winn, the only parts of the original used are the two motor / gearboxes and the base with the rotating bearing which was in the opperators cabin. You can see the remains of that in the pics above, much cut down and the new parts of the model fit around it. 
The original toy has a red light on the top so I positioned that in the firebox but it only comes on with the slew motor, amazing how quickly the kids work that out! 

Rick, I did think about using another motor to drive the wheels so it could move along the flat and that would lead to a second one with the bridge rails. In the end I decided to keep it simple but that is always a possibility for the future. For this display unit I only have enough space for the flat and skeleton car anyway. 

The display track is actually part of my indoor layout which accounts for the odd shape, it forms part of one side and matches into scenery on another section behind it. The black backing boards with shelf ontop are fitted just for the shows. There is a shuttle unit and power supply inside the shed which run a loco back and forth with a delay at each end. Seems popular as there is movement as well as the models on display, that was part of the reason for adding the log loader section. 

Glad you liked it, 
Allan.


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Posted By alcashj94 on 12/11/2008 4:25 PM

Rick, I did think about using another motor to drive the wheels so it could move along the flat and that would lead to a second one with the bridge rails.Allan. 



Allen,

Can you point me at a pic of the 'bridge rail' setup between the cars? I've never seen one and am unclear how they actually got the loaders from one car to the next.

Thanks,

Les


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Gerd,

Very good piece of work, there. I copied a pic, hope you don't mind. Is it mechanized, too?

Les


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## alcashj94 (Jan 2, 2008)

Les, 
have a look at this site:- 

http://www.steaminthewoods.com/index.html 

I copied this bit which explains how the loaders moved along the train. 
The car mounted loaders rode on either permanently affixed, or temporary tracks on top of the flatcars or log cars. Where permanent tracks were used, the rails were laid only the length of the car bed, so as to prevent binding in sharp curves; the loader moved across/between cars via the use of of a transfer rail, or a "shoe fly" (an inverted "U" shaped piece of steel), placed across the space between cars. Temporary tracks where used, were built in three sections; where the loader rested on one, the second spanned the gap between cars, and the third sat on the following empty car. As the loader proceeded down the train, it moved to the piece on the following car, then lifted the two pieces in front, and places them behind...again, one spanning the gap between cars, and the other resting on the following empty. 

Lots of pics and info on this site - if you are into logging you can spend hours looking there! 
Allan.


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Allen,

Yes, I'm definitely into logging. Thank you for the website.

Les


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## Gerd (Jan 7, 2008)

Hi Les, 

my loader can be operate with hand cranks and levers. Have a look at YouTube. I posted several clips of the loader under construction and after roll out. 

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=O9dUX1teBZg 
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=FAvoqVoV9AY 

Regards, Gerd


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Gerd,

Er, my apologies--you stated that your rig was operated by handcranks. Thanks for the sites, I'll go to them directly.

Whatever, it's still a fine piece of work. I recognize that working in the larger scales is advantageous--that's why I chose 1:20.3 (F). I'm retired, and it's the smallest I can still see.









Thank you for posting the pixes and the go-to sites.

Les


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## myline (Dec 6, 2008)

The inspiration never ends in this place.

Little Paulie, [email protected]


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