Constructions scenery (and Mid Build Crane)

[JR 500系]

11 hours ago, nscalestation said:

Construction scenes are great on a Japanese layout as there always seems to be construction going on, at least in Tokyo.  I have included 2 scenes on one of my modules using a combination of products available and some scratch building.  I have documented some of this on my blog. 

 

http://tokyo-in-nscale.blogspot.com/2016/08/a-building-being-demolished-scene.html

http://tokyo-in-nscale.blogspot.com/2018/03/subway-construction-site-details.html

http://tokyo-in-nscale.blogspot.com/2018/03/more-construction-site-fencing.html

http://tokyo-in-nscale.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-climbing-tower-crane.html

http://tokyo-in-nscale.blogspot.com/2017/03/starting-subway-construction-scene.html

 

 

Yes wonderful blog indeed! Thanks for sharing! Your techniques are really interesting with very nice results!

[cteno4]

The bummer with the studio mid is they did not make the framework of the boom open. Having to paint the “open spaces” black to make it work isn’t the best. My thought was to remake the boom out of styrene strip to make an open framework. Guess you could drill and carve out the inbetween bits, might give that a shot first.

 

jeff

[gavino200]

30 minutes ago, cteno4 said:

The bummer with the studio mid is they did not make the framework of the boom open. Having to paint the “open spaces” black to make it work isn’t the best. My thought was to remake the boom out of styrene strip to make an open framework. Guess you could drill and carve out the inbetween bits, might give that a shot first.

 

jeff

 

Interesting. I didn't notice that. Now I can't 'unsee' it even if I try. 

[nscalestation]

10 hours ago, cteno4 said:

The bummer with the studio mid is they did not make the framework of the boom open. Having to paint the “open spaces” black to make it work isn’t the best. My thought was to remake the boom out of styrene strip to make an open framework. Guess you could drill and carve out the inbetween bits, might give that a shot first.

 

jeff

 

Solid yes but still quite fragile.  I made a special little box to transport my two cranes to shows but the boom on one of them still got broken.  I think the only way these could be done without being solid is with photo etched metal.

[cteno4]

Brad, 

 

you are right, I took mine out last night after the post and looked at it again as it got me curious. I did a test v braced beam out of 020 styrene rod about twice as high a long time back and it was pretty solid, but trying to get it down smaller will get fiddly. Especially if it was a triangle of them and then there is the taper it has from center to each end... now I remember why I kind of put it on the shelf fo later... ironically when looking for my E5 btrain last night I found the studio mid girder kit I had cut out and cleaned up and was going to put together. I wonder if it just slipped off the radar in the drawer or I paused because of the boom... I think I’ll now do the crane up painted to try it, I can always change it later or swap in a tomytec crane.

 

btw, great reference here

 

https://www.suga-kikai.co.jp/en/rental/products/tower_crane-2/

 

cheers

 

jeff

[gavino200]

The Viking mini excavator arrived today. It's beautiful and very well made. I might order another one and try to remove the cab section for use in a possible large crane kit bash. I also received two of the three Tomytec 'buildings under construction'.

 

[gavino200]

I saw an interesting crane today as I was driving home from work. I got out and took a few pictures. What seemed unusual was that the driver cab was just fixed to the side of the main framework, rather than being interposed within it. It struck me that this might be a good model for adding a cab to the German crane (see below). I think the German crane needs the addition of a short counterbalance arm also. I don't know if I have the skills for a kitbash like that, but I'm going to consider trying it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

German crane

 

http://www.en.spur-n-kran.de/details.html

 

Edited July 5, 2018 by gavino200

[gavino200]

The German crane is also featured in this video at 1:16. It looks pretty good even with no alteration.

 

There's also a good road/bridge construction scene at 5:10

 

 

[cteno4]

He got a couple of the construction collections and came up with a scene to use them all! 

 

Jeff

[gavino200]

Some more construction stuff arrives. Can't build without steel and cement!

 

[gavino200]

This picture from an ebay "construction scene background photo" auction gives a nice view of the Mid Build crane next to the Tomytec mobile crane for perspective and scale. I still like it.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hakoniwagiken-DS150-004-1-150-Diorama-Sheet-Construction-Field-900x600mm/262079852105?hash=item3d052d2e49%3Ag%3AZrUAAOSwjVVVp79b&_pgn=2&_sacat=0&_nkw=n+scale+construction&_from=R40&rt=nc

[JR 500系]

They have a website:

 

https://www.hakoniwagiken.com/en/

 

And does great background diorama sheets for use with various applications; parking lot, bus station, army field etc. needless to say my favourite is the bus station!

[cteno4]

The studio mid I believe is a small remote crane driven by remote control from around the site. It’s not a large tower crane for big buildings.

 

jeff

[gavino200]

16 hours ago, cteno4 said:

The studio mid I believe is a small remote crane driven by remote control from around the site. It’s not a large tower crane for big buildings.

 

jeff

 

That's funny. I was trying to show that the Mid crane was a decent height by comparing it to the Tomytec mobile crane, but you replied "Yeah, it's not very high. Just a little squirt of a thing". 

The Tomytec crane may be taller than you remember. Here it is below next to a building. It's gotta be at lease six stories. I've been noticing construction stuff lately as I drive around town. Tower cranes aren't a whole lot higher than this. Look at the photos above that I took of some. When they're used for tall buildings I believe they actually build them on the building itself and keep moving it up as floors are added. 

 

By "I still like it", I mean in spite of the frame being solid rather than carved out. 

 

Edited August 6, 2018 by gavino200

[cteno4]

Just meant the mid tower crane is a baby compared to the big boy tower crane with the operator cabs. Tower crane height just depends on how tall the building is.

 

tower cranes usually go up the elevator shafts of tall buildings, some along the wall. Many can jack themselves up at their bases and new vertical support piece is put in. 

 

 

there are some larger tomytec cranes with pretty tall eaches as well.

 

jeff

 

[gavino200]

4 hours ago, cteno4 said:

Just meant the mid tower crane is a baby compared to the big boy tower crane with the operator cabs. Tower crane height just depends on how tall the building is.

 

tower cranes usually go up the elevator shafts of tall buildings, some along the wall. Many can jack themselves up at their bases and new vertical support piece is put in. 

 

there are some larger tomytec cranes with pretty tall eaches as well.

 

jeff

 

 

What a cool video (except for the music)!!!! Thanks!

[cteno4]

6 minutes ago, gavino200 said:

 

What a cool video (except for the music)!!!! Thanks!

 

Sorry played it on mute...

 

jeff

[JR 500系]

Yes that's precisely how a tower crane is being erected, except here in Sillypore we make a huge RC foundation with 4 bored piles going as deep as 20m into the ground below to support the tower crane... Extensive and super expensive, but almost super safe.

 

 

[cteno4]

Yeah that’s why I think a lot of them here use the elevator shaft to both use the building foundation as well as the core building structure. I saw a construction program once showing them jack out the sections from the base of the elevator shaft. Get the crane foundation for free and usually in the center of the building to boot.

 

jeff

[gavino200]

This suggested by Pauljag. I have no experience with DAPR, but it looks ok. I think the cab needs to be improved or replaced. I like that it's also an airbrush project. I ordered one, so I'll give some feedback when I put it together. (don't hold your breath). Nice thing is that it's cheap, so if it's good, a few could be bashed together to have a few cranes of slightly different height. I think that would create a very nice construction impression.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/182807642635?ViewItem=&item=182807642635&ppid=PPX000608&cnac=US&rsta=en_US(en_US)&cust=3W407366WX436435M&unptid=916d8660-9a45-11e8-b53e-441ea14ea960&t=&cal=842fb428dd510&calc=842fb428dd510&calf=842fb428dd510&unp_tpcid=email-receipt-auction-payment&page=main:email&pgrp=main:email&e=op&mchn=em&s=ci&mail=sys

 

Also, some construction figures I recently ordered. 

 

Graham Farish - Construction workers

https://www.ebay.com/itm/N-scale-Scenecraft-CONSTRUCTION-WORKERS-with-Tools-Figures-302/392092969961?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

Graham Farish - Civil Engineers

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/N-scale-Scenecraft-Civil-Engineer-Hard-Hat-Construction-Workers-Figures-312/382533068432?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

Tomytec Truck Collection Construction Site Truck A

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tomytec-Truck-Collection-Construction-Site-Truck-A-1-150-N-scale-284888/202062153145?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

[gavino200]

Five little cats from China arrived in the mail today. They were cheap and the quality is good. I like them.

 

[cteno4]

Why bother finishing the layout, just plunk construction equipment everywhere and have it a big under construction zone. Saves a lot on scenery and you can collect all those different construction vehicles.

 

jeff

[JR 500系]

Haha with that fleet of Cats, you could also just make a huge yard and have something like a Excavator yard sale!  🙂  Print out some price tags and writings of '激安' (sale in Japanese) and stick them on the windscreens for additional details! 

[cteno4]

There’s a tomytec structure for that...

 

jeff

[JR 500系]

21 minutes ago, cteno4 said:

There’s a tomytec structure for that...

 

jeff

 

Yap there is, but his fleet is way too big for that! He needs a custom one!