Here is my new weekend project, a Grove Rough Terrain crane. The RT745 was built 1989ish-1996 (someone may need to correct me on these years. The ones I have seen on heavy equipment auctions are between these dates.) I think the two axle rough terrain crane is a ubiquitous vehicle on the construction site. Along with the larger crawler crane, it seems every highway or DOT project has one. Kibri produces a ton of crane kits, but many reflect European prototypes. Grove or Manitowoc cranes, larger US manufacturers, aren't really available in HO. This model would be a good load on a flatcar, like the DODX flat (a bit of product placement here). The military uses the similar RT875. The 875 is painted in a NATO camo scheme. The 745 are often seen in yellow, but some are painted in other colors too. I have the wheels and chassis pretty much done. The rotating superstructure/counterweight/cab assembly is close to being done too. I still need to make the jib and the cable spools. I want to have positionable outriggers, so I will make those as separate parts.
Very interesting! A few of those painted Army Green or desert camo would look great mixed in a military train.
I did a bit more work and got the jib mostly done. I opted for a three-segment boom rather than a four-segment (the more common option on the prototype) just because I didn't want the last segment to be too thin. The out-of-scale wall thickness for the nesting feature means the second and third segments are already smaller than they should be. The outriggers are positionable, and the pistons on the main boom extend as well. The big question though: Will this print? The pistons may need to be built out of styrene rod; I'm not sure the print will allow functionality. I still need to make the cable reels that go over the counterweights too. Those are pretty complicated looking, but the lack of cab detail is glaring as well. Those are my next two areas of focus. The feet that attach to the outriggers normally hang on the front and rear of the chassis in pockets, but for those who would want the model 'in operation,' they would need to be attached to the outriggers. However, having the outriggers stored (as in the photo) requires them to be removed. I may make them a separate part, but the modeler may need to glue them in place, either on the outrigger or in the storage slots. I don't think I can make them removable and not have them out of scale. Another area of concern is the underbody. I have basic axles to attach the tires, but I have no information on what the drivetrain looks like. It isn't very visible anyways, but the lack of axle differential boxes or driveshafts just makes the bottom seem empty.
