These are my two prototypes of a high cab Ohio DE-650 115 ton capacity diesel electric locomotive crane with heavy duty carbody and outriggers that I designed in CAD and rapid prototyped. These are fully functioning models. The hook and boom are adjustable by using a key. The images show how it works. It has a painted cab interior control panel and operator’s seat. The yellow version is missing the exhaust pipe which is lost forever somewhere in the carpet of my home office…. The real crane has two hoist drums but I had to finagle my own rigging setup to make it work with one drum. There's issues with Shapeways print quality (warped boom, bad printing job and a bunch of other print quality issues). But I have a third prototype I've started to finish and paint form a different vender that so far I'm really happy with. Shapeways rejected the final kit version of this (even though none of the geometry changed...) so I wont be able to sell it as a kit. But if people like the third prototype and there's enough interest, I'd like to do a limited run of assembled and painted cranes.
Thanks guys, I appreciate the comments. You are correct Loren, I'm having to much fun with this stuff... Just got the final parts for the final prototype today and they look great!. I'll try and post pictures as I go along.... Thanks, -Jon
Glad you guys like it. ANd dont forget, these cranes are not just used by MOW's. They are the most widely used rail cranes in the world today (acording to American Ohio Locomotive) in mills, processing plants and scrap yards. After doing some research, this model has been around since the mid 1950's and has not really changed at all on the outside. Its still available today but I believe most of AOL's (American Ohio Locomotive) business is refurbishing older cranes to like new condition. Thanks, -Jon
Hi Bob, I'm really excited to finish this project and get on with it but right now everything is on hold. Even though I never get sick, I've had my butt kicked for 2 weeks straight now from some kind of virus that has sucked the life out of me. I can't do anything for more then 10 minutes without feeling really tired. So I have to shake whatever this is first. That being said, I've got the new parts form the new vender, I just need to assemble and finish the model to make sure everything works right since I have changed how the parts are printed out to take advantage of the new rapid prototyping vender. For example the upper housing used to be one piece (not including the cab). Now its 5 pieces so I can get a better print quality. I hope it goes together without any hassles. But so far the quality is superior over Shapeways. If you look at the image, the black painted boom that is badly miss shaped and and bowed is printed from Shapeways. The unpainted boom that looks exactly how its supposed to look is from my new vender. So I'm hoping the quality of the model will significantly increase over whats seen in the images above. Thanks, -Jon
Looks really great ! wonderful work! for such a small crane has very good detail! From my home state. Like your work and detailed craftsman ship. I see the new vender has done you a better job!!! I'm glad to see that your work won't go down the drain!!! By Southernnscale "Z" scale