M10 (4) Rail mounted Gantry crane - N GAUGE -
Picture includes illustration of model when completed
The model contains parts to build one gantry crane, it requires construction and painting.
Rail Mounted Gantry cranes (RMG) were first introduced in the 1970's and are still in widespread use today.
The RMG travels along fixed rails to lift, transfer and stack 20' to 40' containers using a top lift spreader. Sometimes these have additional drop-arms for more specialized loads (such as box type fixed trailers or swap-bodies).
Our model is not a direct copy of any specific make but rather soundly engineered as a reasonable representation of a 45-tonne capacity crane that will sit happily on any layout set from 1970's to the current time. The kit is designed to be as flexible as possible allowing a variety of spans to be modeled. In its widest form this gives an internal span of 155mm allowing 4 rail tracks and a service road (or 2 rail tracks, service road and 2 high single stack along track side). The Instructions give full details on how to achieve various spans with the narrowest recommended being 90mm (just allowing 2 rail tracks and a service road).
The lifting and traversing mechanism has been achieved by incorporating the use of pre-formed plastic extrusions, similar to that used on our Boom Handling Reach Stacker. It has an adjustable top-lift spreader attachment for 20ft, 30ft and 40ft container handling, and an extending telescopic boom for lifting and stacking up to 3 high containers. 45ft containers can be lifted with spreader set at the 40ft twist-lock location. The top-lift spreader can be fitted with the drop arms, for piggy-back handling of trailers and swap-bodies, where RMG’s are for container stacking areas these arms can be left-off. The top-lift spreader will hold a container using non-setting adhesive putty (blue-tack), with the model crane offering a variety of display opportunities to the modeller, having flexibility to display the model in a variety of handling applications.
The track on which the Gantry Crane can run is available as a separate kit.(Ref. M11 Gantry Crane track starter pack) Our design is based on a pre-cast concrete strip with a single recessed rail seated in a series of cast cleats, Each track section has a tongue at one end and recess the other to keep section joints aligned. It can be assumed mains electricity supply would also be incorporated within the pre-cast concrete unit in real life so we have included a small electricity power control building kit. There is also an instruction sign provided to be placed to one end of the track. The starter kit includes sufficient track to produce a 255mm double rail-track and also includes the same length of security barrier to protect the overhanging walkway on one end of the crane.