Model Railway Forum

00 gauge, hello there everybody, I am trying to find a water crane that I can modify, so that I can rotate it, i am intending to use some cheap plastic cogs so I can move it with a wheel (or tap) from the control panel. I am unfamiliar with different water cranes, can anyone suggest one that would be possible to modify. I am looking to do this as cheaply as possible ideally!

I have been constructing a board that has as many interactive options as possible (so my kids can enjoy it) so I thought a moving water crane would be a good addition.

Sorry if this is a daft question, I am quite new to this so I have not had chance to see any water cranes in person. the cheapest I have seen is a peco one but it looks fixed, and there might be a suitable dapol one. Any other ideas would be great.

thank you

Dapol make a moving one.

https://www.dapol.co.uk/shop/model-acce ... ter-Towers

If you get a cast metal kit of a water crane kit and replace the upright post with a piece of brass tube which passes through a hole in the base board, you can them drill small hole in the water pipe at top of upright tube and fix a stiff wire (or better still brass rod) in the pipe Solder or epoxy glue, pass it down the tube through the Baseboard fix a motor drive under baseboard. Or you can Lay out £55 on the Dapol GWR tank type. Trouble is that will not fit in well if your layout is not GWR

Dapol one os a lot of money as well. Sandy's idea is a good one.

thank you for your replies, i will try the metal pipe type first and see what happens! the dapol one looks brilliant but budget wise it would be a bit extravagent at the moment!

thank you

I am not sure where to get a motor drive from with a slow enough gearbox you may have to search around that could cost a few pounds. I am not saying that building one yourself is going to be cheaper.

Just thinking about it you could make a hand cranked set up with Meccano bits if you can find them.

Not sure what motor Dapol use.

sandy wrote: ↑Thu Apr 07, 2022 11:44 am I am not sure where to get a motor drive from with a slow enough gearbox you may have to search around that could cost a few pounds. I am not saying that building one yourself is going to be cheaper.

Might be worth looking at small servos used in R/C aircraft - they can be quite inexpensive.

There is video might be of use.
https://youtu.be/cMxHm9SynQk