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Posted - December 04 2016 : 11:35:10 AM
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The Tyco/Mantua derrick car, circa 1960 or so, is relatively scarce and tends to fetch big bucks on eBay.
I was thinking that it would be possible and fairly easy to Frankenstein one together by cannibalizing the existing, inexpensive Model Power Pennsylvania derrick caboose and the Model Power flat car with guard rails.
First, you would need to remove the guard rails from the flat car, trim them to the right size, and re-insert them.
Then, you would need to remove the crane from the maintenance caboose and insert it onto the other end of the flatcar, facing in the other direction.
Finally, you would need to get a tiny eye-hook and screw it into the the base of the car, near the center, to connect the end of the cable.
Has anyone tried this?
The other option would be to just get an Athearn grey Pennsylvania derrick, which frankly looks much better than the Tyco. (This is what I did.) Still, I am tempted to build a Tyco-ish version with the method I described.
Edited by - ShockControl on December 04 2016 5:10:19 PM
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Posted - December 04 2016 : 1:07:42 PM
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Does the Model Power derrick have more functionality to it than the Athearn one?
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Posted - December 04 2016 : 1:16:50 PM
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quote:Does the Model Power derrick have more functionality to it than the Athearn one?
Originally posted by ZeldaTheSwordsman - December 04 2016 : 1:07:42 PM
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Yes. The angle of the crane is not adjustable, but it has a tiny crank handle for lowering the cable.
The Athearn derrick is kept in place with the chain segments.
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Posted - December 04 2016 : 1:31:52 PM
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What Derrick car are you looking dorm? I have all of 5he plus a few extras.
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Posted - December 04 2016 : 1:34:52 PM
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That's kind of odd.. On my Athearn derrick the boom's angle was adjustable. That was all that was adjustable, though. No working cable, no rotating it.. Kind of a shame, that.
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Posted - December 04 2016 : 1:35:14 PM
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quote:What Derrick car are you looking dorm? I have all of 5he plus a few extras.
Originally posted by GG-1 Guy - December 04 2016 : 1:31:52 PM
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Looking for the grey Pennsylvania derrick, but because I already have the (superior, IMO) Athearn, it is not real high on my want list. However, if and when I come across one in decent shape for a reasonable price, I would get it.
I often come across those two Model Power cars I described for short dough, so I am thinking of making the derrick myself, just to see how it looks.
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Posted - December 04 2016 : 1:38:01 PM
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quote:That's kind of odd.. On my Athearn derrick the boom's angle was adjustable. That was all that was adjustable, though. No working cable, no rotating it.. Kind of a shame, that.
Originally posted by ZeldaTheSwordsman - December 04 2016 : 1:34:52 PM
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Well, yes, it is adjustable based on the angle you choose for placing the chain, but once the chain is on, there is no crank-handle for moving it. At least not on the grey one that I have from the yellow-box era. (Athearn changed the color to tuscan red during the blue-box era.)
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Posted - December 04 2016 : 2:21:10 PM
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Hmm. Mine was a Genesis version my mom bought at a convention. I wound up breaking the mast and losing the derrick some years ago, so I've stripped off the remaining other equipment and am working on converting it to a TOFC car
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Posted - December 04 2016 : 2:36:21 PM
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quote:Hmm. Mine was a Genesis version my mom bought at a convention. Originally posted by ZeldaTheSwordsman - December 04 2016 : 2:21:10 PM
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Are those the more recent higher-end models?
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Posted - December 04 2016 : 2:57:25 PM
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Yeah, although a lot of the rolling stock is still basically the same old toolings (but with metal wheelsets in the trucks).
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Posted - December 04 2016 : 3:06:11 PM
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quote:Yeah, although a lot of the rolling stock is still basically the same old toolings (but with metal wheelsets in the trucks).
Originally posted by ZeldaTheSwordsman - December 04 2016 : 2:57:25 PM
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But am I understanding correctly that the version you had included a mechanism for adjusting the chain? If so, that would be a difference from the earlier version.
Also, I don't think Athearn included a PRR derrick with that more recent series. (I've never seen one, at least.)
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Posted - December 04 2016 : 4:48:38 PM
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No, it didn't have a mechanism, but as far as I can recall the chain didn't prevent me from manually adjusting the derrick
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Posted - December 04 2016 : 4:57:27 PM
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Well, I just combined the two cars that I described, and other than the color schemes, it looks very similar to the old Tyco derrick.
I need to get a tiny eyelet hook. I will post pix either here or in the kit bashing sub-forum.
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Posted - December 04 2016 : 5:29:39 PM
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The Model Power is the old Marx model.
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Posted - December 04 2016 : 5:39:35 PM
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quote:The Model Power is the old Marx model.
Originally posted by time warp - December 04 2016 : 5:29:39 PM
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But when you snap the derrick piece onto the flat car, it looks quite a bit like the Tyco derrick, except for the color scheme.
Edited by - ShockControl on December 04 2016 5:42:47 PM
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Posted - December 09 2016 : 04:44:15 AM
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There's a nice Tyco Derrick car selling on eBay right now, up to $12.00 last I looked
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Posted - December 09 2016 : 08:13:07 AM
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quote:There's a nice Tyco Derrick car selling on eBay right now, up to $12.00 last I looked
Originally posted by time warp - December 09 2016 : 04:44:15 AM
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Thanks! This will go for much more than twelve bucks.
I am looking for the PRR derrick. This one would be worth cannibalizing for parts, though, if I had a PRR base.
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Posted - December 10 2016 : 12:27:59 PM
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quote:There's a nice Tyco Derrick car selling on eBay right now, up to $12.00 last I looked
Originally posted by time warp - December 09 2016 : 04:44:15 AM
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The same seller is now auctioning PRR and Western Maryland derricks!
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