Iguana - the mother of all rail unloading cranes

[velotrain]

http://www.asahi.com/articles/photo/AS20150611004736.html

 

I've had somewhat erratic results translating (not always getting the photo), but the easiest way is to copy the URL to your search window and then select translate, after it comes up #1 in the results.

 

There is a small version of the photo on the second page that you can enlarge, if it doesn't show up on the first screen.

[bikkuri bahn]

It's located at Etchushima Freight Station in Tokyo's Koto Ward.

 

https://www.google.co.jp/maps/@35.661594,139.8184712,17z/data=!3m1!1e3

 

https://www.google.co.jp/maps/place/2+Chome-18-13+Shiohama,+Kōtō-ku,+Tōkyō-to+135-0043/@35.661661,139.8197232,3a,75y,348.12h,92.85t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sLF1pq8Fj34fmqlkhsGi2JQ!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x60188852339af67b:0x5df39d20680f6d2b

 

 

 

Very well done feature on the freight line that serves this location, which sees 3 trains/day:

[Kiha66]

Wow, this looks like a module waiting to happen!  Maybe a corner one with the Keiyō Line turning on the bridge, and then the yard on the dock jutting out a ways with some small boats in the harbor. 

[velotrain]

If you wanted to include the crane, this one is HO, but the Iguana's legs are so large that you might be able to at least use those components. 

 

https://www.walthers.com/bridge-crane-kit

 

They would need serious bashing to get the angles right, and you'd need two kits.  I'm not aware of anything off the shelf in N-scale that's even close to this.

 

The front legs of the kit could possibly work for the diagonal portion of the legs, and modify the rear legs for the rest of it? 

Otherwise, it's a whole lot of Evergreen and/or Plastruct sticks and massive design work.

 

 

Or - you could build it as an HO module with the newly announced Kato DE10 ;-)

 

Tramway is coming out with some older style rail cars, but they've already been delayed twice now.

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10398626

[cteno4]

Reminded me of the rail carrier to bring 420' sections of welded rail from Japanese foundries to the us for up rail

 

http://www.up.com/aboutup/community/inside_track/long-rail-3-27-2015.htm

 

Wonder what the rail span the iguana can handle.

 

Perfect name!

 

Jeff

[velotrain]

 

Wonder what the rail span the iguana can handle.

 

 

The original article says -

 

"From the Nippon Steel Sumitomo Yawata Works (Kitakyushu City) and the West Japan Works of JFE Steel (Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture), a 25 meter rail arrives at 2100 ships per month and is unloaded with a crane. 溶接業者がレールの端面を溶かして高圧をかけて接合。 The welding agent melts the end face of the rail and joins by applying high pressure. 最長２００メートルにして専用の貨車で各地に運ぶ。 Make it the longest 200 meters and carry it to various places with a dedicated freight car."

 

That seems about right for the spread of the legs.