[dooferdog]

Or is the Peco 540 locomotive servicing depot out of proportion?

The coal stage is 2.25" x 2" and the crane span is about 2" span, so no matter where you place it on the stage it hangs right against one edge. The chain-wheel scales up to approximately 7ft diameter. The total lift height adds up to 27ft, excessive?

There are unexplained 'extra' bits, which I'd only complain about if I had a full scrap box, such as a bulkhead light, two sets of duck-boards, a bit of ladder, extra fire buckets and a piece of fluffy ended 5.5mm diameter braided nylon rope which I presume is supposed to be the canvas hose for the water tower. for which I've substituted a piece of 3.5mm brown rubber cable insulation which scales up to about 10" or so.

It's not finished yet, and I know it doesn't look like the one on the box, but I've used my own base for the tower to match some of my other stuff. Your thoughts, please, but is that crane massive?

 

[John Webb]

Very few coal stages I've seen in photographs had such a crane. I believe the idea was to hoist a tippable bucket filled with coal over the tender or bunker of the loco, so filling it. There would need to be some clearance between the hook and the loco to allow room for the bucket. I have no idea what size these would have been or what weight of coal they would have had to lift - shame Ratio don't supply two or three buckets to leave lying around. (But the catalogue photo shows two black circular buckets - are these your 'fire buckets', perhaps?)
The photo in the Ratio catalogue also shows a figure standing next to the crane - assuming this represents a 6ft person the wheel does not seem to be out of proportion - it would have needed a fair leverage for one person to lift a couple of hundredweight of coal.
Bulkhead fitting would probably have gone on the water-tower to give some light while watering locos at night; duck-boards probably on the ground near the water-crane to stop a muddy mess being formed from splashes or dribbles from the water crane.
I think the most unrealistic part of this depot is the way the crane is supported on the building and water-tank. The location of the on/off valve seems unlikely to me as well - a valve in the tank or on the pipework is much more prototypical, operated perhaps by a chain system.
I think your hose is preferable too.
Regards,
John Webb

 

[7113]

I personally have never seen anything in photos remotely like this. I agree the sizes do appear rather odd. Then again I have never got on with Peco kits.

Regards

John