Tag Archives: mobile crane

String Theory

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Unifying quantum mechanics and general relativity, String Theory proposes that the universe is composed of vibrating one-dimensional strings instead of points, incorporating all particles and forces into a single framework. Alternatively it’s adding some string to a LEGO set to make a new one. We’re doing the latter today…

This is paave’s Technic mobile crane, and it’s built only from the parts of the 42175 LEGO Technic Volvo FMX Truck & EC230 Electric Excavator set. Plus a piece of string.

Featuring working steering, outriggers, boom elevation and extension, superstructure rotation, and an inline-6 engine, paave’s alternate is an excellent reconstitution of the 42175 donor, and one you can build for yourself as instructions are available. As long as you have some string. Find a link to them and further build details on Eurobricks via the link above.

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Liebherr Lifts

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This is a Liebherr LTM mobile crane, and it shows that sometimes small-scale building isn’t actually small at all.

Built by Flickr’s Keko007, this Liebherr can get really very large indeed, thanks to a three stage elevating boom with a working winch. There’s also four-axle steering, functional outriggers, and a tilting control cab, and you see lots more of Keko’s surprisingly large erection at his ‘Liebherr LTM 1230-5’ album via the link above.

Roman Roads

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This magnificent vehicle is an AM5 crane, mounted atop a Roman SR113/114 truck, and it comes from Pufarine of Flickr.

Beautifully recreating the real Romanian truck and crane combo, Pufarine’s model harks back to LEGO’s vintage Model Team line whilst incorporating a range of mechanical Technic features within.

The truck features working steering, deployable stabiliser legs, and a wonderfully detailed engine under a raising hood, whilst the huge intricately constructed lattice crane can slew and raise, with a superbly replicated winch system controlled via neatly hidden cogs at the rear.

There’s much more of Pufarine’s fantastically presented model to see at their ‘AM5’ album on Flickr, and you can take a closer look at this exquisite creation via the link to it in the text above.

Bigger Than it Looks

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This is a Liebherr LTM 1100-4.2 mobile crane – well, a Lego version obviously – and it comes from Mateusz Mikołajczyk, making their TLCB debut with one of the most highly-detailed small-scale creations of the year so far.

Despite being only roughly Town-scale, Mateusz’s model looks much larger, thanks to some brilliantly intricate detailing, much of which utilises LEGO’s fiddliest tubes and clips.

The model works too, with a slewing superstructure, tilting control cab, working eight-wheel steering, functioning outriggers, and – most importantly for a mobile crane – an enormous three-stage extending boom complete with a working winch.

Superbly presented, there’s more to see of Mateusz’s Liebherr LTM 1100-4.2 at his Flickr album of the same name, where you can also find images of the model shown in a considerably larger configuration than it appears here.

Big Reach

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Reach. It’s a word we hear a lot in the running of a world-famous top-quality Lego site. OK, a mildly-known bottom-of-the-barrel Lego site. But nevertheless, we still hear it a lot. Countless messages offering great value reach improvement services are deleted with alarming frequency.

Anyway, today we have great reach, courtesy of TLCB favourite and Lego-building legend Sariel, and this incredible fully remote controlled Liebherr LTC 1045-3.1 mobile crane.

Powered by fourteen motors and three SBricks, Sariel’s crane can extend its reach to well over a meter, with a further half-meter boom extension possible on top of that.

Four Power Functions motors drive the boom’s elevation, extension and winch, another three the cabin boom elevation, extension and tilt, one rotates the superstructure, another folds the mirrors, two more the outriggers, and finally three power the drive and steering.

Over five meters of wires are hidden inside to link the motors, LED lights, LEGO battery, and SBricks, with the total model weighing almost 5kgs and able to lift ¾ kg.

There’s much more of Sariel’s superbly presented creation to see at his Liebherr LTM 1045-3.1 album, you can read how Sariel turned his hobby into revenue via our ‘Become a Lego Professional‘ series, and you can watch this amazing model in action in the video below. Click the links to reach the full content.

YouTube Video

Mammoth Extension

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Ah, a mobile crane, which means you’ll be expecting TLCB to make erection jokes. But no! We’ve grown up, and are rising above it. Yup, we’re stiffly sticking to sensibility today, as Ralph Savelsberg‘s Town-scale Mammoet-liveried Liebherr LTM-1350 is a properly well-constructed piece of equipment, with an impressive rotating superstructure, extending stabilisers, and a meaty hook well-hung from the two-piece boom. There’s more to see at Ralph’s ‘Mammoet Mobile Crane’ album, and you can take a look at the full package via the link above!

Tada!

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Sounding a bit like an Italian magician pulling a rabbit from a hat (and thereby adding both Italy and Japan to TLCB’s long list of offended nations), Tadano are Japan’s largest crane and arial platform manufacturer, dating way back to the 1940s.

This is their TL200M mobile crane, or rather, a Lego version of it as built by TLCB newcomer Marco Gan.

Posable stabiliser legs and crane boom, plus a working winch all feature, and there’s more to see at Marco’s ‘TADANO TL200M’ album on Flickr. Click the link to magic your way over.

Elven Heights

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‘Hmmm…’ murmured this TLCB writer upon entering the crumbling ruin that is TLCB Towers today. The cause of his utterance was looking him in, well, not quite the face, but certainly the testicles. A grinning Elf was sat on a shelf in the lobby, and not in a whimsical Christmassy way.

A little further on another was eating an unnecessary candle placed upon a dresser by TLCB’s intern “because it smells nice!”, whilst a third Elf was hanging from the door handle to the Executive Washroom and Sauna…

That final Elf was the most unnerving – based upon a miserable previous experience – and thus was swiftly batted off the handle by a mop head before it caused any real panic amongst the members of TLCB Staff with PTSD.

The cause of the Elves in high places became apparent when this writer entered the office, wherein a small cohort of Elves were hanging from a fairly sizeable Technic crane, trying to gain entry the stationary cupboard with a bent paper clip.

Mr. Airhorn promptly ceased the shenanigans, scattering the would-be burglars, and we can now take a peek at the creation responsible without fear of all TLCB’s glue sticks being eaten and very sticky messes being left throughout the Elves’ cage room tomorrow morning.

Said creation is this one; previous bloggee Ivan_M (aka Ivan MOC)‘s marvellous Power Functions remote controlled crane truck.

A beautifully neat build, Ivan’s truck features motorised drive and steering, linear actuator boom elevation, with working boom extension, rotation and winch operation, plus functioning outriggers, and an in-cab piston-engine too.

The Power Functions battery box and IR receiver look remarkably at home exposed under the stowed crane, with Ivan’s model easily appearing as though it could be an official LEGO Technic set.

There’s more of Ivan’s excellent Technic crane truck to see at his Flickr album via the link in the text above, which includes images demonstrating its surprisingly large extension*. Take a look via the link to Flickr whilst we double check the office for any more Elves in high places…

*That’s what she said

Vintage Erection

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If the content of TLCB’s spam folder is to be believed, we’re in for a future of certain erectile disfunction. However, not all old things have trouble getting it up, as this unusual GAZ-AA ‘Tower Wagon’ by Kent Kashiwabara proves.

The GAZ-AA was effectively a Ford Model A constructed under license in Russia, long before the two countries hated one another and the Soviet Union began buying everything from Fiat.

This particular GAZ-AA is based on the Model-A pick-up, but features an extending platform tower mounted behind the cab that can whir skywards, in Kent’s model thanks to some cunningly concealed Power Functions motors.

Remote control drive and steering also feature and there’s more to see of Kent’s erection at his ‘GAZ’ album on Flickr. Click the link above to get it up.

Mini Mechanics

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The creations we feature here at The Lego Car Blog can – at times – become a bit ‘aesthetics over everything’. That’s entirely our fault, as we want images that look cool on a screen and that our readers want to share, but building with Lego is about much more than just that.

This Technic mini mobile crane by SaperPL is an example, as whilst it does look rather nice, its real beauty is in the proper mechanical engineering packed inside.

Despite its small size, SaperPL’s crane includes working steering on three axles, with the forth non-steered axle driving a little piston engine under the cab, extending stabiliser legs, and a crane boom that can rotate 360 degrees, elevate, extend and winch, all via hand-powered knobs and cogs.

It’s exactly what Technic should be about and it’s well worth your click, particularly as SaperPL has made free building instructions available, which earns him a hundred TLCB points.

There’s more to see at Eurobricks via the link above, plus you can watch all of the excellent mechanical features in action via the splendid video below.

YouTube Video

White House Extraction

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With the U.S Presidential Election recounts being rejected or – more amusingly – undertaken and still delivering the same result, rumour has it that a vehicle like this has been spotted on its way to the White House ready to extract America’s incumbent Commander in Chief.

Seeing as he spends most of his time either Tweeting or playing golf we’re not sure why he’s so bothered, as he can definitely continue to do those exciting pastimes once retired, but it seems that hoisting Trump out through the Oval Office roof might be the only way to remove him.

Much to our entertainment we can re-enact this upcoming squatter removal fantasy here in TLCB Towers, despite being thousands of miles from Washington DC, thanks to Dawid Szmandra and this fully remote controlled Liebherr LTM 1250-5.1 mobile crane.

No less than seven Power Functions motors are hidden inside Dawid’s model, providing a huge array of remotely controlled functionality. Along with working drive, all five axles can steer; turning both in unison or in opposite directions front to rear, allowing it to both ‘crab’ and steer conventionally, whilst the enormous crane boom can rotate, elevate, and extend.

Combined with a working winch this meant we could lower the hook into various Elves’ cage and pluck the unsuspecting inhabitants out through the top, in much the same manner as we hope the U.S authorities will do on January 20th. They probably won’t drive an enraged dangling Trump to the toilet and drop him in it though…

Whilst we dream of that unlikely eventuality via a tenuous Elven simile you can check out more of Dawid’s superb Liebherr LTM 1250-5.1 crane at his Flickr album and on YouTube, where a link to building instructions is available too.

Three-Way

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This is a Hako Multicar, a common sight on European city streets, and with a fairly rubbish name until you realise how literal it is. The only surviving nameplate from the East German IFA, Multicar have been building small versatile platforms for over eighty years, with everything from floor buffers to armoured military vehicles emerging from their German factory.

However, even a single Multicar model can be multiple, er… cars, as proven here by this superb Technic Multicar 4×4 built by Sthrom (aka Blaz62). Like Multicar’s real vehicles, Sthrom’s creation is capable of switching between several purposes, with a single chassis and cab able to be equipped with multiple attachments.

Sthrom’s Multicar chassis is filled with proper Technic functionality, including all-wheel-steering, all-wheel-suspension, and all-wheel-drive with locking differentials, hooked up to an in-line 4-cylinder engine underneath the tilting cab. The front of the cab is fitted with a multi-purpose mount, allowing a range of equipment to be attached, whilst at the rear and even broader range of machinery can be added.

Sthrom’s model can be deployed to three different uses, with a mobile crane/cherry picker (often seen deployed for street light repair), a container truck/skip lorry, and a snowplough with grit spreader. Each attachment includes a wealth of realistic functionality, all operating mechanically via hand-operated linear actuators, levers, and bevel gears.

It all adds up to being one of our favourite Technic creations of the year, and there’s loads more to see of the Sthrom’s Hako Multicar, including the chassis and each attachment separately, at Bricksafe, the Eurobricks forum, and via the excellent demonstration video below.

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LEGO Technic 2020 | Set Previews!

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And now, later than billed, it’s the all new 2020 Technic line-up! OK, we’re well into 2020 now (and have already previewed the new 42109 Top Gear Rally Car and 42110 Land Rover Defender sets), but one of our Elves got caught at The LEGO Company’s HQ and securing its release was harder than removing a U.S President from office. We wouldn’t have minded (we have lot of Elves) but it had some great intel…

42101 Buggy

This intel in fact, the new 42101 Buggy aimed at aged 7+ and featuring 117 pieces. 42101 looks like a modern reinterpretation of the classic (and awesome) 8818 Dune Buggy set from 1993. It’s not as good as the 1993 version obviously, which had a single-cylinder piston engine, but it does feature steering and rear suspension, making it a worthwhile entry point into the Technic range. Expect to pay around $12/£9 in stores.

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42102 Mini Claas Xerion

The second entry point into the 2020 Technic range brings back the familiar green and red we’ve come to know from one of LEGO’s official partnerships. The original 42054 Claas Xerion 5000 set is – we think – one of the best Technic sets of all time, and the 130 piece 42102 set resembles a tiny (like, really really tiny) version of the 2017 flagship. Accurate decals, working steering, and a lawn mower thingy that rotates as the model is pushed along make the Mini Claas Xerion a neat set for ages 7+, and like the Technic Buggy above it’s available for pocket money. Good stuff.

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42103 Dragster

Uh oh, the Pull-Backs. The Scrappy-Dos of Technic, we haven’t yet been impressed by any of these. However 2020 looks like it might be the exception, because we rather like this one! Featuring nothing but a pull-back motor (boo), the new 42103 Dragster set displays the usual extensive stickerage we’ve come to expect from these sets but it looks… well, really rather good. Aimed at ages 7+, 42103 includes 225 pieces, a ‘Christmas tree’ light, and a wheelie-bar. Could 2020 be the first year of decent pull-back sets?

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42104 Race Truck 

No. Because back to form, here’s the 42104 Race Truck. With 227 pieces – all of which can be put to better use elsewhere – a plethora of stickers, and a pointless start/finish gantry thing, 42104 includes literally nothing that a Technic set should do. Oh, the bonnet opens, does that count? Next…

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42105 Catamaran 

Breaking momentarily away from the Pull-Backs comes 42105, one of LEGO’s most unusual Technic sets ever, although perhaps 2016’s 42074 Racing Yacht proved there is a market for Technic sailing boats. With 404 parts including a pair of new two-piece hulls and those huge sails, 42105 features complete mechanical controls for the rudders, hydrofoils and sails and can be re-built into a more traditional powerboat should you wish to deploy those sail pieces elsewhere. It also floats(!), which immediately makes it cooler than any other set in this line-up (because who doesn’t like a good bath toy?). Aimed at ages 8+ expect to pay around $40/£35 for 42105, and for bath time to become much more interesting.

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42106 Stunt Show

42106 pulls us back from bath time fun to, well… pull-back fun, but it could have good play value. Not much else mind. The 42106 Stunt Show includes three models in one; a pick-up truck, trailer/ramp, and a motorcycle, each looking fairly terrible despite the flame decals. The trailer features mechanically operated legs to turn it into a ramp and the truck includes steering, but that’s all. Which is nowhere near enough for a set costing $50/£45. Admittedly jumping the bike through the flaming hoop does look rather fun, but not $50 of fun, and we suspect even the Elves would tire of it quickly. We’ll be leaving this one on the shelf…

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42108 Mobile Crane

The final set of H1 2020 is the largest of the line-up (not withstanding the officially licensed 42110 Land Rover Defender and 42109 Top Gear Rally Car sets revealed here at the end of 2019), the near 1,300 piece 42108 Mobile Crane. Forgive us for not being particularly excited by this one, because it does look like a reasonable set. It’s just that LEGO have released countless eight-wheel mobile cranes over the years and they’re all becoming much the same.

42108 does feature a wealth of mechanical operations, with eight-wheel steering, boom elevation, rotation and extension all via hand-powered mechanisms, a working winch with a ratchet to allow it to lift loads, and four functioning stabilisers. However despite the increase in detail that we’ve come to expect from modern Technic sets and enhanced realism thanks to a few well-judged decals, 42108 is an utterly unmemorable product. It’s also priced at around $95/£85 which – particularly as it includes no B-Model – is rather a lot.

We’ll go sailing on 42105 instead…

Magnificent Erection

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Lego Liebherr LTM 1750 Mobile Crane

Huib van der Hart’s erection is so big it can’t be photographed. Thankfully he has managed to capture it in a more compact state, but even then it’s still absolutely massive. We’re talking about Huib’s unbelievable 1:16 scale Liebherr LTM 1750 mobile crane in BKV livery; all 18 wheels of it.

Huib’s model is – as you can see here – astonishingly well detailed, but that’s only half the build. Underneath that amazing exterior is a full Power Functions remote control drivetrain, with six XL Motors providing drive, seven Servo motors steering all nine axles, and a third-party SBrick providing control via bluetooth. There are also working LED lights throughout plus – of course – this model can get much, much bigger.

There’s a lot more to see of this incredible build at Huib’s Flickr photostream – click the link to make the jump, and ask him if he can try to get it up for a photo.

Lego Liebherr LTM 1750 Mobile Crane

Hand Job

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Lego Technic Crane

Casual readers of TLCB would be forgiven for thinking that this site only likes motorised remote control Technic creations. However whilst we certainly do appreciate a decent Power Functions model, there’s something charming about a good old-fashioned hand-cranked creation.

Newcomer jwarner’s mobile crane is just that, with no less than six hand-powered functions, including four-axle steering, boom extension and raising/lowering, winch operation, superstructure rotation, and working outriggers.

There’s more to see of jwarner’s build at both Flickr and Eurobricks. Click the links to make use of idle hands.