Lionel O gauge TMCC crane and boom car

BATMAN AND ROBIN, Minneapolis and St. Paul, peanut butter and jelly take notice. There’s a new inseparable pair now available from Lionel.

Not since the release of Lionel’s culvert loader and unloader has there been two separate-sale accessories as well suited for each other as the Lionel no. 29832 command-controlled crane car and the no. 29833 boom car with Crane Sounds. Even though they aren’t cataloged or sold as a set, there’s no denying that the two items yield the greatest value when working in tandem.

Lionel crane car

Make no mistake, Lionel’s TrainMaster Command Control-equipped crane car, by itself, is still one of the most intriguing accessories ever sold in the toy train market. Based on what seems to be an amalgamation of components from Bucyrus Erie and Industrial Brownhoist 250-ton wrecking cranes, the Lionel O gauge version measures 10¾ inches long (coupler-to-coupler) and weighs nearly 4 pounds. Most of that girth can be attributed to the die-cast metal body, frame, boom, and sprung trucks.

Attached to these heavyweight components, you’ll find a number of fine, yet functional, details. The body features opening doors that provide access to one of the four motors, cab rotation gears, and TMCC programming switches. Additionally, the intricate rigging on this crane, unlike postwar Lionel cranes, is actually designed to raise and lower the boom and each of the two operating hooks.

While the rigging is about as authentic as a model can get, the owner’s manual and a label on the packaging recommend keeping the hooks under light tension, especially when handling the crane off the track. Otherwise, you’ll risk allowing the loose strings to slip from the pulleys.

The payoff for being a bit cautious in handling the unit comes once you set it on the rails. Although crane operations require power drawn from the rails, the unit itself isn’t self-propelled. Like real cranes, you’ll need a locomotive to deliver the big hook to your worksite.

At the site, a CAB-1 (not included) keypad function springs all six outriggers to their fully extended position. Placing the provided supports under the outriggers is a manual, but necessary, task that helps keep the crane balanced during operation.

After stabilizing the crane, I pivoted the cab and boom assembly to the left and right by rotating the CAB-1 throttle knob clockwise and counterclockwise. The continuous movements in either direction were characteristically slow and smooth, with only a split-second lag in response to the throttle input.

Raising the boom over an object was equally simple using the CAB-1 keypad. Although nothing in the manual explains how to best position the boom for lifting, I’ve read that on real cranes booms are best raised to a 45-degree pitch for maximum stability and lifting capabilities. Once the boom is set, the CAB-1 keypad controls either the main hook or the auxiliary hook.

You can do some genuinely heavy lifting with this rig. Although the manual suggests a load limit of 1½ pounds for the main hook (slightly less than a pound for the auxiliary hook), I was able to lift and lower the front half of an Atlas O GP9 diesel locomotive weighing 4 pounds.

Although Lionel doesn’t supply a lightweight chain or elastic band, you should use one to connect the main hook to the item you’re lifting. Otherwise, you’ll risk damaging fragile detail parts as the hook tugs.

There’s one other note of caution in this operation. Since the crane requires 18 volts and a TMCC signal routed through the rails, any miscalculations when returning derailed equipment to the energized track can result in a wicked short circuit that brings the action to a halt.

Lionel boom car

No wreck train is complete without a boom car to tote equipment (outrigger supports, chains used for lifting, and so forth), but that’s not the only reason to couple one to your crane car.

Even though the crane provides a whirl of activity and visual interest, it doesn’t appeal to your audible senses. That’s where the boom car comes into play.

The unassuming appearance of the die-cast metal flatcar certainly doesn’t reflect the play value the boom car adds to the crane. On the wooden deck of the flatcar, there’s a simple plastic cabin that encloses a Lionel Crane Sounds system. Lifting the magnetically attached cabin roof exposes the circuit board, antenna, on/off switches, manual volume control, and space for a battery.

Similar to locomotives equipped with RailSounds, the boom car provides realistic sound effects that correspond to the actions of the crane car. Using a CAB-1 controller to set the crane into operation, I could discern the synchronized sounds of a diesel engine idling, cab pivoting, boom being raised and lowered, winches turning, outriggers extending, and couplers releasing – all resonating from the downward-facing speaker on the boom car.

Because the boom car is a TMCC-equipped unit, you can also use the CAB-1 buttons to activate and de-activate these and other sounds, including crew dialog that’s matched to each crane function as it’s activated and performed. In one instance of the dialog feature, you’ll hear the foreman shout “Big hook” upon selecting the CAB-1 function to engage the main hook.

Shortly after, the voice of another crewman responds, “You got it boss – big hook ready to go!” When this type of call and response banter accompanies nearly every crane function, it’s quite easy to become engrossed with the job at hand.

If you look strictly at the retail price of each car, the price may seem a bit steep for two pieces. But considering all the remote-controlled actions, lighting features, sounds effects, and the ability to perform actual work on your layout, I think you’ll find that the crane and boom car pairing are a great duo at any price.

O GAUGE SOUND-EQUIPPED BOOM CAR BY LIONEL
Price: $209.99 (no. 29833)

Features: Die-cast metal car with plastic cabin and wood deck; authentic diesel, mechanical, and crew sounds operate in synch with crane car

Pros: Magnetically attached roof provides access to volume and command controls

Cons: High-priced rolling stock; no fixed location to store outrigger supports

Made in the People’s Republic of China for Lionel

O GAUGE COMMAND-EQUIPPED CRANE CAR BY LIONEL
Price: $319.99 (no. 29832)

Features:> Die-cast metal construction and details; TMCC-controlled cab, boom, and hook movements; front and rear end lighting; coil couplers

Pros: Innovative use of TMCC technology provides great work and play value

Cons: Intricately wound rigging requires careful handling; no chains provided for lifting

Made in the People’s Republic of China for Lionel