Help me build a decent overhead / gantry mining crane!

[LordStuff]

I imagine something like this:
http://www.otsegocrane.com/images/TopRunningDoubleGirder.JPG

The fact that I want to build it on a planet makes it even harder. In general, I planned it to be a mining crane, but I'll talk about that in another discussion. In addition, I want it to be buildable in survival, preferably without the need of ships or something, pretty much early game. I tried some ways in creative but failed every time.

1) Wheels: My first attempt was to use 1x1 wheels with rotors to connect the bridge with the track which doesn't quite work as 1x1 wheels are a bit bigger than actual 1x1 blocks... so you can't just build it without having to build seperate parts and use a big ship to assemble it. I then tried dropping it on the track which didn't work as I wanted, as the side wheels that should keep the bridge from moving sideways also kept it from sticking to the track..

2) Suspensions: I then tried wheel suspensions which allow you to set an offset. Technically this would make it easier as you should be able to adjust the wheels to the track. In practice though, wheel suspensions have even worse placement conditions (because the wheel can't be placed), so I still had to drop it onto the rail. But when I tried dropping the bridge onto the rail, the wheels just fell through and the bridge then destroyed the gantry. Also, I think that it shouldn't be necessary to use suspensions here..

3) Landing Gears: I have already worked with landing gear trains in space, which allow easy placement as you can build the bridge as a part of the station and then grind down the connecting block to make it a ship. This however creates the problem that you don't have anything to move the bridge. You'd have to build thrusters which is very expensive.

4) Pistons: Another way would be to use pistons. They'd even let you move items through, which would be nice as we actually want it to be a mining crane. However, pistons have a limited range and the higher the range you want to provide (by adding up several pistons), the bigger the gantry gets. Also it's not quite clear how stable the pistons are under the effect of gravity and the mass of the bridge / mining head. So not a very satisfying way either.

5) Rotors: I tried building it with rotors creating some sort of self constructed piston, which would also let you transfer items and conduct energy, but I pretty much failed and destroyed the whole thing :/ I think using rotors would be too complicated in this case.

TL:DR; I know this has been brought up very often, but I think there should be prefab rails in the game. john.ware01 posted a detailed thread on ideascale providing nice pics and stuff.
http://spaceengineerssurgestionbox.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Versatile-Rail-Block-System/94664-26587
His design provides a decent lock of the runner to the track keeping it from moving sideways. (We'd have to build another wheel for every axis..)

There is a mod called Mech's Gears and Things which provides cogwheels and tooth rails. It actually makes all this much easier, but you still have to problem of sideways movement, you still can't keep the bridge on the rail decently.

The easiest way though, without Keen having to implement new blocks and mechanics, or me having to download a mod which could possibly stop working after an update, would be making it possible to simply place the wheels where I want to place them (like you'd place the landing gears of a space train). I don't quite get why it's not possible to place a 1x1 wheel right next to a 1x1 block..

Other features that would help building the crane:
- wire ropes to let down the hook / mining head... could actually be done.. probably somehow using the spools already integrated in Medieval Engineers.. could also provide energy conduction so you don't have to power the mining head seperately.. this would even allow building grappling hooks etc...
- hoses / pipes to transfer items... could also be done with some sort of spool..