Orange Empire Railway Museum has two wrecking derricks on its property. One of these is part of its collection; the other is a hulk and is not part of the collection.

In the collection is SP MW7090 a 120-ton capacity derrick which has operated on compressed air at the museum. The boiler was removed for flue replacement that was done commercially off-site some years ago. The completed boiler has been awaiting re-installation for a good number of years. I guess, a wreck derrick is just not as sexy as a steam locomotive. The MW7090, built in 1912, was once the San Luis Obispo derrick.

The other derrick is a former Santa Fe one that was donated to California Southern Railroad Museum prior to its merger into OERM in 1975. This was once a diesel powered derrick (a conversion from steam) that was stripped out by Santa Fe to provide its diesel to power another derrick. The donation included the steam boiler and some mechanism from this other derrick. This "kit" is a hulk.

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California State Railroad Museum has the following in its collection:

Jos. Levin and Sons Brown Hoisting 1905 5-Ton Crane
Gift 8/1987 of Jos Levin and Sons, San Francisco.

Southern Pacific No. 7070 Bucyrus-Erie Co. 1944 Loco Crane
Gift 2/1996 of Southern Pacific. Operable.

Southern Pacific No. 7080 Industrial Works 1906 Loco Crane
Gift 5/1985 of Southern Pacific.

Southern Pacific No. 7113 Bucyrus-Erie Co. 1944 Loco Crane
Converted to diesel. Courtesy of Union Pacific. Operable.

And three ex-military locomotive cranes dating from 1944, 45 and 53.

Is that a different one, or the same, as the one that was pictured in Carlos Llamos' webpage, and discussed recently here on RYPN:

http://www.cumbrestoltecshops.com/SHOPS ... r1week.htm

My understanding is that is SBVRR OX, ex US Army 150, a 75 ton crane. It is at the old refractory brick yard at Mt. Savage, MD. A sister crane is at the Cass Scenic Railroad.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Project

Thanks, Brian.

I have another question about another "steam rolling stock" item in the OERM collection, AT&SF fuel & water car #189783.

Was the steam boiler on board used to power a steam pump, or was it self-propelled? Neither the picture I was allowed to use in the database, nor the one on the museum's website show the boiler and attached engine well.

I assume it was used to refuel steam locomotives or cranes in remote locations; it is an interesting item.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Project

James --

No, it is part of the derrick "kit." That is the boiler that came out of the derrick that Santa Fe was converting. They stood it up on the tender and blocked it. It's not otherwise hooked up to anything.

The tender tank (or cistern) on the flat car carries an ID number badge. Some of connected the number with a locomotive that once ran on the California Southern / Southern California the Santa Fe subsidiary that once ran past the Museum site.

On a different note, VC #2, our logging 2-6-2, is soon to return to service after undergoing FRA 15-year inspection and related work.

Yes...same one. The individual who bought the crane also owns the Plymouth. Less than 100 feet from where the crane is located is the remnants of the C&P locomotive erection shops.

Across Maryland Route 36, less than one quarter of a mile from the Plymouth, is the location of the furnaces where the rails were produced.

There's a lot of history still visible in the town of Mt. Savage

Missouri Pacific #X-105 at Mid-Continent was operational last I knew.
http://www.mcrwy.com/collectn/service/mpx105.html

The Illinois Railway Museum has Chicago & Western Indiana (the company that operated Dearborn station) 1900. Here's the specs:

Builder: Industrial Works
Year Built: 1906
Length: 29ft 10in
Width: 10ft
Height: 15ft
Weight: 119000 lbs
Brakes: AB
Trucks: Arch Bar
Description: 100 Ton Wrecker

It was operated a mumber of years ago, and had a state boiler certificate. Since the FRA boiler regs don't apply to non-locomotive boilers, it should be certifiable again.