It would be interesting to know what Cornell University used their steam crane for. My guess is that #8 was used in conjunction with a coal fired steam plant to move hopper cars in and out, and to build and maintain coal piles. Can anyone confirm that? Our museum has one of the two self propelled Orton cranes that Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana used with their two coal fired steam plants. Our crane was originally powered with a gas engine and when Purdue later purchased a similar crane but with a diesel engine, they eventually put a Detroit Diesel in ours. Both cranes still exist, with the other one going to ITM in Noblesville, Indiana. I am not sure if ITM uses theirs, but ours is used quite often. Although I am glad that we have the Orton, a few things from Purdue disappeared before the rail preservation movement really got started in Indiana. Including a couple of ex-Monon wood composite hopper cars which were numbered PU-1 and PU-2, and a Whitcomb 44 ton center cab diesel, which is a sister to the one we have at the museum.

Les Beckman (Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum/North Judson, Indiana)

Les

From what I've been told, that was exactly its function.

Dave