Folks,
I think the numbers on turntables that Phil is referring to above are from an article in Railway Museum Quarterly from a couple of years ago.

Very interesting reading. I had no idea that there were so many turntables in use or waiting to be used.

Along those lines the WW&F Railway Museum in Alna, Maine is going to build a replica table in their yard this summer.

Ted66

its great to see that the cranes that IRM has are being used instead of just sitting idle.
Keep up the great work and lets hope that IRM can continue to do both loading and unloading of equipment at the museum and after all it has to be cheaper then renting cranes every time something needs to be unloaded or loaded.

Thanks Trackwalker,
We are approaching "turn key" availability for our CNW Ohio and Bucyrus cranes. The Ohio needs 2 new regulators; independent and train air ,coming soon. The Bucyrus model 160-17 1/2 wrecker is gonna get new 1 1/4" x 246' wire rope for the main hook which will cost about the same as my 100 car HO gauge coal train and 3 Kato GEs I occasionally run around the Elmhurst Model Railroad club I belong to. The new wire rope is not only longer than my HO coal train ,it will also save thousands of dollars for IRM. HMMMmmm!!


FOR SALE: HO COAL TRAIN AND ENGINES.

Does IRM have a special fund for the cranes? I think it's sooo cool to have them in operation, especially that Bucyrus big brute. Since the museum has diesel days and bus days, how about a crane day? Maybe have demonstrations in lifting various items and the ultimate way to pick up women...

BTW, what kind of shape is the 100 ton steam crane in (I think it's #1900)?

Good idea Charlie,

In fact we had a "Spin The Crane" fund raiser a couple of years ago during the annual UP Chicago Service Unit employes summer picnic . 5 bucks donation let you swing the CNW wrecker 1 full spin or 2 half swings . The women easily swung the wrecker smoother with no jerking then the men. I was stunned . As I was coaching Kate on were I wanted her to line up the crane with the carbody ,she said in a authoritarian voice " I've got it " and she did. With her husband and kids looking on we came to a smooth and precise stop . That's when it dawned on me, if you can run a whole family with all the uncertainties of today , you can run a machine who's controls are in your hands.
The more money we raise , the more cranes we can get running.

Please send donations to these special crane funds: Illinois Railway Museum PO. BOX 427
7000 Olson Rd. Union IL. 60180
(R-CRANE ) = fund for general crane repair .
( R6363 ) = fund for CNW 160 ton wrecker only.
Thanks,
Mark

The C&WI Industrial 100 ton wrecker's machinery is in like new condition. It is not self propelled ,so was not used much .It needs some assembly cause of repairs made to the under side of the coal bunker area. The boiler hasn't been squeezed in a long time. It also needs new wire rope.

Thanks for all the info! Great story about them gals taking the cranes for a spin. Sure would be nice to see, hear and smell a steam crane running but I suspect that you have your hands full keeping the others in service. Thank you for keeping 'em going.

Oh, that is sooooo cool! Your cranes are truly very impressive beasts. SO glad ya got em running and in excellent condition for The Big Lift. SO glad Dennis Dougherty told ya about the auction at the Burnham Shops, and that wonderful old D&RGW 130-foot turntable from Burnham Shops, and even bought it for ya. He is a great guy.

(I do wish that Burnham had not been shut down -- but the traffic simply wasn't there ti keep it going. Sigh.....That is a steam-era turntable, isn't it? It went to a very good home.)
Now -- you guys really need a money-bags. I had heard that buying ta turntable was the easy and not too expensive. Digging a nice round hole in the ground and lining it with concrete and then installing the turntable -- THAT is $$$$$$$$ -- "cubic money, as you know.

Excellent job with unloading the turntable!

Spinning a crane sounds like a lot of fun!

Hi Margaret,
I believe the turntable was installed specifically to turn the Challengers (4-6-6-4).
To clarify , Dennis was representing IRM when he bid on the turntable with IRM funds.
Thanks for the positive comments on our accomplishments with our cranes. It's taken three years of hard work and donations by a small group of members to get where we are now, 3 operating cranes.
So far this year we have made 3 so called "heavy lifts" of railroad equipment , 2 inbound and 1 outbound at IRM with a 4th inbound unloading ( small early diesel) coming up soon.
If you're ever in the neighborhood maybe you'd like to give the Wrecker or Ohio a spin.
Mark.

To clarify a bit more with the turntable Dennis was there to bid on it for IRM. Brian Davies originally knew about the turntable and tried with Tom Schneider to get UP to donate it to IRM before the auction came about.