NNRy steam wreaking crane #A-1 has gotten the Trains Magazine Preservation Award. I have heard that it is the last coal-fired steam crane in existance. Is this true?

> NNRy steam wreaking crane #A-1 has gotten
> the Trains Magazine Preservation Award. I
> have heard that it is the last coal-fired
> steam crane in existance. Is this true?

Perhaps the last RR crane, but thereare at least 3 tracked steam cranes that I'm aware of.

> NNRy steam wreaking crane #A-1 has gotten
> the Trains Magazine Preservation Award. I
> have heard that it is the last coal-fired
> steam crane in existance. Is this true?

I believe if you look overseas you will find some interesting coal fires steam cranes in operation.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

Oh heavens no. I owned an ex B&O 200 ton Industrial Brownhoist that was coal fired, and it sat right beside an American Hoist and Derrick 40 ton coal fired locomotive crane. There are several more out there, but none that I know of operate.

rickrailrd@aol.com

And... We expect to have our old Central Vermont crane running again this year.

It is coal fired.

Do we qualify for an award?

John Stewart
Ottawa, Canada.

> Oh heavens no. I owned an ex B&O 200 ton
> Industrial Brownhoist that was coal fired,
> and it sat right beside an American Hoist
> and Derrick 40 ton coal fired locomotive
> crane. There are several more out there, but
> none that I know of operate.


john.stewart@crc.ca

> NNRy steam wreaking crane #A-1 has gotten
> the Trains Magazine Preservation Award. I
> have heard that it is the last coal-fired
> steam crane in existance. Is this true?

The old Heber Creeper owned a coal fired 25 ton industrial from the Toole Valley which they operated for various projects. I assume that it was sold to the state of Nevada with the rest of their colection. The Strasburg Rail Road owns a coal fired 150 ton PRR big hook. I also saw a coal fired big hook sitting derelict on a spur in York, PA in 1992. Ma & Pa?

> The old Heber Creeper owned a coal fired 25
> ton industrial from the Toole Valley which
> they operated for various projects. I assume
> that it was sold to the state of Nevada with
> the rest of their colection. The Strasburg
> Rail Road owns a coal fired 150 ton PRR big
> hook. I also saw a coal fired big hook
> sitting derelict on a spur in York, PA in
> 1992. Ma & Pa?

So from what I can gather, NNRy #A-1 cannot claim the title of the last railroad wreaking crane in the U.S. But maybe the last operating RR wreaking crane (Once it is restored to operation next year that is). I'm researching an article and that was a claim someone at NNRy made. Was just checking if it were a facvt before I submit the aricle.

The Illinois Railway Museum owns Chicago & Western Indiana #1900, a steam crane (I think it's coal-fired) built by Industrial Works in 1906. It's listed on the IRM roster as a "100-ton wrecker," so I would accept it as such. Also, it is operational - after a fashion. IRM has not actually fired up the boiler on #1900 in many years, but it can still be operated using compressed air. In recent years, it has been used to - among other things - help unload a pair of Boston & Maine wood coaches from railroad flatcars.


C&WI Page on IRM Website

There is a steam crane at the Camp Creek Threshers grounds near Waverly, Nebraska. It’s operated at least twice a year, but is oil-fired. One time is during the Antique Machinery & Threshing Show, third weekend in July. The other is during the September operations of the Camp Creek Railroaders when regional visitors bring their steam locomotives and trains to join with those of the CCR members. (The crane is standard gauge of course, but CCR is 12” gauge, I believe.)

ri51425@alltel.net

Hesston apparently has a Browning rated for 26 tons, used on occassion. Their standard gauge railroad is perhaps 100 feet long.


Hesston Crane

> The Illinois Railway Museum owns Chicago
> & Western Indiana #1900, a steam crane
> (I think it's coal-fired) built by
> Industrial Works in 1906. It's listed on the
> IRM roster as a "100-ton wrecker,"
> so I would accept it as such. Also, it is
> operational - after a fashion. IRM has not
> actually fired up the boiler on #1900 in
> many years, but it can still be operated
> using compressed air. In recent years, it
> has been used to - among other things - help
> unload a pair of Boston & Maine wood
> coaches from railroad flatcars.

Dose anyone have the construction numbers for the Illinois Ry Museum cranes? I would like to add them to my list of preserved railroad cranes. If anyone would like a copy contact me.

John


jtaub@juno.com

> Oh heavens no. I owned an ex B&O 200 ton
> Industrial Brownhoist that was coal fired,
> and it sat right beside an American Hoist
> and Derrick 40 ton coal fired locomotive
> crane. There are several more out there, but
> none that I know of operate.

Rick, What happened to your B&O wrecker and the American that sat beside it?


jtaub@juno.com