I don't wish to hijack another persons thread; so here is a separate one: Does a crane, of any type, exist that was built by the McMyler Interstate Co. of Bedford, Ohio

Kevin K.

This doesn't directly answer the question, but two McMyler cranes were once owned by IRM. They were acquired from Commonwealth Edison but were scrapped in 1964 to help finance the museum's move to Union. Photo links here:

http://hickscarworks.blogspot.com/2010/01/irm-deaccession-list.html

Kevin -

I had never heard of this company. Thanks for pointing them out.


Frank -

Appreciate the info about the deaccessioning of the two Commonwealth Edison Company McMyler-built electric cranes by IRM. I'm a bit confused by these cranes. How did they get their power? Third rail? I don't think a trolley pole would work since the cab turns. Please excuse my ignorance (though fascination) of electric equipment. As you stated, these two cranes didn't survive. Are there other electric cranes of this type (perhaps built by other than McMyler Interstate Crane) that are still around? Finally, I looked at the photos of the two Commonwealth Edison cranes; numbers 1 and 2. I wonder if the photos aren't of the same crane, rather than a photo of each? Looks to me like they could be the same crane. Perhaps a moot question at this point in time.

Les

Frank:
Darn; still hoping a McMyler Interstate exists ! Les: There were locomotive cranes with trolley poles; the danger of course was touching the trolley wire with the boom ! The end of the boom was covered in wood to prevent that from happening. Still, pretty scary !
Years ago I saw an Electric Ohio Crane that had a very long extension cord. Sadly, it was scrapped but I did get photos of the interior.

Kevin K.

I suspect those cranes came from the California Ave. generating station in Chicago, same place that Commonwealth Edison numbers 4 and 5 (60 ton steeplecab locomotives, 4 is still in the collection at Union) came from. This was a third rail only operation, the poles presently on the 4 were installed after it came to Union. I don't see third rail shoes on the cranes, but they may have been removed for shipment. I believe this was an under running third rail system; not the same as the Chicago "L" system.

Considering that cranes don't move much when working, they may not have had shoes and simply used a stinger.

My info for the IRM crane #2 at North Chicago is that it was scraped by ERHS Oct. 1966. Made by American Hoist & Derrick Co. St. Paul Minn. after 1912 , serial # 583. I didn't see anything about McMyler Interstate Co. but my info is limited.