Remaining wreckers

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1264

This topic has come up a few times so I finally dug into the subject. To the best of my research there seem to be 19 still in service (more or less) in the US and Canada. there are probably some in Mexico but information is lacking. If anybody is interested I will put the list up.

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

preserved wreckers may be just as interesting, as tho steam dissappeared from the mainlines many steam derricks remained in service.

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1264

There are far too many preserved wreckers to list here. Drop me a PM and I will send a list.

Charlie · **Posted:** Wed Feb 22, 2017 10:45 pm

I would love to see that list of remaining wreckers. My guess is that most of them are the 250 ton brutes.

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1264

RAILROAD WRECKING CRANES STILL IN SERVICE
IN THE
UNITED STATES AND CANADA

FEBRUARY 21, 2017

This is a work in progress. Information is often months if not years out of date. I have included cranes recently scrapped.

American Hoist & Derrick
L3657 150t 04-66 D Canadian Pacific #414400 Cranbrook, BC
(in service at Golden, BC 2016)
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/cp414400.jpg
L3745 250t 01-68 D Canadian Pacific RR #414503 Winnipeg, Man.
(in service 2016)
(Has Industrial Brownhoist name plate)
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=321408
L3789 150t 07-68 D Soo Line RR #W-6 Neenah, WI
(Last location at Minneapolis, MN set up for use at rip track only. Here 05-23-12)
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi ... o&i=sooX68
L3812 250t 07-69 D Union Pacific RR #903045(2nd) Avery, NE
last assigned to Portola, CA (here 2017)
(There is a statement on the web that this crane has been donated to the Western Pacific RR Museum. As of 02-01- 17 it has not.)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevesloan ... 543893635/
http://www.laughingfrogimages.com/p188415068
L3835 150t 07-69 D Canadian Pacific RR #414402
Genesse Valley Trans re# to
Delaware-Lackawanna RR # 414402 Scranton, PA
(here 04-01, in use 01-16)
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=354313
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2359464
http://frank-dutton.blogspot.com/2014/0 ... lment.html
L3859 250t 12-69 D Union Pacific # 903046 (2nd) Avery, NE
At Salt Lake City, UT 2013.
Retired ?
W3884 250t 06-70 D Union Pacific # 903047 (2nd) Avery, NB
(last assigned to Green River, WY, here 2005)
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=188588
W3964 250t 12-72 D Union Pacific # 903050(2nd) Avery, NE
At Hinkle, OR 2016

Bucyrus-Erie
23174 07-15-42 250t SW Denver & Rio Grande #W-6 to #028 (conv to diesel)
Union Pacific RR #028 (in service Grand Jct., CO 2017)
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/527826/
33767 08-29-44 250t SW Chicago, Burlington & Quincy RR #204376 Galesburg, IL
Burlington Northern #S258 (to diesel after 06-82)
Burlington Northern #D258 Seattle, WA
Burlington Northern Santa Fe #D258 1995
Scrapped 07-15
36210 08-31-46 250t SW F. H. Hopkins & Co., Ltd. (D)
Canadian National Ry #50008(2nd) (converted to diesel)
(last wrecker on CN, in service 2016)
94114 05-20-52 250t DEW Quebec, North Shore & Labrador Ry #1200
(In use 2013)
103499 05-28-53 250t DEW Quebec, North Shore & Labrador Ry #1201
(In use 2013)

Cowens Sheldon
1961 250t Cartier Ry #C3
Scrapped 2015
http://www.bdca.org.uk/gallery/index.ph ... avid-Wylie
1961 150t Cartier Ry #C4

Industrial Brownhoist
5003 200t SW 08-27 Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #199793>199794 (to diesel)
(here 10-08-80)
Arizona & California RR #1 (here 07-15)
(for sale via Sterling Rail, INC. 2014, $55,000)
http://www.aeromoe.com/parker6.jpg
https://hiveminer.com/Tags/arzc/Interesting
11108 150t SW US Navy Kittery, ME
Bangor & Aroostook RR #X127 (to diesel)
Montreal, Maine & Atlantic RY #X127 2003
Central Maine & Quebec Ry #X127 2014
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3281564
11607 160t SW 1943 Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific #99024 04-44
Denver & Rio Grande Western #030(2nd) 1980 (to diesel 1982)
Union Pacific RR (at Denver, CO North Yard 2017 not in use)
11658 250t SW 1945 Northern Pacific Ry #47 (converted to diesel 09-58)
Burlington Northern #D256 04-73
Montana Rail Link #D-100256 1987 (still here 2010)
11843 250t SW 1948 Canadian Pacific #414502 (convert. to diesel)
Still in use 2016
11963 250t DW 1948 St Louis San Francisco #99025 (2nd)
Burlington Northern RR 1980
Mississippi RR & Transportation Museum #100 (here 1989) Transkentucky Transportation RR #100 Paris, KY (here 2013)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z67IjvF1ICQ

Industrial Works
1965 100t SW 1908 Milwaukee Road #X-900052 to #X-11 (to diesel 1956)
St. Maries River RR no# St. Maries, ID (here 2013)
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3091310
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3583008

Orton
250t DW 1972 Illinois Central #X115
Illinois Central Gulf #100418
Canadian National Ry #100418 Centralia, IL (here 2016)
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3554348

MEXICO

There are probably a few American and Orton wreckers still in service in Mexico but current information is lacking.

American
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H93-2awPXCo
#19866 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USCXZaChJzc
#19866 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB3wXC5IxZI
Ferrocarriles Mexicanos #5623-2 http://bomberosdecajeme.blogspot.com/20 ... chive.html

Industrial Works
? Steam NdeM #110166
FerroMex #110166 1998
(at Chihuahua 11-15)
Orton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5HTot87dnY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fueUvF0xpsg
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3789916
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1251279
FerroMex #19855 (at Chihuahua 11-15)

John A. Taubeneck

Atkinson_Railroad · **Posted:** Thu Feb 23, 2017 1:27 pm

John,

You have Out-Searched a search engine finding the Frisco wrecker from your IB list on You Tube.

11963 250t DW 1948 St Louis San Francisco #99025 (2nd)
Burlington Northern RR 1980
Mississippi RR & Transportation Museum #100 (here 1989) Transkentucky Transportation RR #100 Paris, KY (here 2013)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z67IjvF1ICQ

Nice find.

John

Charlie · **Posted:** Fri Feb 24, 2017 12:49 am

Thanks for all your work in creating this list, not to mention all that you've done in keeping track of all the wreckers out there and sharing that information with all of us.

Mouse · **Joined:** Mon Apr 23, 2012 7:10 am **Posts:** 42

Two that slipped through. At least when I was with them a few years back.
Black River & Western has 2 Industrial Brownhoists. Both were 150 ton 4 axle cranes. One was from the Long Island RR. The other the former Amtrak crane stationed at 30th st.

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1264

I have only one wrecker listed for the Black River & Western.

Industrial Works C/N 4733 150 tons Wrecker Steam (converted to diesel 1951) 04-26
Long Island RR #197(2nd)
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=562895

The only Amtrack wrecker I have is:

Ringoes-Belvidere & Delaware River RR
Industrial Works C/N 4693 150 tons Wrecker Steam (converted to diesel) 1923
Pennsylvania RR #495777
Penn Central #50093
Conrail #50093 04-01-76
Amtrak #16002 04-01-76 (converted to diesel by 1994)
Belvidere & Delaware River RR #16002 Ringoes, NJ 1995
(here 12-05)
http://home.comcast.net/~ted.nicholas/w ... _16002.JPG

Has this one been moved to the BR&W? I have those two cranes listed as preserved rather than in service.

Rob Gardner · **Joined:** Sat Aug 21, 2004 10:50 pm **Posts:** 574

There were three (3) complete, or at least very nearly complete, wreck trains, including derricks, in Orrville, OH in the Dabo collection. Are all three still there?

Rob Gardner

jayrod · **Posted:** Sat Feb 25, 2017 10:35 am

Yep. Wreckers and tenders are still here. 250T. Two steam, one diesel. None are currently operational. We may consider getting the diesel running again since it could be useful.

Brian Manning · **Posted:** Mon Feb 27, 2017 11:29 am

Here's another one for the list. This is our 1920 Bucyrus 100 Ton steam railway crane that we have been working on and will be returning to operation this spring. We are fortunate to have the complete work train auxiliary units, consisting of the flatdeck idler car, the tender, tool car and caboose.

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1264

Here is what I have on that one:

Calgary-Heritage Park
Bucyrus C/N 181 100 tons Wrecker Steam 04-12
Canadian Pacific #400167>414328

It is preserved, not in service. There is a much longer list of preserved wreckers than of those still in service.

Brian Manning · **Posted:** Mon Feb 27, 2017 6:51 pm

Yes it will be operational this spring. We have worked on it over the winters for the past 10 yrs. and have completely rebuilt the crane, including a new house, welded boiler, steam piping, bunkers, steam dyno , complete rewiring and historically correct lettering. When it is unveiled this summer it will be the only operational steam railway crane in Canada.

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1264

If yours will be the only operating steam crane in Canada what happend to this one?

Ottawa-Bytown Ry. Society (located at Canada Science and Technology Museum)
Industrial Works C/N 3850 50 tons Steam 1919 operable
first owner unknown
Birmingham Rail & Equipment Co. (D) Birmingham, AL
Central Vermont Ry #4251 12-23
Bytown Ry. Society Ottawa, ONT 1967
http://users.eastlink.ca/~othen/steamim ... 0crane.JPG

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