I thought the Burro crane was extinct until I saw one in the wild last Tuesday. While passing through Monitor, WA (just west of Wenatchee) I spotted a Model 40 Burro setting on a BNSF siding still in BN paint. The wheels were shinny so it hadn't been there long.

Manitex International now manufactures the successor
to the Burro cranes. Model 1085R is built by Badger
Equipment of Winona, Minnesota. Badger is a subsidiary
of Manitex. Manitex was spun-off from the Manitowoc
Company in 2003 as a condition of Manitowoc's 2002
purchase of Grove. Manitex also builds Load King trailers
and Little Giant hydraulic cranes.

https://www.manitexinternational.com/brands-badger.aspx

CULLEN-FRIESTEDT COMPANY
Chicago, IL 1922-1971
WESTERN-CULLEN 1971-1973
BURRO CRANE, INCORPORATED 1973-1990
BADGER EQUIPMENT COMPANY 1990-Present

C-F sold to Western Signal 1968
Badger Winona, MN bought Burro Models 40 & 50 in 1990.

See http://moablive.com/moabburro/history.asp
See http://jamesmcgillis.com/default.asp?id=304
See Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftDUUkI_q48

Last I checked, The Mad River & Nickel Plate Railroad Museum in Bellevue, Ohio has one, and there's one in Durbin, West Virginia where The Durbin Rocket runs.

Can't tell you what model they are though. Perhaps someone else does?

Bellevue-Mad River & NKP Railroad Society
Burro Diesel
Conrail #3072
Sold to unknown in Mexico 2016
http://www.madrivermuseum.org/gallery/e ... errick.jpg

Durbin-Durbin & Greenbrier Valley RR
Burro Model 30 7½ tons Diesel
http://mononman.rrpicturearchives.net/s ... id=3279978

The Elgin County Railway Museum located in the former Michigan Central locomotive shop in St. Thomas, Ontario has a Model 30. Ex-CN, Exx-NYC.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/alco__t6/6658973241/

I believe Amtrak has a number of Model 40's in use on the Northeast Corridor.

Brian

A place I used to work at years ago had a contract to rebuild Burro's for the U.P.

It was a complete body-off-frame rebuild. Detroit Diesels were rebuilt, all new bushings and bearings in the turret, new cable, rebuilt gearbox... you name it.

It was big business.

That lasted a few years after I started there, then the UP must have changed direction and abandoned all of them.

The Burros were transported on dedicated flatcars ~ 50 footers, I think. There was a heavy duty ramp that traveled on the flatcar with the Burro. When it came time to unload, the Burro would pick up the ramp, swing around and deposit it on the rail up against the flat. Then, the operator would swing the boom back over the car and elevate it a bit... then, riding the brakes he'd back off the car and onto the ramp.... slowing inching his way down the ramp and onto the rail.

I don't know how the UP let their operators load them, but this place here.... they'd tie the car down and chunk the wheels, then the operator would get back and get a run at the ramp.... boom trailing...and run right up the ramp at a pretty good clip, then hit the brakes.

Then, he'd pick up the ramp, swivel back around over the car and place it on the deck... position himself in the correct position to be chained and boomer'd down.

First time I saw them do that, I was in awe of the guy who had the nerve to fly up that ramp onto a 50' long flatcar with no stops on the other end!!!

There is a "tagline" cable drum on the burros, and I have a feeling that the UP method of loading was to attach that cable to a welded on link on the far end of the flatcar deck and winch itself up the ramp and onto the car.

The Seashore Trolley Museum has or had a Burro crane for track work. they did a heavy re-build on it, including a lot of new body parts and engine work.

Ted Miles, STM Member

Has anybody been working up a builder's list for Burro? I have put together what info I have but that is only about 100 machines.

John T you probably already have this one on your list. I ran this back in about 1973. Had a Buda 4 cyl if not mistaken. This I could see owning as I could probably haul this myself. Not sure what exactly I would use it for? But would be a fun restoration back to operating condition. Regards, John.

https://www.midcontinent.org/equipment- ... ific-b-63/

A number of years ago, CSX scrapped a Burro on the Pope Creek Sub in Upper Marlboro, MD. Still there today are pieces, including, last I looked, much of the boom, a lot of cable, hooks, pulleys, a magnetic pick up, a two axle utility cart including the coupling rod. These are at the end of a siding and spend much of the year hidden in over growth. I would assume this is CSX property. I have no interest, or know who to contact. Just an interested observer.

Perhaps these pieces would be of use to someone working to restore, or complete a unit on display or spare parts. PM if you want location details.

Bob

Southern California (Orange Empire) Ry Museum has an ex-Santa Fe Burro crane and the matching ex-Santa Fe MW flat car set up for shipping the crane.

The Hocking Valley Scenic has one. Also has been restored and used.

Hey John T,
You should get out more. The UP side of Metra has three Model 40 Burros working on the Kenosha ,Harvard and Geneva subdivisions. Burros also survive on many class 1 railroad work gangs along with some Little Giant rail cranes.