On another thread, it was mentioned that railroad cranes can be very useful at museums/short lines/tourist railroads. Rather than add it to that thread, I thought it might be a good idea to show these actually in use. I'll start with the one at Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum, which was donated to HVRM by Purdue University. The 20 ton crane was built in 1945 by Orton (s/n 44596) with a gas engine and the school later converted it to diesel. Shown here in use unloading ballast from the museums NKP gondola.

Hopefully, we'll get a few more photographic examples.

Les

While probably not the type of crane Les had in mind, here is a shot taken in Feb of the 25 ton ex ATSF gantry crane at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum, in Campo, CA. I don't know the age of the crane, but it was in use for several decades at ATSF's yard in San Diego. ATSF donated it to PSRM in 1984.

In this shot, it is being used to erect the frame for a carport-type shade structure that will give us a bit of shelter while we work on Coos Bay Lumber #11 (in the background). While we will lose some of the working track for the crane, the track extends another 100 or so feet beyond the far end of the carport.

American 40 ton crane S/N 1887 removing old batteries in the CWR 56 (Baldwin RS-12) at Travel Town, Los Angeles.

No photos handy, but Los Angeles Railway 9225, a 5-ton electric derrick (home shop, 1912) had been used for various tasks at Orange Empire. Many years ago, I operated the crane section when we pulled a traction motor from one of our Huntington Standards. In recent years, we've mostly used rubber-tired cranes, but 9225 comes out of the barn on special occasions to run around the loop track.

One day, when it was out on "Broadway" for a demonstration of "old school" technology, a young visitor, whose railway knowledge was apparently derived from watching "Thomas the Tank Engine" shows, said, "Look! It's Cranky the Crane!"

Pennsylvania Trolley Museum has in use Pittsburgh Railways 1929 Diffco "crane on a flatcar" M283. This crane is used in all phases of museum operations, maintenance, and restoration. Without it we'd be in a serious bind. Its capacity is 20,000 lbs, enabling us to lift assembled motor trucks and other serious loads.

But no machine lasts forever without attention. M283 is currently the object of some serious truck, motor, and control system upgrades--long overdue. Your financial assistance on the project would be very welcome. See the museum's website www.pa-trolley.org for contact information. PTM is a 501 (c) 3 organizaiton so your contributions are properly viewed by the IRS.

The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum has 3 cranes as far as I noticed when I was down there a few weeks ago. There was a smaller crane on a flatcar model sitting on their MOW lead off their turntable. There was a much larger bucket loader crane also sitting in East Chattanooga yard which looks to be used for coaling the steam locomotives.

The biggest and most impressive is this big beast from the Southern Railway which was giving operating demonstrations the day I was there:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UHjPUBq1uc

I've never seen a big hook in operation before and didn't know any museums had a working one until now.

The Northern Nevada Railway Museum has an operating coal burning steam crane; and here is a video of it running as well. https://youtu.be/xVulbtPnfyk

Hesston has a 1941 Browning Steam Crane in occasional service. Used to load logs on our sawmill during major weekends.
Builder #3096, capacity 26 tons. for US Navy Supply Depot at Columbus , OH. After the depot closed, sold to a sand mine near Bridgman, MI, but never used. After several years, acquired by John Edris, and moved to the museum after digging it out of blow sand that nearly covered it.. The cab panels were removed to allow better visibility while loading logs, and to escape the boiler heat.

Slightly tangent,

Back in the 1970s, the Southeastern Railroad Museum received a donation of the Atlanta & West Point's pile driver. a couple of years later, the A&WP asked to borrow it. For some reason I think it was related to the construction of MARTA's South line.

Doug vV

The Southeastern Railway Museum also owns a 1953 built US Army rail mounted crane, numbered C-271. It's an American DiesElectric product. It sees regular use around the museum property doing everything from moving stacks of ties to the heavy lifting of large components around the shop. It's always been a crowd favorite to watch.

Until recently, Bytown Railway Society regularly operated its ex- Central Vermont Railway locomotive crane:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFx-q7amNfs

One of my first volunteer activities was greasing the crane's cables to protect them from corrosion, and working on its hydro test that year... many great memories, including the day a volunteer (thankfully not me) dropped a washout plug down inside the boiler.

Perhaps someone currently active at BRS can elaborate on the crane's boiler woes and say whether any repairs are in the works. Being a vertical boiler, repairs/ replacement should be reasonably economical. Hopefully she will run again, but at least she's safe.

Steve Hunter

Here is a list of the cranes at the Southeastern Ry. Museum

Duluth-Southeastern Ry Museum
American C/N J3140 Model 840-DE 40 tons Diesel Electric 06-53 (operable)
US Navy T. C. Corps
US Army Transportation Corps #C-271 Ft. Bliss, TX
SRM 1963
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 05&nseq=72
American C/N J3371 Model 825-DE 25 tons Diesel Electric 10-56
L. B. Foster Co. Atlanta, GA
Bucyrus-Erie Model 10-B (modified crawler crane on flat) Ditcher Gas (Oliver V-12)
Chattahooche Valley Ry #522 West Point, GA
http://www.rgusrail.com/album/gaserm/chv_522_01.jpg
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/trai ... ezell.html
Industrial Brownhoist C/N 4748 Pile Driver Steam 1929
Western Ry of Alabama #20
http://www.rgusrail.com/album/gaserm/wra_20_03.jpg

Heber Valley RR in Utah has two American 40-tonners, diesel powered. One is operational right now and gets used pretty regularly for all kinds of odds and ends assignments.

Here is what I have on the Heber cranes:

Heber City-Heber Valley RR
American C/N J3134 Model 840DE 40 tons Diesel Electric 06-53
US Army #C-208 Tooele Army Depot Tooele, UT
HVRR 1995
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=511508
American 40 tons Diesel Electric
US Air Force #C-282 McClellan AFB, CA
California State RR Museum Sacramento, CA 01-94
HVRR #C-282 2008
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMH3 ... rane_C_282

Anybody have the builder's number for the second machine?

IRM, the worlds largest has 12 cranes along with a " Crane Safety And Training" manager .