Our company uses a Burro crane with boom removed to push/pull cars in and out of the load area. The original railroad ID on the Burro starts with RCB. Does anyone know what railroad used to label their MOW cars starting with RCB? or maybe I'm asking the wrong question entirely.
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There's a RR reporting mark web site (of course). RCB is not on it.
Is the burro operated by remote control? Any chance that RCB stands for "Remote Control Burro?"
Chuck
Hey Chuck,
Not remote control, still has stock equipment with no changes from original. The ID board with the RCB also looks fiercely original from the 50's or 60's
Maybe it was owned by a contractor.
Was thinking about either contractor or obscure line in northeast.
Still surprised a Model 30 Burro tag RCB 3155 turns up nada.
Check the serial number and search it on the net. You'll have to start at square one, if you are interested enough to pursue this far enough to find out the history of your employer's Burro.
What is painted on the machine is not always useful. This could have been sold by a railroad to a scrap dealer and the lettering could have been applied there. Or an industry could have bought it. Or a mine. Or on and on . . .
ADDENDUM: This may not be simple. I just tried to look this up on the net and Burro crane info is scarce and scattered.
The first thing to do in order to know the previous owner is to determine the original buyer. So, you'll have to find the builder's plate and see which of several companies manufactured the machine, and any other data on the plate (especially the construction number or serial number). Through mergers, Western-Cullen-Hayes is the successor company to Cullen, and they are in business selling signals ant other railroad equipment.
If you shoot a blank on the internet after you have searched the data from the builder's plate, may I suggest that you send a letter with the information you have developed by inspecting the builder's plate (and enclose a donation check for good service) to the Illinois Railway Museum. They are very well-organized and have tons of archival information. It would surprise me if they do not have a file on Burro cranes. However, if they don't, they will almost certainly be able to direct you toward an organization which does have the information you seek. Wishing you success.
Illinois Railway Museum
Post Office Box 427
Union, IL 60180
Good ideas, thank you very much. Let me run that down tomorrow and I'll post what U find.
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