Cranes Do you have one ?

Yes.

Very nice. I have a couple of the MTH 200-ton cranes. I'm probably going to 2-rail both of them and make a couple of work trains. The MTH crane tenders seem a bit bogus, but I figure removing the "house" from them actually makes them look more realistic. Here's one of them in a scene staged by "The Apprentice" right after we got the turntable seated.

without trying to start a 'switch' vs. 'turnout' debate,

is there a difference between a crane and a wrecker?

A wrecker is a type of a crane.  Where I worked it was called a derrick.  The coupler missing was an interesting detail.  The 200 ton rating is using the main block right against the end of the car with the coupler removed.  When working over the side of the right of way, we worked with the two end outriggers out on the boom side and the center outrigger out to the opposite side.  That way when we broke a cable or something tore loose, the derrick did not turn over backwards.  One thing that made a wrecker different from other cranes was it had a rating for dragging a load by rotating the cab.  On most cranes this would be prohibited.  Wrecking was hard, heavy, slow work.

Matt   Is the MTH crane, an operating crane?      (cTr.....Choose the Right) & (There's power in Service)

have one? I am one!

I also have a MTH 150 ton version waiting to be 2 railed.

Yes.... 

A custom painted DL&W crane replacing a broken Atlas switch...

It "operates" via crank knobs you insert through the windows, which is fine for me since they'd spend the bulk of their time parked in a maintenance train somewhere. Lionel made one that operates via TMCC. Ed Reutling took one apart, two-railed it and installed DCC-controlled servos -- some pretty impressive work.

Here's some footage of a steamed up, operating SP steam wrecking derrick. At about 5:09 a close-up of the "innards" pops up, with flailing piston, whistle blowing, whirring gears, and warning bell, for a swing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FJc2EmgN3c        Would have loved seeing two of these brutes righting an overturned articulated!

yes I have 2 of the MTH 200 Tonn versions for the PRR

plus the 120 Ton version

and the American crane type from  MTH. 

and the operating Burro Crane from Lionel.

A few..

Hi Stephen, Couldn't help but notice that your boom lifting cables are off their sheaves. Won't be this quite a chore re-rigging?

I have an MTH 150 ton crane that I 2-railed and reworked for PRR.   The 150T has large stack like it would for a Steam crane I assume, so I mate with an "Old" AHM tender behind it for water and coal.   I have a Walthers tool and water car I built and use that as boom tender.  

I have been told that the smaller cranes were much more common than the bigger 200-250 ton ones.

Thanks everyone for sharing your crans, Its great to see them and here your approach to using them.    Stephen.   ( cTr......Choose the Right) & (There,s power in Service)

here is mine Hand made!

AG,

from my friends estate

Its great to see some scratch built cranes.I know Mel Thornburgh did an artical in the forties, but I dont know the year or month, It would be interesting to take a look at. Ive notced Lionel has done a B&O 200 tone crane no dought it operates on TMCC, nice  (cTr.....Choose the Right) & (there,s power in service)

The Lionel TMCC scale version. Probably the most accurate non-brass version, at least that I'm aware of.

Visitors love working the crane. I have it set to move metal into a K-Line remote dump car. You can also lift barrels (I have metal staples in the wood barrels) with the magnetic crand and either drop them on the barrel loader platform, into the barrel pile or into a car.

Certainly

This is great! Just some fantastic pictures everyone, the crane is definetly a good way to create interest on the layout, both visually and in operation, thanks everyone for contributing, the verity of cranes and situations is most interesting.        Stephen.   (cTr.....Choose the Right ) & ( There,s power in Servise)

Black crane is a postwar 2460 from 1946

Red crane is a postwar 6460 from 1954 (its the red painted cab hard to find item)

Just watched this link on YouTube provided by Mark, Thanks Mark!! well worth watching, nice crane to, you can see some of the works of the crane which was nice,would make a nice model. I thought it similar to Eric's photos (model) but without the housing covering the workings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FJc2EmgN3c   O! Bill     your right about my cables and sheaves, theres some fun to be had there, or possibly frustration!!   Stephen     (cTr....Choose the Right) & (There's power in Service)

Then there were those Division Superintendants who didn't believe in calling out the derrick for every minor derailment. There was just such an occaision in the West Frankfort, IL yard, on the CB&Q in the early '60's, where a big SD7 derailed and was leaning at a precarious 15 degree angle, but not over on it's side. Asst Supt JM "Joe" Turner didn't want to call the Centralia (IL) derrick and said, "Let's block her up!!", using jacks, wooden blocks and cribbing. The derrick and the Centralia wrecking crew stayed home that day!  (as described in Burlington Route Historical Soc Bulletin #35, "The Q in the CoalFields"). So, if a steam derrick isn't in the capital budget this year, at least get some jacks and wooden blocks!

Charlie .... any info on that photo? when and where?

Thanks

Jim

Neat photo from Charlie. Reminds one of the situation on the "Joint Line"south of Walsenberg, CO, wherein a Rio Grande L131 2-8-8-2 derailed and turned over, about 1946. The 'Grand and the Colorado & Southern both dispatched wreckers to right the big locomotive. All outriggers were extended on both derricks, plus heavy cables were attaced to each, which were staked in the ground, to stabilize them. Even with all that, when the derricks made their first lift, all wheels of the derricks on the outside lifted 3-4" off the rail!  Whoa!

I have the Lionel 219 pre war

standard gauge crane car

given to me by a friend for

fixing some trains for him

I like that one Popi.  Very cool.

Also have a Lionel pre war

O gauge crane car,

(that my wife bought and

payed WAY to much for).

she hasnt learned the finer points of buying

at train shows. She pays what ever is on the price

tag. So if Im not with her, she pays TOO much!!!

AND of course I have the old postwar

stand buy, I think I see one of these

at every show I go to.

had a chance to pick up one of these

with a red cab and I didnt and i wish I had.

It was only $20 bucks. Hind sight.............

Jim

Right outside baltimore in the early fifties as I remember.

Note in Charlie's photo that the cranes have a cover - presume of wood - on the boom, to protect against accidental contact with the overhead wires. The Milwaukee Road did the same on their electrified lines.