A trip down to the train yard to check out the steam crane.

[TheSilverBuick]

Prior to the snow event this weekend, the train station in town was putting on a demo of their 1907 steam crane so I thought I'd stroll on down there to check it out and thought I'd share a couple pictures and a few video's I took.

I realize now I completely failed in getting an openner picture of the station but I do have this nifty poster to start with. That gets you about 18 miles of driving.


This restored ancient vacuum cleaner was in the lobby.




I think it draws more than 12 amps...




Kennecott was the dominate mining company in the area from the 40's to the late 80's.


Up on the train station platform.


The Steam Crane warming up on the left hand side.


A more modern crane. I think it was designed more for moving freight or laying rails than for true heavy lifting.




Now for part 2, the actual steam crane.

[BOOOGHAR]

wheres all the snow ?

[TheSilverBuick]

Here is the actual crane.



The data plate. The big hook is rated for 100 tons. They used this thing to drag de-railed cars and locomotives back onto the rails.




They made sure the outriggers were out.


A little closer view of the side.


Here they are getting ready to intentionally de-rail the boxcar.


The boiler pressure safety bypass is open and blowing steam. In one of the video's it happens suddenly and you can seem me jump when it goes off It's a 100psi pressure system.


Here is the guy operating it. Apparently there is no owners manual, not even one stamped in brass


So they've written on the side of all the levers what each one does. Remember this thing only has ONE drive motor, so each function (swing, lift, cable retract, etc) has to be done one at a time.




The swing rollers.


Afterwards the train came back


Part 3 coming up with some videos.

[TheSilverBuick]

wheres all the snow ?

Came in five hours later. You can see it clouding up, and I think the last video or two I took you can hear the wind picking up.

[HEMI]

Stopped and took the tour on the way back from Speedweek in '97.Pretty interesting.I think the only Diesel loco they had
at that time was the orange Alco.

[TheSilverBuick]

I have no video editting abilities, so I took a few short clips with my camera. Because the primitive nature of this thing, there was some time spent between steps

The steam crane warming up.

The crane swinging over to the box car. About 45 seconds in you can hear the sound of a nearby air-compressor kick on. It was the bane to the camera's audio

This one they are setting the box car's wheels back on the rail. The dang air compressor comes on around one minute. This is the one that at 1:30 the bypass valve startles me The constant steam near the top of it is from the 32 volt turbine generator for the lights and such.

A quick video of it idling (?).

And the grand finale, tooting the horn and spinning around

[TheSilverBuick]

Stopped and took the tour on the way back from Speedweek in '97.Pretty interesting.I think the only Diesel loco they had
at that time was the orange Alco.

They were using this diesel locomotive to move the crane around.



You can see steam Locomotive 40 in the shop. I don't know what the one next to it is. I've never seen it out running. Steam Locomotive 93 was out on a drive.


And a final scenic picture looking down the tracks

[Brian Lohnes]

What a behemoth!

Thanks for the videos, your status as a non-a/hole and non-communist remains intact!

[TheSilverBuick]

Must be from where I work, I thought it was kinda small =P They said they have a picture of that exact crane pulling a locomotive up an embankement 60 or 70 years ago. I wanted to see it, but they didn't have it on hand.

[antmnte]

They restored that vacuum on American Restoration on the history channel.They also restored a strong box for the same museum that had Ely painted on it and I could not remember why I heard that before but now I remember.It was on here,from you !
Very nice pictures.

[HEMI]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9VOufRpYqw

Couldn't find the vid of the orange ALCO ( American Locomotive Corp.)pulling tourist train up towards Magill.

[BangShift McT]

You can see steam Locomotive 40 in the shop. I don't know what the one next to it is. I've never seen it out running. Steam Locomotive 93 was out on a drive.

The one next to #93 looks to be a GM-EMD F9.

[HEMI]

Nope.it's the ALCO.

[squirrel]

this one?

[BigBlockMopar]

Most likely.

Cool stuff.
That crane-wagon looks like it's providing a lot of easy ways to get mangled up in the gears or something...