I've been pondering installing DCC in one of these, but wonder if it would be too new for my October 1954 time frame. The cab on the crane looks suspiciously modern. I couldn't find much history on the mfgr's site.
A quick peak gave, "These cranes began to be used in the 1950s," so you should finish it as 'just off the erecting floor,' not 'rid hard and put away wet.'
A lot of 1950-era things look suspiciously modern. Most more modern things look as if they were inspired by cereal boxes and Lego blocks.
Then, too, who are you trying to please. Only the cat in YOUR hat has to have a warm, furry feeling.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in 1964 - with one 'new in 1967' diesel-hydraulic)
I agree with Chuck, You're OK with these. I know the US military had some cranes similiar to if not identical to these scattred around and they were generally of Korean War vintage, i.e. post-WWII, but prior to the 1960s.
Some more info, including a 1960 USAF locomotive crane roster, is down the page here: http://www.thedieselshop.us/USAF.HTML
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Mark, and Chuck, thanks very much - that makes the decision a lot easier. Definitely (just) in my era, if a litle hard to justify on a bridge line that buys cast off, mostly USRA, steam power. Maybe I'll posit a scrap dealer who's doing really well and just got a new toy.
BF&D Mark, and Chuck, thanks very much - that makes the decision a lot easier. Definitely (just) in my era, if a litle hard to justify on a bridge line that buys cast off, mostly USRA, steam power. Maybe I'll posit a scrap dealer who's doing really well and just got a new toy.
Railroads started replacing the smaller Burro cranes with the bigger Americans in the 50s.
However.
Like all things in railroading Burro cranes lasted well into the 90s and some may still be in use..
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
" Like all things in railroading Burro cranes lasted well into the 90s and some may still be in use.."
I think I saw a UP one on the levee track above the B Street Theater just a few month ago.
I'm pretty certain you'll still find Burro cranes still in use by track gangs. Like a lot of rail MOW equipment, their role has been impacted by the availability of the hyrail truck equipped with a boom. But if you need all-day, heavy duty lifting, you need a Burro crane or larger crane truck, the latter of which does seem to have largely gone out of favor.
While the Burro usually didn't have the capacity of the locomotive cranes, it could probably handle 90% of the jobs of a big American crane.
The Burro crane posessed an advantage over its larger locomotive crane cousins. You can pretty easily run a Burro crane onto a flatcar and get it where you need it without too much drama or delay. To move a locomtive crane either relied on its own power -- very slow, limited distance -- or it being moved in train, which usually restricted track speed.
This old CN crane is basically a dead ringer for the Walther model and carries a rather well worn 1950s paint job when photographed in the mid 1970s here:
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=cn50362&o=cn
This particular crane was apparently built new in 1958, and that's its original colours.
Chris van der Heide
My Algoma Central Railway Modeling Blog
mlehmanI'm pretty certain you'll still find Burro cranes still in use by track gangs. Like a lot of rail MOW equipment, their role has been impacted by the availability of the hyrail truck equipped with a boom.
I have seen a NS Burro in 2-3 years seen the big Americans and those hyrailers with boom-those are the modern Burro crane.
I've seen NS Americans with clam shells,magnets,rail grippers and hooks.
mlehmanThe Burro crane posessed an advantage over its larger locomotive crane cousins. You can pretty easily run a Burro crane onto a flatcar and get it where you need it without too much drama or delay. To move a locomtive crane either relied on its own power -- very slow, limited distance -- or it being moved in train, which usually restricted track speed.
As an example, in the 1960s the B&O used a 50-ton Ohio Locomotive crane on the work train. When being moved in the train, even with its self-propulsion gears completely disengaged, it was limited to 15MPH on straight track and 10MPH on curves. If it got up around 25 or 30MPH the boom really started to dance around, even on good track.
Great Northern had upwards of 18 of this type of crane. They got their first four in 1943. These don't look a lot like the Walthers model, though.
BUT, they got X-1803 and X-1841 in 1949. And those are definitely in the style of the Walthers crane. They had 50' booms and a max lift of 50 tons. They were self-propelled.
Ed
BF&D ...a litle hard to justify on a bridge line that buys cast off, mostly USRA, steam power.
...a litle hard to justify on a bridge line that buys cast off, mostly USRA, steam power.
If you're going to operate the line like a barely making it ratty kind of weathered thing, I agree. But if management is tack sharp but not rolling in dough, I could imagine such a purchase. But it does mean you're going to have to have your crews out there keeping the locos and all else ship shape.
In my view.
7j43k BF&D ...a litle hard to justify on a bridge line that buys cast off, mostly USRA, steam power. If you're going to operate the line like a barely making it ratty kind of weathered thing, I agree. But if management is tack sharp but not rolling in dough, I could imagine such a purchase. But it does mean you're going to have to have your crews out there keeping the locos and all else ship shape. In my view. Ed
You could possibly buy a "new" locomotive or two along with a few "new" cabooses and say that the railroad is upgrading their equipment. You could say that they bought the crane to upgrade their tracks ans bridges more efficantly. I am sure you could make it work.
BRAKIE mlehman I'm pretty certain you'll still find Burro cranes still in use by track gangs. Like a lot of rail MOW equipment, their role has been impacted by the availability of the hyrail truck equipped with a boom. I have seen a NS Burro in 2-3 years seen the big Americans and those hyrailers with boom-those are the modern Burro crane. I've seen NS Americans with clam shells,magnets,rail grippers and hooks.
mlehman I'm pretty certain you'll still find Burro cranes still in use by track gangs. Like a lot of rail MOW equipment, their role has been impacted by the availability of the hyrail truck equipped with a boom.
Larry,
Where I think the old Burros still have an advantage is when they're being used in high volume operation like track renovation, etc. Now I haven't been in the cab of the latest and greatest Hy-railers with cranes. However, I don't think you can control the crane from the driver's seat or the truck from the crane op's location. Either it takes two people to do it at once or the one guy has to keep going back and forth from truck cab to the crane control panel.
In the Burro crane, the single op has all those controls right in front of him. He can run the boom and move the crane all at once, if need be, but is generally in a better position to work within a gang picking up track material, tonging rail, lifting frogs, etc.
mlehmanWhere I think the old Burros still have an advantage is when they're being used in high volume operation like track renovation, etc
Mike,Things has changed in MOW.
The Burro has been replace by a crane that can crawl along the tops of gondolas,Hy Rail trucks can pull 2-3 gons with that crawler crane riding the gon.Hyrailers with booms can unload/load ties and other lifting jobs.American cranes is used for heavier lifting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSG9jS5Q1zs
Meet the modern Burro.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaoTowFDnOs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcNxQl8Jcpw