I am interested in Wreck cranes. I am modelling CSX and NS 2000+ era. 1) do they still have wreck cranes anymore (I know outside contractors are popular) an 2) do you think it would be a good idea, or don't bother with it. I think it would be cool for operation, when you have a derailment, you would have to go and fetch the wreck crane, and switch it as you rerail the train. I have also heard of installing a DCC decoder and "animating" the crane. I think it would add interest and take the frustration out of derailments and make the model railroad more prototypical.
Wreckers were very rare by the 2000's, off track equipment was much more common and versitile.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Even after the contractors took over most of the work, a lot of roads still had a big hook. They just did not use it in a emergency fashion but let the contractors take care of clearing the wreckage away from the main line tracks so as to get the line open as quickly as possible.
Then the railroad would send their wreck train out when it was most convenient and clean up the site.
At least, that is how we did it from the early 70's on.
So, you can have a wreck train even if you don't call it out every time you get on the ground.
In the event of a burned off journal or other minor problem where the train had not "thrown craps" a railroad block truck could often take care of things if the site was accessable.
Back when I had to deal with this stuff, it seemed the two leading causes of derailments were darkness and bad weather.
Charlie
Does anyone know if CSX or NS has a big hook or had one in the 2000s? If so, what type was it, and what reporting mark and number?
Found the following on this site...........
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rslist.aspx?id=NS
.. was just a quick search, there may be more.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3696404
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1478154
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=523704
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2972244
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3286246
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Bear,Those are regular MOW cranes and not the 200 ton wreck derricks I think Kyle is asking about.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
As Brakie said those are "bridge cranes" they are used for bridge work and as pile drivers. They are controlled by the engineering department, wrecker cranes are different pieces of equipment and are rigged differently, wrecker cranes belong to the Mechanical department. I have seen wrecker cranes handling track and bridge material, but have never seen a bridge crane rerailing cars.
I thought for sure that I had a photo of a NS big hook in Roanoke from when I lived there (1976-2006), but can't find it in the computerized images....
The Norfolk and Western Handbook by Conley Wallace and Aubrey Wiley (W - W Publications, 1980) has photos and/or drawings of the following: #514904, 150-ton based at Weller Yard, VA; #514902, 160-ton based at Bellvue, OH; #514900, 200-ton based at Williamson, WV; #514923, 250-ton based at Lambert's Point, VA. All were built by Industrial Works (later Brownhoist) of Bay City, Michigan. The earlier-build ones were dieselized by the Roanoke shops in the late 1950's.
As stated, that was 1980 information. Most railroads found it to become much more economical to utilize private contractors for wreck clean-up during that 1970-2000 period. Companies such as Hulcher would come to the site with the heavy side-lift catapillars and take care of things. The railroad thus no longer had the maintenance on as much heavy equipment as well as no longer needing the specially-trained personnel (as mandated hazardous-material training requirements became much more stringent during that period).
The N&W Historical Society may be a helpful resource in determining any actual retirement dates of the big hooks.
For a model RR, they are intreaguing, but recognize that the hoist, boom car, and at least one other support car are going to perminately tie up around three feet of yard trackage for you. On my World War One-era logging line, we just bring one of the Barnhart log-loaders down from the woods...
Bill
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
BRAKIEBear,Those are regular MOW cranes
Yeah I gathered from Dave H and Charlie9 previous posts that the wreck cranes were rare, and also no longer used in emergency situations, but thought those photos would at least give Kyle a rererence if he wanted to run a large crane on his layout.
Cheers, the Bear
The bridge cranes though are alive and well and used on most major railroads.
BRAKIE Bear,Those are regular MOW cranes Yeah I gathered from Dave H and Charlie9 previous posts that the wreck cranes were rare, and also no longer used in emergency situations, but thought those photos would at least give Kyle a rererence if he wanted to run a large crane on his layout. Cheers, the Bear
BRAKIE Bear,Those are regular MOW cranes
Yeah,all to sadly sideboom cats of the contract wreck clean up companies killed the big hooks..I haven't seen a derrick in at least 15 years.
Cars are towed aside and if fixable they're loaded on a flat car or if badly damage they are cut up on site.
Thanks for the photos. If find that the big hooks aren't around anymore, then I will probably model one like in those pictures. One of them had a newer looking paint job. However, I am really hoping for one of the big 200 or 250 ton "big hooks".
Perhaps a bit off topic, but, I couldn't let this one go. Years ago I heard about an engine terminal down in Southern Missouri on the MOPAC where they managed to get an engine in the turntable pit. The local trainmaster wired St Louis and asked for permission to order out the wreck train. He got the ok by telegraph and did so. Due to someone's lack of attention, they managed to run the wrecker off into the pit along with the engine.
The TM advised the Division Super of this development and he wired back, "shall I send hook down from St Louis?" TM wired the super back "don't bother, pit is full". and walked off the job.
Charlie!
Great anecdote!
I feel for the TM. Talk about having a bad day at the office!
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I found (but failed to bookmark) a 1983 You-tube clip of a CSX wreck crane picking up some derailed cars. The text included a note that the hook had been turned over to the B&O Museum about ten years later. Don't know if it was the last CSX wreck crane, but if it was museum bait 20 years ago...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - without a wreck crane or train)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBOkwTakyTI
Is this it?
On a side note, I believe PANAM has 2 wreck trains, one in East Deerfield, and one in Waterville, ME, both with 250 ton cranes.
Modeling whatever I can make out of that stash of kits that takes up half my apartment's spare bedroom.
JuanCarlosFdezCan't speak as to NS or CSX, but I do know PanAm Railways had 1 or 2 big hooks in service as of a couple of years ago - I saw a wreck train heading through Wells, Maine to clean up a derailment somewhere in their system. The train included of the big hooks. I think there are photos or videos of it around the web.
All you have to do is search You Tube for Pan Am Railways crane. I just did.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
It sounds like CSX doesn't have a big hook anymore (please correct me if I am wrong).
So, does Norfolk Southern have one? Did they have one 2000+?
Kyle It sounds like CSX doesn't have a big hook anymore (please correct me if I am wrong). So, does Norfolk Southern have one? Did they have one 2000+?
Kyle,
When I left NS in 1997 they had one 250 ton derrick at Roanoke and one at Williamson WV. They were the only ones left and they were kept there due to some much of the trackage through Western Virginia and West Virginia was very difficult to acess with off rail cranes. I don't know if they still have them.
1019x Kyle It sounds like CSX doesn't have a big hook anymore (please correct me if I am wrong). So, does Norfolk Southern have one? Did they have one 2000+? Kyle, When I left NS in 1997 they had one 250 ton derrick at Roanoke and one at Williamson WV. They were the only ones left and they were kept there due to some much of the trackage through Western Virginia and West Virginia was very difficult to acess with off rail cranes. I don't know if they still have them. Charlie
Great news, thank you. Having a NS wreck crane in 2000+ wouldn't be so far fetched after all. I am not going to be exactly prototypical involving dates. It would be great if you could post pictures of one of the cranes if you have some. I would really appreciate it.
i worked for the BNRR back in the 80's. I went to many derailments during my stay. Not once did they call out the "Big Hook".
We used contractors to take care of all the major wrecks. We also had our own wrecking crew as well that was fully equipped to handle large wrecks based in Springfield, MO. St. Louis had an RC-60 hi-rail crane that would handle loads of up to 60 tons.
Most of the contractors used two side Cats, one bulldozer and an RC-100 hi-rail crane along with various other misc. stuff. The side Cat was actually an oil pipe laying crane. Someone got a bright to try them on the RRs. They work very well for this purpose.
Len
Hi Kyle, I just drove past the CSX yard in DeWitt, NY TODAY (8/28/14) and they do have a crane in active duty. It is on the MOW track along with a Conrail gondola and a 50' DD boxcar in MOW gray. I think it is a Burro crane (not positive but I think it is), and it is black with lettering I couldn't read from the highway. I'll se if I can dig up anything else.
-Alex
My Layout Photos- http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/ajwarshal/library/
Another side-bar...There's a very large crane at the rr museum in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. I don't know its size, but it's a monster!!! I took some pics but have since changed phones... so they're gone.
Kyle ....It would be great if you could post pictures of one of the cranes if you have some. I would really appreciate it.
I photographed this one in Pennsylvania in 2009. It's no longer in service, as you can see, but appears to be a 200 or 250 ton crane - diesel-powered, but quite possibly converted from steam. The good news is that it's still around (saw it a couple of weeks ago) and is much more visible, with the weeds all cut down. I'll be going back in October, and can take some more photos and perhaps learn a little more about it, if you'd like.
Here's a smaller one at Steam Town...
...and a Tichy one which is quite similar. I modified mine by partially enclosing the cab, in consideration of southern Ontario's snowbelt region, in which my layout is set:
I'm not sure who made this one - Bachmann, perhaps. I picked it up, used, for a couple of bucks, and backdated to steam power by adding a bigger stack and fueling hatches. The idler cars are modified Athearn 50' flatcars:
Wayne
Dr. Wayne ---
Now I'm curious. Just where in Pennsylvania did you find that Big Hook? Any idea who owns it; its history; plans for preservation?
Tom
Tom, that crane is in Newcastle, or, more precisely, Mahoningtown. My good friend and railfanning buddy down that way believes that it's a NYC crane and may have served on the P&LE, which would explain its presence there. He thinks that it may belong to a steel museum in Youngstown. If he comes up with any more info, I'll post it here.
doctorwayne Kyle ....It would be great if you could post pictures of one of the cranes if you have some. I would really appreciate it. I photographed this one in Pennsylvania in 2009. It's no longer in service, as you can see, but appears to be a 200 or 250 ton crane - diesel-powered, but quite possibly converted from steam. The good news is that it's still around (saw it a couple of weeks ago) and is much more visible, with the weeds all cut down. I'll be going back in October, and can take some more photos and perhaps learn a little more about it, if you'd like. Here's a smaller one at Steam Town... ...and a Tichy one which is quite similar. I modified mine by partially enclosing the cab, in consideration of southern Ontario's snowbelt region, in which my layout is set: I'm not sure who made this one - Bachmann, perhaps. I picked it up, used, for a couple of bucks, and backdated to steam power by adding a bigger stack and fueling hatches. The idler cars are modified Athearn 50' flatcars: Wayne
Awesome wreck cranes, you did a great job on both of them. Modelling a wreck crane owned by a museum is a possibility I hadn't thought about, the NC Transportation Museum has an NS wreck crane. I would prefer an active one, but one owned by a museum would work to. Thanks for the idea.
Ok guys. I'm not joking here or pushing anyone's buttons. I was in Ohio on my return trip from NY and in Avery, OH (where I-90 crosses the tracks) on the NS siding there there was a wreck crane. It was at a distance, but I am positive that it was a crane. It was creamsicle color, like the Intersate RR color. So I guess that the answer to the OP's question is YES, there are still wreck cranes in use in the US today.