Jim D
Senior Member
(Is steam train stuff OK on Heavy Equipment Forum? It's a crane!)
Last month, I went out to Ely Nevada to the Northern Nevada Railway, to see one of the live steam weekends. They had out their more-than 100 year old, 100 ton, wrecking crane.
It was built by Industrial Works of Bay City Michigan in 1907.
Several things struck me:
At the turn of the 20th century, a crane operator wasn't expected to have a need to see anything. Looking ahead, the only thing the operator sees is gears and ropes on the drums.
Cabin heating was excellent, there was a boiler and firebox in the cabin.
Work happened very slowly, with these old cranes. I've seen steam shovels and early diesel powered cable shovels and cranes, and those had engines that ran continuously to power the machine; the operator clutched and braked a function or two at a time. This steam crane has a throttle and reverse-er to start and stop the engine each time it is needed. The engine power drive to the line drums, the boom drum and the swing gear are shifted-gears, in or out, shifted when the engine is stopped. The swing and drums brakes are hand screws with iron wheels as large as any steering wheel. The operator has to set a brake, stop and center the engine, shift gears, throttle against the anticipated load, and let off the brake to start the next operation. The demonstration was lifting and lowering a rail car, so the car had to go back down on to the rails. The spotter had to get the pick set-up just right. So there was a good bit of to-ing and fro-ing to get it swung and boomed to the exact spot. It made me think that in the old days, the operator and his spotter would have to have been very good mates.
View attachment 100467View attachment 100468View attachment 100469
Last month, I went out to Ely Nevada to the Northern Nevada Railway, to see one of the live steam weekends. They had out their more-than 100 year old, 100 ton, wrecking crane.
It was built by Industrial Works of Bay City Michigan in 1907.
Several things struck me:
At the turn of the 20th century, a crane operator wasn't expected to have a need to see anything. Looking ahead, the only thing the operator sees is gears and ropes on the drums.
Cabin heating was excellent, there was a boiler and firebox in the cabin.
Work happened very slowly, with these old cranes. I've seen steam shovels and early diesel powered cable shovels and cranes, and those had engines that ran continuously to power the machine; the operator clutched and braked a function or two at a time. This steam crane has a throttle and reverse-er to start and stop the engine each time it is needed. The engine power drive to the line drums, the boom drum and the swing gear are shifted-gears, in or out, shifted when the engine is stopped. The swing and drums brakes are hand screws with iron wheels as large as any steering wheel. The operator has to set a brake, stop and center the engine, shift gears, throttle against the anticipated load, and let off the brake to start the next operation. The demonstration was lifting and lowering a rail car, so the car had to go back down on to the rails. The spotter had to get the pick set-up just right. So there was a good bit of to-ing and fro-ing to get it swung and boomed to the exact spot. It made me think that in the old days, the operator and his spotter would have to have been very good mates.
View attachment 100467View attachment 100468View attachment 100469
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