I bought this railway crane for scrap metal

[ichudov]

Bought this crane. It is a Wellman 40 ton railway crane. Here are some links

Auction

https://ibid.illinois.gov/item.php?id=380473

Webpage about a similar crane:

http://www.oil-electric.com/2015/12/wellman-diesel-electric-locomotive-crane.html

I will bring my own RT crane to take it apart. There is an access road nearby so I can bring my crane, bobcat on my lowboy.

The crane has a Detroit engine. It most likely has a concrete counterweight in the back and I wonder what the counterweight might weigh.

 

[td25c]

That's a nice find !

That would make an awesome yard crane for someone .

 

[ichudov]

It is probably beyond repair. I have no plans to sell it, I will simply torch it down for scrap. I will try to salvage the Detroit if the engine turns. Detroits generally can be sold.

 

[crane operator]

I doubt that it has anything other than the small counterweight you can see just below the door on the rear of the crane. Those rigs don't have much boom, and wouldn't need much counterweight. There will be more weight in the trucks than the counterweight, and that acts like counterweight for the crane.

 

[ichudov]

Thanks. Do you think that it could really weigh 90 short tons? (with the counterweight in)

 

[crane operator]

25,000lbs apiece for the trucks, 30 for the deck, 40 for the upper. I'm guessing at 100- 120,000, but its kind of hard to get physical size without being up next to it. Is the house the size of a 4100 or more like a 50 ton american? Makes a big difference on weight. I could see the deck being ballasted, more likely than counterweight in the house.

 

[thepumpguysc]

That's pretty KOOL..
Yes, save the engine if you can.. the 2 cycle parts are getting RARE.. We had a disclaimer on the 2 cycle parts order. NO REFUNDS.. because they were "special orders".. the restocking fee from our vendor was CRAZY expensive.. so no refunds..

 

[Junkyard]

What motor is in it? I’m always looking to add another green leaker to my collection.....

 

[ichudov]

I forgot to check, I will report on the detroit engine when I get to start dismantling it.

 

[td25c]

Looks like a 6-71 .

https://ibid.illinois.gov/item.php?id=380473#

 

[crane operator]

You're in luck, I did some reading in the links you posted- that's not just a crane upper on a flat car lower, its probably a self propelled locomotive/ engine . So its going to have a big traction motor down below and electric generators up above- heavy copper. The generators are probably worth something, maybe the traction motor in the lower deck also. It would be worth looking into, I know there's a used market for the trucks and traction motors, I just don't know what they would be worth, or if it would be worth holding onto them hoping to find that right "buyer".

I did see one picture where someone removed the crane and was just using it as a switcher engine. The right grain elevator would maybe be interested in it just to move cars around. If it still works.

 

[td25c]

That was my next question crane op . Is it self propelled ?

Sure looks like a generator mounted to the Detroit bellhousing . Similar to a WABCO setup .

 

[mowingman]

I would not cut that up just yet. You should contact American & Ohio Locomotive Crane Company, and see if they are interested in it. They buy and refurbish locomotive cranes. www.aolcrane.com

 

[Junkyard]

There’s also a guy here in Oklahoma that buys and sells old railroad equipment. I’ll see if I can scrounge up his info.

 

[crane operator]

Read a little closer that whole article, that was a DE-300 at 180,000lbs. Its actually a diesel over electric crane, they also made mechanical versions after being bought by american, but yours should all be electric.

Yours is also bigger than the one in the article. I don't know where he got his weight figures. I couldn't find any better specs. My first call would be to the link that mowingman gave. Looks like they totally rebuild them. I'm sure they will give you a weight.

And it is self propelled. And it would be a shame to cut it up for scrap, but someone has to have a use for it in order to keep it running.

 

[ichudov]

Thanks. It is all electric, meaning that there is a 500 volt generator attached to the motor, and the trucks have electric propulsion in them. I am guessing that the propulsion motor is as big as the generator, and that the crane hoist motors are also about as big as the generator.

 

[ichudov]

I found a brochure for this crane!

https://www.aolcrane.com/ohiocrane.html

It says that "working weight" is 241,400 lbs. Does "working weight" include the crane and maximum load? Or just crane with fuel and water?

Thanks

 

[td25c]

Sure wish I could be there in the morning when Chudov shows up with new batteries & fuel to fire the rig up .

 

[crane operator]

Working weight wouldn't include load. It must be a big ba$tr* up close. Looks like they have two traction motors in it also.

Nice brochure. I would think it would be worth more together, or at least as parts than as scrap. I know the traction motors and trucks are expensive from the ones I've been around.

 

[ichudov]

td25c, you are reading my mind, I definitely want to do that and will do that!!!

This crane belonged to MWRD (Metropolitan water reclamation district) all its life.

There is a good chance that it is a low hours crane. The job of MWRD is mostly to dry out fermentated cr@p and sewage and it is not ina railroad or steel scrap business - unlikely to use the railway crane heavily.