A steam crane is a crane powered by a steam engine. It may be fixed or mobile and, if mobile, it may run on rail tracks, caterpillar tracks, road wheels, or be mounted on a barge. It usually has a vertical boiler placed at the back so that the weight of the boiler counterbalances the weight of the jib and load.
They were very common as railway breakdown cranes, and several have been preserved on heritage railways in the United Kingdom.
Manufacturers
Black Hawthorn of Gateshead (unrestored example at Beamish Museum
Joseph Booth & Bros of Leeds
Coles Cranes of Derby (restored example at Beamish Museum) Cowans, Sheldon & Company of Carlisle (rail cranes) Craven Brothers William Fairbairn & Sons of Manchester Ransomes & Rapier of Ipswich Ruston Proctor of Lincoln Stothert & Pitt of Bath Thomas Smith & Sons (Rodley) Ltd. of Leeds
See also
Crane
Crane (railroad) Crane tank Fairbairn steam crane Steam engine Steam shovel
References
See external links
External links
Steam cranes inc. Ransomes & Rapier
Cowans & Sheldon steam crane
Nine Elms steam crane
Ransomes & Rapier wartime-ordered 45-ton Steam Breakdown Cranes
Cowans Sheldon 15-ton Steam Cranes
Model steam crane
Cranes (machines) Crane