Bucyrus steam crane

[hoppercar]

Ok, after finishing up my latest steam locomotive...I've been thinking about a new steam project to get my teeth into this winter?...for a while now, I've been thinking about a bucyrus Erie railroad wreck crane. Does any one out there in chaski have any leads, or information, where a person could find, drawings, specifications, elevation views...anything would be helpful......building the boiler is no problem, guess I'm mostly interested in the machinery...winches, drums, clutches...etc, etc.......sure you know what I mean....any leads would be appreciated...thanks

[k4kfh]

You could probably get a general idea of the mechanisms from somewhere like the Cumbres and Toltec that restores old equipment like that. They have a rotary snowplow and a piledriver, I believe they may have a crane as well.

[STRR]

Go to the Grand Scale section and visit this link (if this works)

http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/vie ... ne#p398865

A little larger than you want but he found the plans somewhere and might be willing to share with you. This one is MASSIVE and TOTALLY AWESOME!!!

Terry

[ERIE S-1 BERKSHIRES]

I don't know if Williams bought the crane blueprints but I know they bought Plymouth locomotive blueprints

[Greg_Lewis]

How about a construction series by the late master builder Bob Reedy, beginning in the Jan/Feb issue of Live Steam?

[Glenn Brooks]

There may also be a older thread here on Chaski regarding building a crane - or at least searching for cranes and derricks. Maybe 3-4 years ago.

I looked around earlier this year and couldn’t find much. Some photos here and there, but that was all.
Glenn

[RET]

Hi Hoppercar,

Just for clarification, are you talking about the 250 ton capacity Bucyrus Erie "Big Hook?" If you Google "Railroad wrecking cranes," you will find quite a few pictures. It seems that Bucyrus Erie made them for a number of railroads. Like all cranes, full rated capacity is only achieved when the lift is as close to the crane as possible and with all the outriggers in place.

Also if you are interested, back in the 50's and 60's Lionel had a model of one of these complete with the associated equipment car. I have the crane, but not the equipment car that belongs with it. The Lionel crane has hand cranks to make it work and enough detail to make it look convincing.

Just in case you are interested.

Richard Trounce.

[NP317]

Hoppercar:
Where are you located? I looked at your posted info and did not see that.
Asking because there are various RR wrecking cranes in USA museums that could be visited.
~RN

[Steamchris]

Hey Hoppercar,

i like your choice of project....a very skillfull guy in Italy build a very good big boy and an awesone crane...mayby you can get in contact with him,he speaks perfectly english .... have a look...

https://youtu.be/uS3HboA4gRQ

All the best
Chris

[Mark Landgraf]

Hoppercar,

A Bucyrus Erie 250 crane certainly isn't the easiest design or the easiest construction. A deceased gentleman in Akron OH did build an 1½ scale working model. That model was sold to Howard Gorin in the Walham Mass area about 5 years ago.

The gentleman from Akron had acquired the factory drawings and then created the model drawings. Howard got the model and the drawings with the purchase. I scanned the almost 600 drawings (12 gigs) that came with it. Some are factory drawings and some are CAD drawings for the working model.

There are only two preserved cranes. One is at Sacramento at CSRM and the other is in a rr museum in OH along the shores of Lake Erie.
A couple years ago, there was a 3-4 part article in Live Steam about a west coast guy (also dead) that had built his based on measurements and photos taken at CSRM.

Hoppercar, if you are interested in these drawings, please contact me off list at:
mark_landgraf at yahoo dot com

Personally speaking, a Brownhoist would be a lot easier to build.

Mark Landgraf
Albany NY

[Comstock-Friend]

Not a Bucyrus Erie but a Industrial Works of Bay City, Michigan in 1907 (construction number 1789) at the Nevada Northern at Ely. Lots of pics on the 'net and a very attractive crane. Great place to go and make your own measurements...

John

[ERIE S-1 BERKSHIRES]

Mark the gentleman you're speaking of Was Daryl craft he was from Canton Ohio,and he was a good friend of mine