BR Steam cranes used until?

[Hal Nail]

1 hour ago, craneman said:

Typically a clean Hopwood boiler of the type fitted to a breakdown crane can be lifting the safety valves about 45 minutes after lighting up from cold. In heritage use you would not push a boiler this hard since boiler life is more of a consideration that it was in 'working' days.

 

The other day the 1580 guys arrived a good while after us, raised a fire, turned the crane and lowered the jib well before we pushed off (and possibly before lunch). I would have guessed a couple of hours to raise steam but wasn't sure - sounds about right though from what you've said.

 

They were lowering the jib in the first place so it could be taken to Ropley for repairs to a tube I think, so presumably wasn't firing on all cylinders, so to speak.

 

[Scottish Modeller]

Hi all,

 

I can't find my reference for this but....

 

I seem to recal reading that the last steam cranes in BR service were converted to diesel in the mid 80's.

I think 1985 departmental lists had them as stored prior to conversion.

If I can find my 1986 book - then I can confirm this!

 

Phil H

[Hal Nail]

5 hours ago, Scottish Modeller said:

I seem to recal reading that the last steam cranes in BR service were converted to diesel in the mid 80's.

 

On 11/07/2024 at 12:24, Steven B said:

The last of the Cowans Sheldon 45-tonners were converted to diesel in 1988.

http://www.bdca.org.uk/steamreplaced.html

[rodent279]

20 hours ago, craneman said:

That depends on a number of factors, chiefly the type and condition of the boiler.

 

The great majority of British steam cranes built since c. 1910 have had boilers of the Hopwood type, which due to their design are quick steaming. Typically a clean Hopwood boiler of the type fitted to a breakdown crane can be lifting the safety valves about 45 minutes after lighting up from cold. In heritage use you would not push a boiler this hard since boiler life is more of a consideration that it was in 'working' days.

 

Cranes designers have always faced challenges with boilers due principally to the fact that the diameter and height of the boiler are severely restricted by loading gauge, especially in the UK. Various types have been used, some with success and others without, but the Hopwood type was without question the most successful and ost widely used.

 

The Hopwood boiler was available in a range of sizes for applications throughout industry, with a special type, known as the "squat" type, specifically designed for railway cranes. The Hopwood design is a cross-tube vertical boiler, with a 'nest' of water-filled inclined cross-tubes within the combustion space. The inclination of the tubes results in a high degree of predictable continuous circulation of water in the boiler, and the large number of tubes in the nest provides a very large heating surface for the restricted diameter of the boiler.  

 

The photos below show the Hopwood pattern boiler saved from 1560S when the crane was cut for scrap in 2010. The first photo shows the Hopwood boiler from 1560 (on the left) standing next to a Swindon-built crane boiler most recently fitted to GWR No 2 36-ton crane. One end of the tube nest can ben seen through the manhole door aperture of the Hopwood boiler, there is another manhole on the far side of the boiler for access to the other end. The firehole door can be seen below and to the right of the manhole.  The GWR boiler on the right is a very primitive vertical-fire-tube (VFT) boiler which was built in 1917 for use as a spare for GWR cranes 1, 2, and 3. As noted it survived in GWR No 2 but is in poor condition and its restoration is not economically viable at present, and the boiler from 1560 has been overhauled for use in No 2 instead.

 

The second photo shows the view upwards through the combustion space (i.e., firebox) with the boiler lying on its side, and clearly shows how the tube nest is arranged in the combustion space.

 

The third photo shows the inner firebox after removal from the outer wrapper, and clearly visible are the opening for the firehole door, the holes and ligaments for one end of the tube nest, and the base of the uptake at the top. The foundation ring is also visible at the extreme bottom of the photo. In this case the need to replace all the tubes in the tube nest (of which there are both plain tubes and stay tubes) and to carry out ligament repairs made it sensible to remove the inner firebox from the outer wrapper, it is however theoretically possible to replace the tubes through the manholes.

 

The final photo, by way of contrast, shows the same boiler after overhaul undergoing its statutory hydraulic test prior to steam testing, both tests being completed to the total satisfaction of the independent Boiler Examiner.

 

 

  

 

 

 

Really interesting post, thanks. So they were not quite "available on demand" but not far off. Given that it would take some time to mobilise men etc, I guess if all was ready, fuelled and watered then 45 min is pretty reasonable.  I guess you could be raising steam whilst in transit to a work site?

Edited July 26 by rodent279

[Trigger]

OC steam crane 1977. by John Woolley on flikr

Edited August 30 by Trigger

[Morello Cherry]

For what it is worth the Summer 2023 issue of Watercress Line News has an article on the cranes. p.16-17

While DS 580 has been talked about there are two other steam cranes at the MHR. DS 414 and DS 58 both of which are 10 tonne cranes.

Some comments and quotes from the article.

 

Quote

Although mainline steam ended July 1967, most CCE cranes continued to serve for another 15 years until their final withdrawal 31st December 1981.

 

 

1982 - DS 57,58, 414 and 1997 stored at Eastleigh. A member of the MHR PWay gang also worked at BR PWay convinced MHR to buy a crane.

 

DS 414 bought with DS 58 as a spare parts donor. Able to get original Taylor Hubbard certificates and paperwork for 414 but not for DS 58.

 

DS 414 had boiler work done at Eastleigh before leaving - had to have a boiler test and lifting exam this was done during 1983.

 

DS 414 and DS 58 hauled by 73139 and then 73124 from Eastleigh to Alton.

DS 58 restored to working order in 1989.

 

DS 58 ex-Woking PAD

DS 414 ex-Eastleigh

DS 1580 ex-Exmouth Jnc MPD

Edited September 1 by Morello Cherry

[Covkid]

I started my BR career straight from school in July 1978 at Machynlleth.  As summer gave way to Autumn I learned of the annual engineering campaign on stack and infrastructure.  Saturday evenings under the cover of darkness a pair of class 25s would roll through with the Crewe steam crane, riding vans and about 20 wagons loaded with block stone and a brake.  The operation was at several sites where the railway was close to the sea, one in particular was between Tywyn and Tonfonau.

 

At Tywyn the class 25s were split and the leading loco ran round onto the rear of the train then it went into the possession, to the worksite. The crane was set up and started work, lifting each block off the wagon - generally two blocks on what I think were plate wagons.  After each wagon had been unloaded, the wagon itself was lifted and swung round, then placed on the track at the Tywyn end of the crane, and so on.  Eventually the Barmouth end loco had shoved all the wagons onto the crane and the Tywyn loco had drawn off all the empty wagons.  At completion the train went back into Tywyn station to be reformed with the crane leading back to Crewe.    

[Hal Nail]

On 01/09/2024 at 08:43, Morello Cherry said:

While DS 580 has been talked about there are two other steam cranes at the MHR. DS 414 and DS 58 both of which are 10 tonne cranes.

At Alton this morning:

 

Edited September 4 by Hal Nail

[Michael Hodgson]

On 30/08/2024 at 20:32, Trigger said:

OC steam crane 1977. by John Woolley on flikr

That ladder looks a much easier way into it than the steps fitted to the vehicle itself.  I wonder whether it travelled with the crane in the van with tools, packing etc?

[Trigger]

Not the OC steam crane but it’s replacement 75 ton Cowan and Sheldon on a training exercise somewhere in Wales 😀

Most of the OC crew are in the bottom right photo but not at the same job. Many thanks to Cardiff Breakdown Gang for providing the opportunity 👍

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 08:06 by Trigger
Added info

[russ p]

6 minutes ago, Trigger said:

Not the OC steam crane but it’s replacement 75 ton Cowan and Sheldon on a training exercise somewhere in Wales 😀

Most of the OC crew are in the bottom right photo but not at the same job. Many thanks to Cardiff Breakdown Gang for providing the opportunity 👍

 

 

 

Is that the telejib crane that ended up at Thornaby in late 90s?