The 250 Ton Industrial Brownhoist Crane was a staple of Lionel, and American Flyer train sets in the 1950s and 1960s.
My questions [ Sparked by Andy Inserra’s note about the 150ton crane at MTM in Minnesota]. How many of them were made ? I do not think I have ever seen any photos of them, in use or in transit, or even stored. In fact in the Memphis area, the only crane in the Memphis was one on the Southern, a small steam crane, it would apper to be similar in size to the 150ton BN crane shown in the MTM pictures, except it was steam powered. The Southern’s crane had a couple of cars with it, flats for equipment and a caboose; whe whole outfit was kept by the car repair shed and roundhouse area of Forrest Yard in Memphis. I saw it moving some track pannels at the yard one time, and it was borrowed by the Mop and Frisco a couple of times that I saw. I don’t know if it is still there, or has been replaced. For some years Hulcher Services has had equipment in the Memphis area to respond, so I guess the dedicated equipment on the rails has been outsourced, as so much of other acrtivities have been.
Pretty impressive to see one of those babies lift an SD-45 in a sling — the ENTIRE locomotive — and set it back on its trucks. Too bad this was done at night - no pictures.
