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PostPosted: 27 Mar 2013, 19:05 
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Joined: 26 Dec 2010, 19:06
Posts: 262
Ok we all know of certain members' abilities in identifying a crane by a piece of pipe.
(Steam Crane at Waterloo)
Now this week's challenge is this-
http://railway-photography.smugmug.com/ ... G&lb=1&s=A

Photo 9 of 24 in a collection of photos of Swindon works scrap line
No date given.

_________________
Bryan

http://www.nymr-pway.co.uk/


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PostPosted: 27 Mar 2013, 20:32 
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Joined: 15 Dec 2010, 22:30
Posts: 298
Location: North Cambridgeshire, UK
Bryan, that's a good spot. I probably would not even have noticed the crane when going through those photos!

The angle of the cylinder and the shape of the water tank point to it being a Cowans Sheldon from around the turn of the 19th/20th century. It has several characteristics of their swan-necked 15-tonners, however the position of the handrail behind the cylinder cross-head suggests it is a 20-tonner of which two were provided to the GWR in 1903 and given numbers 4 and 5.

Both the 20-tonners spent time at Swindon and both were withdrawn in 1965 so it is difficult to decide which this one is. However Peter Tatlow, in his Volume 1, lists the allocation of No. 5 as "Swindon Wks 13/8/36-10/60" so I'd guess that the one in the picture is GWR No. 5.

Oh, I forgot to check the shape of the brake pipe! ;)


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PostPosted: 28 Mar 2013, 11:34 
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Joined: 23 Dec 2010, 00:07
Posts: 384
Location: Poole, Dorset
Sorry David, but a good try!

It's CS 20-ton crane Works Number 2545T, built for the L&Y Railway in 1902.

Transferred to from BR(M) to BR(W) whilst at Gloucester in 1952, broken up at Swindon in 1971.

Running numbers 2231, RS1062/20, BR(W)25

Identifiable as a standard 20-tonner (as opposed to standard 15-tonner) by the upsweep on the bottom of the leading portion of the water tank. Identifiable as 25 because it was the only crane from that epoch to receive a yellow tank with black stripes. Note also the single spoked handbrake wheel on LHS of carriage (GWR 4 and 5 seem to have had disc handwheels for both handbrake and travelling clutch operation on LHS, but I am not sure how reliable this is for identification since I have only just noticed it - needs further research).

See also photo P88 Tatlow Vol 1.

And not a brake pipe to be seen, you cheeky lot! :D

Next challenge please!


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PostPosted: 28 Mar 2013, 16:58 
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Joined: 15 Dec 2010, 22:30
Posts: 298
Location: North Cambridgeshire, UK
Must admit I wasn't too sure, the weather-worn wasp stripes on the tank seeming a bit odd for a crane withdrawn as early as 1965. Hence I hedged my bets with the words "suggests" and "guess" rather than "positively identifiable". My mistake was in checking only against cranes supplied new to the GWR, forgetting that they commonly transferred between regions.

I wasn't aware of the difference in the leading portion of the water tank between the 15 and 20-tonners but believe the location of the handrail differs as well (at least it does in the photos I've looked at). It passes behind the crosshead on the 20-tonners but is above the crosshead on the 15-tonners.

My apprenticeship continues!


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PostPosted: 28 Mar 2013, 17:08 
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Joined: 23 Dec 2010, 00:07
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Location: Poole, Dorset
David, I wasn't being critical! To be honest the photo on p.88 of Peter's first volume makes it easy. I wish I'd looked there first instead of sleuthing from first principles!

Roger


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PostPosted: 28 Mar 2013, 18:00 
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Joined: 15 Dec 2010, 22:30
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Location: North Cambridgeshire, UK
Roger Cooke wrote:
David, I wasn't being critical!

I know, but I thought I'd make my excuses anyway!

I'm really not as observant as I should be. I still recall bringing your attention to a photo of a mother and child standing on the level crossing at Hixon shortly after the train/transformer collision that is related on the BDCA website (and now also in Peter's Volume 2). You not only spotted an overturned breakdown crane in the distance but also identified it as a CS 75-tonner. I struggled even to see the crane, let alone identify it from a feeble part-view of the rear end!


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