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Reversing the drive on a steam crane
http://bdca.org.uk/forumtwo/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=486
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Author:  Graham [ 30 Jul 2017, 10:49 ]
Post subject:  Reversing the drive on a steam crane

I'm planning on building a Meccano model of a steam crane and I was wondering how the drive was reversed. Was the engine run in reverse, like a railway locomotive? Or did the engine always run in the same direction, like a diesel engine, and reverse gear was selected?
I know the answer might seem obvious, but agricultural portable steam engines had fixed valve gear and only ran in one direction. If it was required to reverse the drive to the machine, the belt would be crossed.
As cranes have got gears and selectors to engage the various functions anyway, I wondered if they maybe had one more selector and no reversing valve gear.

Author:  Peter Woad [ 30 Jul 2017, 20:56 ]
Post subject:  Re: Reversing the drive on a steam crane

Graham,all the Breakdown Cranes I drove had reversers like steam engines,the Cowans cranes worked in full gear both ways where the Ransomes could be notched up like a steam engine,this was ideal when raising the jib from flat it saved steam and water.hope this is of help ,P.Woad

Author:  Graham [ 30 Jul 2017, 22:33 ]
Post subject:  Re: Reversing the drive on a steam crane

Thanks Peter, I thought that would be the case.

Author:  Pinedo [ 17 Jan 2018, 17:16 ]
Post subject:  Re: Reversing the drive on a steam crane

I didn't know that, Peter. That's quite an ingenious design. When did they start implementing this?

Author:  Roger Cooke [ 17 Jan 2018, 20:56 ]
Post subject:  Re: Reversing the drive on a steam crane

My 1908 Ransomes crane can be notched up, so it was either right from the start or at least from the turn of the century. As far as I know my crane is the oldest surviving R&R steam crane in the world, so we may never learn if earlier cranes had this feature.

Roger.

Author:  Roger Cooke [ 22 Jan 2018, 18:04 ]
Post subject:  Re: Reversing the drive on a steam crane

Chris C has brought to my attention that fact that my crane is not the oldest surviving R&R crane, and that the Western Australian Railway Museum has an 1896/7, 6 wheel 10 ton R&R with vertical cylinders, Work No B773, which almost certainly is the oldest R&R crane (well, until proven otherwise, at any rate)!

He has attempted to contact the museum to find out if this crane has selectable or fixed cut-off.

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