bdca.org.uk
http://bdca.org.uk/forumtwo/

Craven Bros 1912 Breakdown Crane presently stored in Belgium
http://bdca.org.uk/forumtwo/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=205
Page 1 of 2

Author:  Chris Capewell [ 14 Jul 2012, 15:37 ]
Post subject:  Craven Bros 1912 Breakdown Crane presently stored in Belgium

The rollling stock and small items at the Museum store at Leuven depot appears to be being disposed of, mainly to interested third parties. I am not aware of any public pronouncement; so I assume communications are between the museum authorities and preservation groups in country, and possibly in the Netherlands.
Some will go to the proposed ( but not funded? ) museum at Schaerbeek, but that building as planned is not big enough for the whole collection.

There is a fear that items could be scrapped if homes are not forthcoming. They scrapped a Stothert and Pitt BDC in 2000; and transferred a Cowans Sheldon 20 tonner to a Dutch site a few years ago.

The breakdown crane is an ex North Eastern Railway machine requisitioned by the military in WW1.

No.310/04 Steam 35T 2-6-2W Cravens C.9372/1912
Ex NER CME16, ex Army no.???, Steam, 35T, 2-6-2W ,Cravens C.9372 of 1912 for the NER, requisitioned from Gateshead by the War Office 1914, this later became SNCB no. 310/04, stated as Cravens 1912, and retired from WDT Kinkempois in 1985.


There is also a Scottish built machine.
No.330/87 Steam 4T 4W George Russell ?/1920

And another small steam crane, a hand crane and a crane tank. None British built.

Author:  Chris Capewell [ 03 Nov 2012, 16:19 ]
Post subject:  Re: Craven Bros 1912 Breakdown Crane presently stored in Bel

Belgian Craven Bros 1912

The SNCB reserve collection store at Leuven depot is being closed as the site is to be redeveloped as a station car park. The exhibits are being redistributed across Belgium. This 1912 Craven Bros. 35 ton steam breakdown crane which was delivered to the NER and requisitioned from Gateshead depot in 1914 is to go to the old Wagon Lit ( CIWL ) works at Ostend. This is initially for storage, but it may hopefully be developed as a museum.
It was Craven Bros. works no. C 9372 and SNCB 310/04; latterly based at Kinkempois, being withdrawn in 1985.
Scans courtesy Colin Miell and taken in June 2012.

Attachments:
File comment: SNCB Craven Bros 1912 at Leuven 2012
SNCB Craven Bros 1912 cCM 1.jpg
SNCB Craven Bros 1912 cCM 1.jpg [ 88.19 KiB | Viewed 48393 times ]
File comment: SNCB Craven Bros 1912
SNCB Craven Bros 1912 cCM 0.jpg
SNCB Craven Bros 1912 cCM 0.jpg [ 98.86 KiB | Viewed 48393 times ]

Author:  Chris Capewell [ 06 Nov 2012, 16:11 ]
Post subject:  Re: Craven Bros 1912 Breakdown Crane presently stored in Bel

Cravens Bros 35 ton breakdown crane in ROD service at Tournai ca. 1918.

c. BRA

Attachments:
Craven Bros in WD service post Great War.jpg
Craven Bros in WD service post Great War.jpg [ 44.91 KiB | Viewed 48381 times ]

Author:  Chris Capewell [ 14 Nov 2012, 16:41 ]
Post subject:  Re: Craven Bros 1912 Breakdown Crane presently stored in Bel

Apart from the NER 35 ton machine; Craven Bros. built another for the War Office, and Cowans Sheldon also built similar machines: one for the Belgian Commission Internationale de Ravitaillerment, one for the War Office and one for the Russian Government.
It is uncertain but probable that the latter was delivered to Russia prior to the 1917 Revolution closing down such exports.
A total of five such machines.
Two Craven Bros. pattern machines served post WW2 with the SNCB, one CS with the DR/DB ( probably removed from Belgium by the Wehrmacht General der Pioniere during WW2, and latterly dieselised by DB ) and one CS was at Shoeburyness P&EE prior to being sold to a Sunderland dry-dock firm.
As for the Russian one?, who knows?
A truly amazing class of breakdown cranes?!

Author:  Bryan Blundell [ 14 Nov 2012, 18:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: Craven Bros 1912 Breakdown Crane presently stored in Bel

Did any others survive?
Or do we know any detail as to fate?

Author:  Chris Capewell [ 15 Nov 2012, 15:40 ]
Post subject:  Re: Craven Bros 1912 Breakdown Crane presently stored in Bel

The only survivor of the four is the one in Belgium.
The other SNCB was scrapped in the 1990s; the DB one in the late 1960s.

( The Russian one !!???? )

This is the Cowans Sheldon machine, nicknamed variously ‘Black Prince’ and ‘Hood’ whilst at Shoeburyness, here photographed at the River Wear Commissioners, Sunderland in the 1960s. It was offered to the then nascent Beamish Museum but was refused as being not of sufficient local connection.
And therefore scrapped.
Photo John S Brownlie; collection CRC

Attachments:
CS Black Prince Sunderland cJSB.JPG
CS Black Prince Sunderland cJSB.JPG [ 186.48 KiB | Viewed 48328 times ]

Author:  Chris Capewell [ 15 Dec 2012, 15:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: Craven Bros 1912 Breakdown Crane presently stored in Bel

This is the ex SNCB Cowans Sheldon machine that passed to DB as Nur.6602; withdrawn late 60s. It was withdrawn in front of the Russian advance from its then base in the east.

Note thet my understanding that it was converted to diesel power was incorrect.

Scan courtesy collection of TA


ps The Wehrmacht also took two Tubize built machines that the ordering railway had refused to take delivery of. Both survived into DB service having been retreated in front of the Russian advance from their then bases in Poland.
They had a curious wheel arrangement - two bogies - one six wheeled; and one eight wheeled with six of the wheels coupled and balanced. How the drive was arranged I have yet to discover.

Attachments:
CS as DB 6602.jpg
CS as DB 6602.jpg [ 34.3 KiB | Viewed 48175 times ]

Author:  Chris Capewell [ 18 Nov 2014, 13:34 ]
Post subject:  Re: Craven Bros 1912 Breakdown Crane presently stored in Bel

The ex NER 1912 Cravens steam crane from the Belgian national collection has arrived at the Maldegem Steam Centre in April 2014 for a cosmetic restoration ready for display at the new National Railway Museum due to open in Schaerbeek next May ( 2015 ).
( http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/cra ... tm#Belgium )

Author:  Chris Capewell [ 07 May 2015, 12:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: Craven Bros 1912 Breakdown Crane presently stored in Bel

Restoration prior to placing in the new museum at Schaerbeek is proceeding.

See three recent photos at....
http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/cra ... tm#Belgium

Author:  Bryan Blundell [ 08 May 2015, 18:06 ]
Post subject:  Re: Craven Bros 1912 Breakdown Crane presently stored in Bel

Looking through the Wiki piece on this beast through the link on your post.
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplodocus_(chemin_de_fer)#/media/File:Diplodocus-5%C3%A8-G%C3%A9nie.jpg

How did this thing work?
Can both jibs rotate / Slew? Or are they designed for in line work only?

Page 1 of 2 All times are UTC [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
https://www.phpbb.com/