Cowans Sheldon 30-ton steam crane RS 1087
Steam Crane
RS 1087 is a 30-ton steam crane was built by Cowans Sheldon of Carlisle in 1960[1][2]. It was formerly used at BRBritish Rail or British Railways's Chester West MPDMotive Power Depot, and was acquired by the SVRSevern Valley Railway in 1977.
It is currently believed that the crane still existing on the SVRSevern Valley Railway is RS 1087, but carrying the number RS 1091, which formerly belonged to another crane owned by the SVRSevern Valley Railway, which was cut up in 2010. The crane at Bridgnorth bears a manufacturer's plate showing Works No 60 of 1960 which is consistent with RS 1087 (RS 1091 was Works No 65 of 1960).
Crane Runner
Each Crane was paired with a Cowans Sheldon 4-wheeled Crane Jib Runner, respectively numbered BRBritish Rail or British Railways DB 998520 and DB 998524.
DB 998520 arrived with RS 1087 in August 1983 from the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. DB 998524 arrived with RS 1091 in June 1977 from Chester. The Railway Heritage Register Wagon Survey states that both crane runners was inspected in February 2013. It is therefore likely that the crane runner on the steam crane in service is BRBritish Rail or British Railways DB 998520, although it does not carry a makers plate to confirm this.
Sources
Railway Heritage Register Wagon Survey
SVRSevern Valley Railway Stock Book Ninth Edition
Links
Crane ADB RS 1087/30 on vintagecarriagestrust.org
Crane ADB RS 1091/30 on vintagecarriagestrust.org
Jib Runner 998520 on vintagecarriagestrust.org
Jib Runner 998524 on vintagecarriagestrust.org