View source for Cowans Sheldon 30-ton steam crane

[[File:30t crane.jpg|thumb|300px|right| BR Cowans Sheldon Crane and Jib Runner]]
The SVR is home to a '''30-ton breakdown steam''' crane built by Cowans Sheldon of Carlisle in 1960. A second crane of the same type was also present on the SVR for some years but later scrapped. The two cranes and jib runners originally acquired by the SVR were:
*'''RS 1091/30''' (later BR Departmental number ADM 1091/30), paired with Cowans Sheldon 4-wheeled Crane Jib Runner numbered BR '''DB 998524'''.<ref name=SB8>SVR Stock Book Eighth Edition, February 1990</ref>
*'''RS 1087/30''' (later BR Departmental number ADM 1087/30), paired with Cowans Sheldon 4-wheeled Crane Jib Runner numbered BR '''DB 998520'''.<ref name=SB8/>

Both were part of a batch of eight such breakdown cranes, each of which was fitted with a Spencer Hopwood boiler, working at a pressure of 150psi, which provided steam for self-propulsion and steam braking when working independently. The steam also provided the power for lifting loads up to 30 tons, using hydraulically powered control gear. 1,000 gallons of water were carried. The crane could be towed at up to 60 mph when travelling to attend breakdowns and accidents, and was vacuum braked for that purpose. Each crane was paired with a 'jib runner'<ref name=SB9>SVR Stock Book Ninth Edition, June 1998</ref>.

==RS 1091 in service and preservation==
RS 1091/30, Cowans Sheldon works number 65 of 1960, was allocated to Chester West. It was later given BR Departmental number ADM 1091/30. 

By 1997 the largest steam crane in use on the SVR was the [[Smiths, Rodley DW35 6-ton steam crane]] 'Toby Jiblets' which was mainly used for P-Way work. Larger lifts such as such as locomotive frames and boilers or civil engineering projects required the use of hired cranes, so the opportunity was taken in that year to acquire a 30 ton crane from BR to reduce the spend on hire charges.<ref>SVR News 44, Summer 1977, ''Boardroom Notes''</ref> RS 1091 arrived from Chester in June 1977, paired with a Cowans Sheldon 4-wheeled Crane Jib Runner numbered BR DB 998524. After being fitted with new chains, it was quickly put into use at Bridgnorth; by the following summer the Locomotive Department reported that "''This crane is probably the best purchase the Company has made, and has now easily paid for itself by making possible the avoidance of hire charges for road cranes, the only alternative.''"<ref>SVR News 48</ref>

Some of the major civil engineering projects involving the steam crane(s) included:
*Removal for refurbishment and re-instatement of the [[Cleobury Road Bridge]] in winter 1978-79.<ref>SVR News 51</ref>
*Installation of the [[Highley#Water tower|water column at Highley]] in 1981
*Installation of [[Bridgnorth Bypass Bridge]] in 1983
*Removal (for refurbishment) and re-instatement of the [[Underbridge at Hampton Loade]] in 1995 and the [[Underbridge on Station Road, Highley]] in 1996<ref>SVR News 115, 119, 120</ref>
*Removal and reinstallation of [[Bridgnorth Station Footbridge]] in 2004<ref>SVR News 146, 147</ref>
*Installation of [[Highley Station Footbridge]] in October 2009
*Repairs to the [[Accommodation bridge near Severn Lodge]] in 2018
*Removal of the old water pipes from the [[Elan Valley Aqueduct]] in 2018
*Removal and replacement of signal posts such as the [[Bewdley South signal box#Signalling controlled from the Box|Bewdley South Down Inner Home bracket]] in 2020
*Removal of the old water tank at [[Eardington]] in April 2021

<gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">
BR_1087_30_20150307.jpg | The crane at Bridgnorth (2015)
BR_1087_30_20180714.jpg|Lifting the boiler from [[2047]] at Bridgnorth, July 2018
Eardington Lift Chris Bond.jpg|The old water tank at Eardington is removed (Chris Bond)
</gallery>

The crane carries the painted number ADM/1091 on its upper works. However the running gear carries the manufacturer's plate with works number 60, originally allocated to RS 1087. It is therefore not certain whether the running gear of the two cranes was swapped at some point prior to one being scrapped. The crane runner on the steam crane in service carries the painted number BR DB 998524, although it does not carry a maker's plate to confirm this. 

<gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">
BR_1087_30_20150322.jpg |Manufacturer's plate (bottom left) showing Works No 60 of 1960 (2015)
</gallery>

Since the acquisition of the Steam Crane, the [[Bridgnorth Loco Works#Boiler shop|Bridgnorth boiler shop]] was equipped with an overhead gantry crane from opening in 1989, and the [[Bridgnorth Loco Works|Bridgnorth loco works building]] with a smaller gantry crane in 2022, both being able to carry out tasks formerly done by the steam crane. The steam crane's boiler certificate will expire in 2024.

==RS 1087 in service and preservation==
RS 1087/30, works number 60 of 1960 was allocated to Hellifield until 1977, and was later given BR Departmental number ADM 1087/30. It was acquired from the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, arriving from Haworth on 15 August 1982. At the time it was intended to assist with the construction of the [[Bridgnorth Bypass Bridge]], although it was ultimately not used on that project, the work being carried out by RS 1091 assisted by 'Toby Jiblets'.<ref name=SB8/>

The stock book published in 1990 noted that "''One crane is stationed permanently at Bridgnorth at the disposal of the boilersmiths, while the other is free to perform tasks down the line as required. Both have recently received boiler overhauls, although 1087/30 has yet to be re-assembled fully.''"<ref name=SB8/> The comment that 1087/30 had still not been fully re-assembled was repeated in the stock book published in 1998,<ref name=SB9/> although in the intervening period a report in SVR News noted that the 'Hellifield crane' was steamed in early 1995 and used to lift the girders of the [[Underbridge at Hampton Loade]] in 1995 (see above).

In autumn 2008 the SVR Board agreed to dispose of "''…(the unserviceable) one of the two 30 ton steam cranes.''"<ref>SVR News 163, Autumn 2008, ''Boardroom Notes''</ref> Having been unsuccessfully advertised for sale, it was cut up for scrap at Bridgnorth in August 2010 with certain parts (including the crane runner) being retained for spares.<ref>[https://forum.svr-online.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=1689 SVR-Online forum 2010 thread] (broken link)</ref> Reports in SVR News stated that the scrapped crane was the one acquired from the Worth Valley, ie RS 1087,<ref name=SVR226>SVR News 226, Summer 2024, Carriage notes pp. 44-45.</ref> although as noted above its works number is now carried on the running gear of the SVR's remaining crane.

In early 2024 the SVR began a contract job at [[Carriage Repair Works|Kidderminster Carriage Works]] to convert a former BR 'TUBE' wagon into a rail-mounted survey vehicle for use in a Birmingham University science project. This vehicle having proved unsuitable, the SVR offered the spare crane jib runner for RS 1091/30, DB 998520 in its place. By April 2024 alterations had been carried out and it had been repainted bright yellow. Work to add the required structures then began,<ref name=SVR226/> and was still in progress during the [[Members & Shareholders Weekend#2024_Supporters.E2.80.99_Day|Supporters’ Day]] in June 2024. 

<gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">
Crane_Runner_DB998520_20240621.jpg|Crane runner DB 998520
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Other rolling stock | List of other rolling stock on the SVR]]

==References==
<references />

==Links==
*[http://www.ws.rhrp.org.uk/ws/WagonInfo.asp?Ref=7449 Crane ADB RS 1087/30 on Railway Heritage Register On-Line]
*[http://www.ws.rhrp.org.uk/ws/WagonInfo.asp?Ref=7476 Crane ADB RS 1091/30 on Railway Heritage Register On-Line]
*[http://www.ws.rhrp.org.uk/ws/WagonInfo.asp?Ref=7450 Jib Runner 998520 on Railway Heritage Register On-Line]
*[http://www.ws.rhrp.org.uk/ws/WagonInfo.asp?Ref=7477 Jib Runner 998524 on Railway Heritage Register On-Line]

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