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Author Topic: Old Steam Meets New Diesels  (Read 2232 times)

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Ron Marquardt

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Old Steam Meets New Diesels
« on: July 18, 2012, 08:15:40 pm »
Ran across this very unusual photo while doing some scanning today, and thought I'd share it with everyone.  The time period when Monon steam and diesels overlapped was short, perhaps only 16 or 18 months, and that makes this photo, and the circumstances surrounding it, very rare indeed.  The washout derailment at Fogg on 7-13-47, coming on the heels of the Ash Grove wreck, left the Monon extremely short of power, and on this day, two steam locomotives were being used with two steam wreckers to wench a set of new diesels out of the mud.  Amazing.

/Ron
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Tom Kepshire

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Re: Old Steam Meets New Diesels
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2012, 08:43:22 pm »
Extraordinary Photo Ron. Really nice. Thanks for posting it.
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Eric Reinert

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Re: Old Steam Meets New Diesels
« Reply #2 on: July 19, 2012, 10:09:30 pm »
That is amazing Ron, I've never seen any Monon photo quite like it. Thanks for posting it.
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Eric Reinert

Gene Remaly

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Re: Old Steam Meets New Diesels
« Reply #3 on: July 20, 2012, 07:04:20 am »
Ron

The mark of a good crane ,derrick, operator is being able to feel how much the machine will pick before tipping over. This photo shows two major things that lessen the capacity of the machine. He is lifting off center and dragging tho load to the crane. Notice the back end has raised several inches. Load limits are based on the machine being level and lifting over the end of the carriage. and the distance from the center pin to the hook.
The way the lifting block is rigged determines the hoist speed and mechanical advantage rather crane capacity.

I have seen them tie onto wreckage in the pile and have the engine back'em up to pull it out.  Here is when the skill factor over rides the load limit factor.

After the derailment in 1971 at Rossville, the steam derrick and a 65 ton mobile crane from a Lafayette company picked covered hoppers of foundry sand from laying on their side to standing upright, so the sand could be dumper to lighten the load. Then they each got ahold of an end and drifted over to the track and set them on trucks. The skill factor here was each operator knew what he could safely lift and the ground men , each with their own hand signals. worked together to accomplish their task.

BTW--- The same crane and operator took the roof and trusses off the locomotive shop
            during it's destruction
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