Crane tank locomotive explained

A crane tank locomotive (CT) is a steam locomotive fitted with a crane for working in railway workshops, docksides, or other industrial environments.^[1] The crane may be fitted at the front, centre or rear.

The 'tank' in its name refers to water tanks mounted either side of the boiler, as cranes were usually constructed on tank locomotives (as opposed to tender locomotives) for greater mobility in the confined locations where they were normally used.^[2] There is also a crane engine in the museum of Scottish railways

Preserved examples

• Shelton Iron & Steel Works No. 4101, an built by Dübs & Company built in 1901, entering preservation on the East Somerset Railway in 1970, working 1977-1986 and later sold to the Foxfield Railway, where it entered service in 2010.^[3]
• Millfield, an built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns in 1942 (works no.7070), preserved at Bressingham Steam & Gardens.

See also

• Crane (rail)
• NLR crane tank
• Shelton Iron & Steel Works No. 4101
• Three GWR engines constructed as crane tanks based on 850 class

Further reading

• Crane Tank Locomotives in Australia - Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, June 1985, pp123-139

External links

• Barclay crane tank no.2127 of 1942
• Dübs crane tank no. 4101
• RSH crane tank

Notes and References

1. Book: Keith Langston. Scottish Steam: A Celebration. 13 August 2014. Wharncliffe. 978-1-84563-163-5. 51–.
2. Book: Adrian Booth. The Doxford Crane Tanks: Crane Tank Locomotives of Doxford's Shipyard. 1999. Railway Bylines.
3. Book: Fred Kerr. Steam at Work: Preserved Industrial Locomotives. 30 June 2017. Pen & Sword. 978-1-4738-9660-4. 37.