SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD

 Wrecking Crane No. 7130


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Wrecking cranes, also called derricks or "big hooks," did the heavy lifting after a railroad accident or derailment.

This oil-burning, steam-powered wrecker was built by Industrial Works of Bay City, Michigan, for the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1910. It has a lifting capacity of 120-tons for placing locomotives and cars back on the track following an accident. It is not self-propelled, thus requires an assisting locomotive for movement. During its active years it spent its entire career in Tucson, where it was used in wreck train service until being retired in 1989.

After many years of faithful service, it was purchased by the museum and arrived in 1992. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 29, 2007.

The Industrial Works opened in 1873, and in 1931 became known as Industrial Brownhoist. It made large wrecking cranes for railroads throughout the U.S. and the world. At its closing in 1983, the Bay City museum curator said "Every railroad company had at least one I-B crane." This particular one was construction number 2250. During its career, it went through numerous re-numberings, starting in 1910 as SP 620, then in 1934 it was renumbered SPMW 7034. In 1940 it became number 7028, and in 1969 it was renumbered to 7130.

This crane was used many times over the years. One of the more unusual jobs was lifting a derailed diesel locomotive at Willcox, Arizona, in 1982. The derailment was caused by torrential rains weakening the track under the parked engine, a derailment at zero mph!

"Wrecking crane," or simply "wrecker," were the most commonly used terms for this type of equipment, but some railroads made a distinction by assigning the name "derrick" to those with solid booms, and "crane" to those with lattice booms.

In 1992 the Southern Pacific Railroad moved the crane and its associated tool car to the museum′s temporary storage track near Pecos Road, then after the Armstrong Park switch was installed in 1993, the museum′s Plymouth locomotive moved them onto the museum grounds at Erie Street in 1994. They were moved south by the now Union Pacific Railroad to the museum′s new Tumbleweed Park location on Ryan Road, along with the rest of the fleet, in 2006. (The Union Pacific acquired the Southern Pacific in 1996.)

The combination "Railroad Steam Wrecking Crane and Tool Car" was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 29, 2007.


In service 11/76 at Tucson, AZ.

1982 - 10 photos of 7130 lifting derailed diesel at Willcox, AZ.  The derailment was caused by torrential rains weakening the track under the parked engine (a derailment at 0 MPH).  All 10 photos by Robert Coder.
1982 - Photo 2.  Tool car (presumed to be #7131) is behind the derrick.
1982 - Photo 3.
1982 - Photo 4.
1982 - Photo 5.
1982 - Photo 6.
1982 - Photo 7.
1982 - Photo 8.
1982 - Photo 9.
1982 - Photo 10.
Derrick at the old ARM site, ca. 1990s.

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