Metro North crane #001 (ex-GCT #1)

[ALCOHaulic]

Hello.

I'm new to the group and have enjoyed learning alot from the other posts. I'm in the process of gathering the materials to kitbash the twin boom Metro North Dual crane #001, but I have not been able to find the dimensions of this crane. Would anybody know the dimensions of this crane? I plan to kitbash it from the Athearn kits.

Thanks

[DutchRailnut]

GCT 001 resides at Danbury Railway Museum, I would not know how you could even get close to kitbashing this thing due to its unique running gear and totaly different crane system.

[ALCOHaulic]

Hello.

Its going to be a close enough type deal. I will try my best but if I can capture the essence of the crane thats close enough for me.

Thanks

[Otto Vondrak]

Here's a photo. I guess you could try splicing two Athearn kits back to back... but you'll have to fudge the running gear a bit.



There is the Athearn crane shown with the boom tender.

-otto-

[DogBert]

Was this the only crane that looked like this built? I have a photo of either this or one similar to it that a relative took. It was parked in sunnyside yard at the time (1970s), and always wanted to know a bit more about it...

[DutchRailnut]

3 such cranes were built one for prr at Sunnyside/Penn station, one for Cleveland terminal and one fr GCT.
GCT 001 is only one left out of the 3 built.
Glueing two carbodies together is easy but the B-B-B-B running gear is harder since there is no equivelant to the trucks. also the boom swivels but the housing is mounted to frame, the boom is short and bend like a hawks beak.

[Otto Vondrak]

I hate to correct you, but I dont think it was for Cleveland Union Terminal, it was for the Detroit Terminal. Cranes like that were built to work in tight tunnels- none tighter than the Detroit-Windsor tunnel.

-otto-

[BEDT 14]

This threads a little old, but I have the following to add:

There were three double ended wreckers built to similiar design:

Thanks to John Taubeneck for builders info:

Industrial Hoist: c/n 2280 - PRR 490797 (1st) a 50 ton capacity in 1911.
It is believed this wrecker was sent back to be rebuilt to a 100 ton cap'y ca. 1914 to become PRR 490797 (2nd). It was seen in Sunnyside Yard 1966.
Became PC (unk #) and then Amtrak #16000 in 1971.

Industrial Hoist: c/n 2281 - built as Grand Central Terminal #1 "Wellington". To New York Central X45, to Penn Central #50021, to Conrail #50021
to Metro North Commuter RR #001. To and currently in Danbury Museum, CT, (repainted to original livery GCT #1)
http://www.trainweb.org/milepost51/railroad.html#16000

I do not have builders info for, but the third was Cleveland Union Terminal X99. This one was not built to the compact length the above two were:
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/cutX99.jpg

I believe the reason there were two double-enders in NY area, dates back to pre-PC era: One was bought by the Pennsylvania and served Pennsylvania Station & Hudson tubes. The other being New York Central, served Grand Central Terminal (obviously) and Park Avenue Tunnels.

With the PC merger, two weren't needed and PRR 490797 was sold to Amtrak and became #16000. And still sat in Sunnyside Yard, where I saw it in 1983. I believe but cannot confirm it has been scrapped since.

Sincerely,

Phil

[DutchRailnut]

Thanks It believed the Amtrak unit fell of car float in NY bay and was later scrapped..
I was instrumental on getting the crane for Danbury Railway museum, and was the engineer on volunteer crew.
We took the two flatcars and crane from North White Plains via Brewster and over Beacon line to Danbury.
The Name Wellington was added by the North White Wreck Crew in or around 1985 to Honor Wreck master and Master Mechanic " Ed Wellington Whitney

[BEDT 14]

Hey Dutch,

Information I'm collating between reading Sam Berliners website on big hooks and Industrial Hoist builders information from John Taubeneck has:

From Berliner: According to notes in my own handwriting on the flyer, Bill Edson of NYC Equipment or Paul Brustman of NYC Cranes told me that there were two 2x250-ton tunnel cranes, X45 and X99, and they came on the road circa 1935 or 36 and one (or both) was (were) shipped to Russia during WWII on a ship that sank at sea on the Murmansk Run (deep-dive salvage, anyone?).

Jeff Lubchansky advises that there was a second unit that tipped over in Sunnyside Yard and was cut up on the spot (this was Amtrak 16000) ; that certainly differs from the account of Edson and Brustman, who ran X45 and X99. I wonder if X99 went down and a replacement was fabricated and later bought the farm?

As such: here is what I have discerned:
There were three D.E.W:

• Amtrak 16000 is ex-PRR 490797.

• NYC X45 was GCT 1 "Wellington", with X45 to become PC #50021 in 1968, Conrail #50021 in 1976 and MN 001 unknown date. It was shipped to Danbury Museum in Connecticut on 7/14/1998 and repainted into GCT 1 livery

• CUT 99 never changed hands.

That would mean that NYC X45 was never shipped to Russia and lost, as it seen after WW2 in New York area in various liveries and sits in Danbury. Therefore, X99 is the wrecker lost at sea.

Here's my updated page on the subject:

http://members.trainweb.com/bedt/indloco/amtk16000.html

Now, I can say this, being a historian for Industrial & Offline Terminal Railroads of New York: if any of these cranes was lost off a carfloat in New York Harbor, it would have had to have been raised to prevent ship obstruction. Several references I have, state the Harbor and Hudson & East Rivers must be kept clear of underwater obstructions. In the past numerous carfloats that have lost their freight cars into the drink, have had those freight cars raised. The trucks are usually left in the mud however. Open loads like hoppers of coal that have gone over, the car is raised with no attempt to recover the coal. If you reference current harbor charts, the derelicts and sunken vessels are all located around the tidal flats scrapping yards in New Jersey & Staten Island, with a few off the coast in deeper water, but no submerged obstructions are seen in the shallower waters of Harbor itself.

All the best,

Phil