The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-18

~ when it was decided to erect a new
machine and boiler shop it was also
decided to equip them with a new de-
vice the technical name of which Is
electric travelling crane"
Now that the new shops are finished
and are in operation many people visit
the shop daily but of all the many
curious and wonderful things to be
seen the travelling crane attracts the
most attention. Many visitors at the
new shops have wondered at the ex-
ceptional amount OF work and also at
the ease with which 1t can be done
with these cranes. For instance, an
engine is run into the shop for repairs,
which it operated until directly over
the engine steel wire cables are lower
ed from the crane and attached to
each end of the engine after it has been
signal is given and the motors of each
section of the crane are started AT
the same time. In less than it takes
to tell it the boiler and cab of the en-
CINE are lifted clear of the wheels and
are swinging in mid-air. Another sig
nal is given and the three motor troll
leys, small devices which are operated
on tracks running lengthwise of the
crane, begin to move and the mann
moth engine is carried to the side o..
the shop where it is lowered until il
rests upon a set of blocks which have
been set in place to receive it. The
time IN WnlCn all OIL JnlS Work can De
done is about ten minutes where it
sometimes took hours when the old
system was in use. After all the nee
esSary repairs to the engine have been
completed it is again taken up by the
crane and in a short time it leaves the
shop wheels and all. This gives one
some idea of the travelling crane. 1t is
not only great saving of time but
also of money and if they are used con-
tinually they will in short time pay
themselves cANRral times
In appearance the crane is somewhat
similar to two steel bridges and al
though it is impossible to give tn ex-
act weight Of the crane it would be safe
to say that they weigh as much if not
more than any of the bridges which
span the Shunganunga.
There are usually two cranes which
operate together to make one large
crane to lift the engines. When an en-
CINE is being lifted it is necessary to
have one crane at each end of the en-
CINE and for this reason the shop is
equipped with two.
The accompanying cut shows the
cranes in the act of lifting one of the
Is Mikado engines which were built at
the Baldwin Locomotive works for the
Santa Fe road and delivered at the
shops last winter where they were set
up ready for freight service on the west
ern lines of the road. The Aikado en-
CINE is of large type. When it is known
pounds one can form some idea as to
the capacity of the travelling cranes
which can lift an engine of this type
with as much ease as if they were lift
ing a piece of tissue paper. The capac-
ity of these cranes is 100 tons. each
crane having a capacity of so tons. They
can easily lift an engine weighing 100
tons, such as that one in the picture,
but co tons is much weight as they
could stand to lift regularly. The dis
lance from the floor of the shop to the
bottom of the cranes is % feet. This is
referred to as the lift"
The length of the cranes is "a feet
/ three inches. The power used in operat-
/ ing them is electricity which is furnish
ed from the power house east of the
new shops. The medium through which
| the electricity reaches the cranes IS a
trolley wire running the full length of
the shop parallel with the elevated
tracks upon which the cranes are opar-
ated and which also rup the full length
of the shop.
| Each crane is operated by a man who
occupies a sort of hanging balcony al
one end of the crane under his supervis-
! ion and operates the switch board in
accord with the signals of the man who
| has charge of this particular part OF
the work At first it was a hard matter