"Whirlie/Whirligig" Steam Cranes

James R. Barney

New Member
On pages 54-55 of Michael Kreiger's "Where Rails Meet the Sea," there is a photo of "whirly" steam cranes being used, circa 1885, on the Cuyahoga River, to unload coal from a schooner into hopper cars on a track parallel to the ship. They appear to be built primarily of timbers and the side view has a large wheel or a pair of wheels mounted in the vertical plane. I've done a search on the Index of Magazines at the Model Railroader site, but couldn't find any relevant citations. Is anyone aware of either more photos or, preferably, plans for these or similar cranes ? Any help would be appreciated.
Bob
 
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