Rail Mounted Cranes

The Colne Valley Railway has two rail mounted cranes which are used for engineering work.

DRG80103 is a Steam Crane built by Grafton in 1952 and capable of lifting 10 tons. It was originally based at Beighton Yard in Sheffield and later at Ipswich. It arrived on the Colne Valley Railway in 1981 and has seen considerable use since then including installation of the station footbridge and erection of the water tower. It is currently out of use awaiting an overhaul to its boiler.

DRT81318 is the latest arrival. It was built by Taylor & Hubbard in 1969 and is capable of lifting 12 tons. It appears to have spent much of its life in Scotland before being overhauled at Ashford in the early 1990s before being based at Colchester, where it saw little work. It was bought from Balfour Beatty in 2001 and has recently been returned to service. A extensive program of lifts is planned for it over the coming year.