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Railways grand old ‘weightlifter’ gets back its beauty
A bright red massive machine, mounted on an enclosed platform outside the Carriage Workshop in Alambagh is turning out to be a huge crowd puller.
A bright red massive machine, mounted on an enclosed platform outside the Carriage Workshop in Alambagh is turning out to be a huge crowd puller.
The securely riveted over 100-year-old machine, with a long lifting arm, steel wires and mega pulleys that has left onlookers in awe, is a heritage crane. It is one of the most antique cranes in the railways possession and ran on steam when it was operational.
Officials with the workshop, which itself is over 150 years old, said the crane has been put on display in order to celebrate the railways rich heritage. “It’s just an attempt to preserve our rich history. The crane used to be the super machine of the bygone era. Hence, we thought of putting this grand old crane on display to make people aware of the rich past,” said Manish Pandey, chief work manager, Carriage Workshop, Alambagh (formerly Carriage and Wagon Workshop).
The crane was imported from England in 1909 after it was manufactured by Ransomes & Rapier Co Ltd in England, the company that was known for its portable rivet machines, largely railway equipment.
Other than cranes, the company’s catalogue list for railways includes signals, frames, water cranes, footbridges, axle boxes, tank locomotives and boilers.
Pandey said in its initial days the crane, which had a capacity to lift 30 tonnes of weight, was used in Moradabad division. “It was used in Moradabad division for 90 years after which it was shifted to our workshop in 1999. Then for some time it was used in the old saw mill, a part of the workshop. The machine, however, turned obsolete with the advent of modern-day diesel-run cranes,” said Pandey, highlighting its rich past.
The crane was gathering dust until last year end, when officials of the workshop decided to give this heritage crane its due. “The crane is a masterpiece and used to be the most efficient crane of its times. Hence, we thought of showcasing our rich past by putting the crane on display and to restore its lost glory,” Pandey added.
But it was not an easy task. Officials engaged in shifting the crane said it was in utter bad shape. “We ensured thorough cleaning of the machine, which was followed by paint and preservation job,” he said.
It took almost 15 days for the team of officials to complete the preservation work and to restore its look. But that was not enough. Another Herculean task was to transport the machine to the workshop’s entrance, the place finalised for putting it on display. “It’s a huge machine and its long arms made the shifting task more cumbersome,” an official said.
It was then decided to shift the crane to the display platform through rail route. “But the overhead electric lines were an obstruction that were eventually lowered to tow the 140 tonne weight crane. The job was completed in early January this year,” the officer said.
