HO ATH 200-Ton Crane and 50' Gondola Set, DH #30021 (Crane); #30120 (Gondola)

HO ATH 200-Ton Crane and 50' Gondola Set, DH #30021 (Crane); #30120 (Gondola) Overview

The first railroad cranes relied on locomotives for positioning around the work site. Big cranes required water tenders to power their steam boilers to operate and rotate the boom before being converted to diesel in the late 1970's and 1980's. Some cranes were constructed as diesel towards the end of the steam era. Standard pulling operations for a 200 ton crane required at least 5 idler cars between the locomotive and the crane when in transit from one location to another. This was for more braking power, as these cranes were often just as heavy, or perhaps heavier, than a single locomotive of the time.