Wrecker

NP steam-powered wrecker was constructed for the Road in 1913 by Industrial Works at Bay City, Michigan. No. 18 is a steam-powered wrecking crane. The red pipes bring steam from its vertical boiler to the cylinders, and the yellow pipes carry exhaust. It has a vertical boiler placed at the back so that the weight of the boiler counterbalances the weight of the jib and load.

One of the few steam-powered wrecking cranes still in existence, No. 18 is unique in that most wreckers of its vintage were either scrapped No. 18 was converted to diesel power. A wrecker is rated according to the distance (radius) between the large hook and the center pin.

As the boom is lowered and the hook moves away from the center pin, the rating drops. No. 38 is a small wrecker, rated at 75 tons lifting capacity. She was retired by the NP in favor of larger, more modern cranes, which were built with 160 to 300 ton capacities. Wreckers were taken to the site of a derailment and were used to pick up cars and locomotives and place them back on the track.

Joe was the Wrecker Supervision for many years and Wrecker #18 was his. It was later moved to Bemidji when It was retired it came back to Brainerd and was parked at the Northwest Paper Mill until they scraped it.

WRECKER