Dead Lined..... Squirreled away on a little-used, overgrown siding off the C&O Durbin Branch, sits a rather rusty piece of machinery that I never expected to see as I hiked along the Greenbrier River. This forgotten, 75-ton, steam wrecking crane, that is missing most of its rigging, looks as if it has not moved in a very long time. There is virtually no information around the Cass Scenic Railroad that gives any clue as to the origin of this little crane, but a couple of quick internet searches tell me that it is a former U.S. Army Wrecker, numbered C-1502, and built by Industrial Brownhoist in 1953. I can't find any references as to where it might have served, when it was retired, and most importantly, how it came to be at Cass. If any viewers have any background information on this crane, feel free to send me a PM, or post a comment. Were it not for plans to re-activate the old C&O Durbin Line, this crane might be destined to become a heap of iron oxide along the Greenbrier, but my sense is that once tourist trains regularly begin running past it and some of the other relics on this siding, there will probably be some pressure to finally disposition it, in one way or another.
For aficianados of geared steam engines, it's "almost heaven." Here are some scenes from the park's annual Railfan Weekends, as well as some private charters.
