Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 0504

Number 0504 was built in 1903 by Industrial Works of Bay City, Michigan, for the Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) of Boston, Massachusetts. Industrial Works was established in 1873, and became the world’s leading manufacturer of large lifting cranes. For a long time, it was the only manufacturer of large lifting cranes in the United States. In 1931, it merged with Brown Hoisting Company of Cleveland, Ohio, becoming the Industrial Brownhoist Corporation. In 1960, it was sold to the American Hoist Corporation of Minneapolis, and became known as the Industrial Brownhoist Division of the American Hoist Corporation. The plant at Bay City was closed for good in 1983, ending 110 years of manufacturing at that location. No. 0504 was one of three electric craned built by Industrial Work for the Boston Elevated Railway. Electric cranes, as opposed to the steam cranes prevalent at the time, were ideal because they were immediately ready for work, not having to wait to fire up and make steam. Also, the service of a fireman was not needed. No. 0504 was not self-propelled and had to be propelled to the job sites. Power to operate the electric crane was transmitted through collector shoes on the trucks which made contact with the 3rd rail of the elevated line. The crane’s capacity was rated at 10 tons. It spent most of its career travelling in the company of wrecker car No. 0210, a converted passenger car. Number 0504 was involved in the cleanup of The Beach Street Elevated Wreck of July 22, 1928. A four car elevated train jumped the track a sharp curve at Beach Street and Harrison Avenue killing two people and injuring several others. The train was going at an estimated speed of 40 mph, some attributed to brake failure. All four cars were derailed. No. 0504 worked on the elevated portion of the line untangling the wreckage while its future Seashore sister No. 3246 worked from the street lines below. Very little is written up about this crane’s time at STM. It was to be held in reserve to support Seashore Trolley Museum’s other two Boston Elevated Railway elevated crane – elevated line crane No. 0551, and surface line crane No. 3246.