New York Central Wrecker Crane X-13

New York Central Wrecker Crane X-13 was built in 1946 by the Industrial Brownhoist Company of Bay City, Michigan, one of four for the Central with a two hundred and fifty ton lifting capacity in order to handle even larger locomotives and equipment when they derailed. New York Central ordered the cranes for their yard here in Elkhart, and yards in Selkirk, New York, Collinwood Ohio, and Indianapolis. As can be seen on the wrecker boom, the X-13 was stationed in the Central Selkirk Yard. When they were built, the two hundred and fifty ton cranes were steam powered. By 1963, the New York Central converted some of its larger cranes, including the four two hundred and fifty tonners, to diesel power. With the Central Pennsylvania Railroad merger, the X-13 became Penn Central equipment, and later passed to Conrail, remaining in Selkirk. It was the last in service on Conrail’s wrecker train there. It remains operable. Conrail donated this Selkirk wrecker train, including related rail cars now here—including the Conrail caboose, a tool car, a meal car, and two other cars—to the museum in 1997. The wrecker crane from Elkhart, with an elk’s head superimposed on a red heart on its boom you’ll have to go to Pennsylvania to see; it was donated to the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona Pennsylvania.