Steam cranes were powered by pressurized steam and used primarily in the 1800s for heavy lifting tasks. They had a similar design with a vertical water tank and two configurations: mobile or fixed. They were once common on docks and industrial facilities but were eventually replaced by fossil fuels. Many were manufactured by a few large companies and some have been preserved by historical societies.
A steam crane is a type of crane powered by pressurized steam and primarily used in the 1800s. The steam that powers the machine is produced by an attached boiler and is used to power the various components of the steam cranes. Once a common sight on many docks and industrial facilities, a steam crane provided an effective means of lifting materials that would otherwise have been impossible to move. Steam was eventually replaced by fossil fuels as the primary energy source and these cranes were dropped from popular use.
Many steam cranes had a similar design that came from the heavy metals and machinery used to make the lifts. For example, the water tank was usually designed to be vertical and mounted in front of the main elevator components. Called jib and cargo, these parts were usually quite heavy in a steam crane. When the vertical boiler was filled with water, it could compensate for the heavy weight of the crane machinery and provide the necessary counterweight for lifting heavy loads.
Another similarity between many steam cranes was that they were probably one of two configurations. The first configuration was a mobile steam crane that moved on rails, wheels, or some other moving platform. The major advantage of this design was that it could be moved to assist in a particular job or moved from place to place. Another typical configuration for a steam crane was for it to be fixed in one position, which may have allowed for more consistent performance and more power.
Whatever the configuration, a steam crane was usually made and installed to perform specific heavy lifting tasks. Often used as cargo lifts during the shipping process, many of these cranes have been installed at docks to facilitate the loading and unloading of cargo from incoming or outgoing vessels. One type of crane, a locomotive construction crane, would have been connected to a port rail system and responsible for unloading vessels at various points along the wharf.
One reason for the similarities among many steam cranes was that only a few large manufacturers created and sold steam cranes for commercial and industrial use. Many steam cranes which were once important parts of the merchant industry in the UK have been preserved by various historical societies. Of the preserved steam cranes, a popular and common version was the fairbairn steam crane manufactured by William Fairbairn and Sons between 1816 and 1864.
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