The Classic Machinery Network

Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone here might be able to help me in working out the likely construction date of one of the two scotch derricks visible in this photo. This is in Loughborough Junction, south london, and the two cranes were in a builder's yard. The builders yard was mostly built up in the late 1890s. The photo is from 1954. In the photo I've labelled them "S" and "L" for smaller and larger.

The smaller one, in the foreground, looks older and I know from another photo that it was already there in 1908. The larger one seems to be of a different type of construction and I'd be interested to know whether it's possible that it could have already been there in the early 1900s, or whether that's unlikely.

Any thoughts much appreciated!

Hi Colin and welcome I must confess that I don't know anything about this type of crane but they were common in various yards around the country, from memory Cashmores scrap yard at Great Bridge had two similar cranes in their scrap yard and B.A. Taylor up the road also had a similar crane in their yard, perhaps somebody else on here can at least give an idea of who the main manufacturers of these cranes were.

Jeremy

Hi Jeremy - thanks.
From some advice I've been given elsewhere - some manufacturer names are:
Butters Brothers & Co Ltd of Govan
Anderson Grice & Co Ltd of Carnoustie
John M Henderson & Co Ltd, in Forfar

Colin; I came across this crane today of a similar design, it must be very old, the cab on it looks like an old garden shed! It is located at a sawmill in Fazeley near Tamworth.

Jeremy

Thanks! That's interesting to see, especially the control cab. I wonder how old it is.