Old steam train gets new home at Tractor Shed Museum

Safely in place. Supporters: Jeremy Emmett, Steve McClune, Isaac Lett, Ryan Sheeran, Stephen Adams, Allan Jones, Glen Lett, Kevin Lett, Wayne Clarke, Nathanel Clarke, Andrew Pollock, Richard Adams, Eugine Billet and Charles Lucas.

A 47-tonne, 81-year-old steam crane, thought to be the only one privately owned in New Zealand, was moved from Wanganui to Woodville last Monday, to add to the collection at Glen Lett's Tractor Shed Museum.

A comprehensive collection of tractors, trucks, machinery and a steam boiler from a barge off the Tauranga Wharf is at the museum in Troup Road West, Woodville.

The steam crane was built in 1937 at the Bush Tramway on the Pukemiro Line in Huntly, Waikato. It had been used for bridge building on railway lines, and was moved to Wanganui in 2014 where Glen's engineer friend John McClune, who was killed a year ago, had planned to restore it to its former glory.

Steam train ready to roll off the truck.

John had saved the steam crane from being scrapped in the Waikato in 2014, moving it to his property. He fixed the boiler, replumbed the pipes and got it in steam.

After John's property was sold, Glen was faced with a dilemma.

"I didn't want to see it go to scrap again. I really didn't know what to do with it," said Glen. "Not many people want a steam crane. It was quite an emotional decision to bring it to Woodville. That's why so many people were keen to help." It cost around $10,000 to transport move and set up.

Rolling under its own steam.

The move went very well at Wanganui with about 10 volunteershelping. The ground was dug out so the transporter could go in at ground level. It was pushed on rails onto the transporter with a digger.

It drove from the bottom to the top of the Saddle Road before arriving in Woodville at a top speed of 10kph — the combined weight of the steam crane, truck and trailer was around 80 tonnes.

After unloading the steam crane, this time from a height on rails, Glen was a bit nervous.
"When you're moving a load on shingle it's a concern but I was pretty pleased when it stopped on level tracks and I was glad the weather stayed fine," he said.

"It's a bit of a mission but it will be worth all the hard work," said Glen. The crane will be repainted in heritage colours and used for demonstrations, self-propelled on its own private railway.