ED - Superb photos of your crane, and of the prototype. Most enjoyable! As a side note, both the Burlington Route and the Colorado & Southern required that a wrecking derrick in transit must have the boom trailing the locomotive. That is to prevent a boom carried in the opposite/wrong direction from swinging out in front of an on-coming train. Presume other railroads had the same directive in effect.
The aluminum color really shows off the detail nicely on this model.......and on the prototype!
Trains Magazine had a photo spread many years ago of two similar derricks struggling to re-rail an overturned D&RGW L131 2-8-8-2. Despite having stabilizing cables planted 100' behind the cranes and clamps on the closest rail, when executing the lift, both cranes' outside wheels lifted off the rails! Intriguing to ponder the immense weights and forces involved!
