A few weeks ago, I posted an article about a Lister Junior powered mixer. This got me thinking about another unusual exhibit I had seen fitted with a Lister Junior engine. This time the item in question is a small crane made by the Ealing (London) based company of J. S. Neal & Co. This “4 in 1” rapid crane was built in the mid 1930’s and is capable of lifting up to 12cwt.
Vic Makey sat next to the Lister powered Crane
Chris Moore (Blue t-shirt & baseball cap) watches on as exhibitor Ian Wright plays hook a duck.
This type of crane was the first to be produced by the company and was designed to be used by building contractors and similar businesses. It is powered by a 5hp Lister B type engine and always draws a lot of attention wherever it appears. The first time that I saw it in person was when Chris Moore & Vic Makey of East Yorkshire exhibited it at Newby Hall “Tractor Fest” back in 2016. It was one of the highlights of the engine section and drew a lot of attention. When they decided to bring it back to Newby Hall for the show in 2018, they requested more space, so that they could slew the crane through 360 degrees and allow a full demonstration of how it worked. To make the demonstration more fun several ducks were made out of plywood and placed around the crane. Operators were then given the challenge of hooking a duck using Lister power. This proved hugely popular with the visitors eagerly watching the demonstration and several exhibitors asking for a go. The crane appeared again at the show a few years later and I have also seen it out at another local show on the Holderness coast. Hopefully Chris, Vic and all their helpers bring it back to Tractor Fest in the future for us all to enjoy.
Well known engine enthusiast Dan Howden has managed to hook a duck
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Country: GB