The history of the W.A.G.R.'s cranes is complex, probably involves exchanges with the PWD and/or contractors and definitely includes renumberings so what I have here is partial knowledge. This is particularly the case with the hand cranes.

The earliest records of cranes are of a "travelling crane" on the Northern Railway in 1881 and one numbered Q175 in the Eastern railway wagon sequence from 1882. This was clearly a wagon number and class. This number was blank in the 1900 renumbering list so either it had gone by that point or cranes had get a separate number list by then. I think that the latter is true but am unsure when cranes got their own number series. In later years at least there seem to have been separate number series for hand and steam cranes. There were at least 15 cranes in use by 1900. At least one steam crane was sold to the PWD (one confirmed for 1904).

There were no classes amongst the cranes that I am aware of although there were many different types. I think that the easiest way to go through them is probably by drawing number but that also has problems. Whilst some drawing numbers were retained though successive issues of the outline diagram books they did change from time to time so it is possible for the same drawing number to refer to different vehicles during their lives. The crane drawing numbers ranged from 1/2139 to 10/2139. At least drawing number 1/2139 was definitely reused.

What follows is my best effort to make sense of his (thanks to those who have helped so far).

Hand Cranes