Water crane

A water crane is a device used for delivering a large volume of water into the tank or tender of a steam locomotive. As a steam locomotive consumes several times more water than coal, water cranes once used to be a vital part of railway stations, often situated at the end of a platform, so that water could be refilled during a stop at the station. The water crane consists in general of upright steel pipe of large diameter with another flexible pipe connected to its upper end so as it forms a rotating arm, sometimes with a funnel. Such a device, usually supplied from a special water tower or reservoir owned by the railway company, was able to deliver from one up to ten cubic metres of water per minute.

See also