European Railroad Discussion > Estonia: Cranes, Big and Small

Estonia, developed from the ex. Soviet empire part, still has numerous Soviet era railway cranes on sidings. Many of these seem to be kept in good running order, ready to be used if the need arises. These two cranes were discovered on the summer trip to Muuga harbor backyard, an area looking like apocalyptic world left pretty much to the state it was in 1991 when Soviet Union collapsed. Next to this area is the modern Muuga (Tallinn) harbor area with all infra built to latest Western standards creating interesting contrast between these two areas. "Muuga backyard" houses many oil and other industries in small scale. I don't know how many here are aware that just like U.S., Estonia too produces shale oil, with ever increasing amounts.

Anyway, here are the cranes: big and small. Both are owned Muuga Raudtee (Muuga Railway) and sitting next to their office building / operations center. Big crane is large by its size, capacity today being just 25 metric tons according to texts on the side. The small is something you still might see being used. It seems to be classified as AGMu (maybe someone here could interpret what that is a shortening of?). AGMus are owned by numerous users and used as MOW vehicles the crane operated to lift smaller loads from rail sides to flat cars. Estonia has taken huge steps developing in the recent years, but money is still scarce, so AGMus are being used. One of the pictures shows a tractor behind AGMu, a machine that can do anything the AGMu can do, just more effectively. So expect to see both cranes in museum not too long from now.

Enjoy the pictures!

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Before we were driven away by the Russian only speaking staff, we still had a chance to take a few more pictures.

I admire the creativity of the people who put these old contraptions to the full running order again. It looks to me they are ashamed of their poverty, there is really nothing to be ashamed of, quite the contrary!

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With a little digging to 4rail.net I also found this there! Quite obviously the same contraption with somewhat different configuration.

What do you think about the design?

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Dude, you and your "Soviet empire" stuff....... :-P

There's lots of vehicles like all over Eastern Europe and Asia. Some of them may post date the unfortunate breakup of the CCCP years.

Yeap, it was a true Empire, wasn't it? ;)

Still tries to be. Only its economy is nearing the small class, where for example Spain is.

chs7-321 Wrote:
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> Dude, you and your "Soviet empire" stuff.......
> :-P

Interesting that this model has also found its way to Asia! Any pictures of these? I would like to compare the crane section details.

GettingShort Wrote:
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> There's lots of vehicles like all over Eastern
> Europe and Asia. Some of them may post date the
> unfortunate breakup of the CCCP years.

That is some neet stuf cool