MOW - Tender
PRR #3158
Crane tenders, also known as boom cars, played a crucial role in wreck train operations on the Pennsylvania Railroad and other lines. Their primary purpose was twofold: To protect the crane's boom during transit to and from a wreck site and allow it to be coupled to other cars. To carry essential equipment,tools, slings, and other gear needed to clear a derailment or accident. Unlike the specialized cranes they accompanied, crane tenders were often built "in-house" by the railroad shops, often reusing older flat cars, boxcars, or even cabooses to create functional equipment sheds. This gave many wreck trains a somewhat makeshift appearance, with repurposed passenger and freight cars serving as crew and tool cars alongside the cranes