A specialized piece of maintenance rolling stock equipped with a high-capacity hoist, used primarily to lift derailed locomotives and cars back onto the rails. It travels in a dedicated consist with support cars for the boom and rigging, deploying outriggers to stabilize itself before lifting heavy wreckage.
Heard on the job
Dispatch, we're on the ground with three hoppers, you better call out the breakdown crane.
Also heard as
- wrecking crane
- derrick