A friend of mine asked me if American Crane was a susidiary of ALCo. He works for the CN (former ICRR) in Louisianna and was looking over one being used for bridge work. On the counterwieght there is a number cast in it, 619383. Does anyone know if this is a construction number or serial number?
American Hoist & Derrick Co., St. Paul, Minn.--- not any relation to ALCO. They built smaller (15-80 ton) locomotive cranes for railroad and industrial use; I don't think they built any heavy railroad wreck cranes like the 125-250 ton Industrial-Brownhoists. American also was big in the construction cranes, both crawler and rubber-tired. The railroad stuff was not the majority of their business.
The number is most likely a pattern number or part number for the counterweight casting.