Meanings
nounbreakdown crane (plural breakdown cranes)
plural breakdown cranes
- UKrail transportA crane that can be used in the event of accidents and derailments, as well as for engineering work on the railway; the crane is usually coupled to another vehicle on which the jib can be rested when travelling, or when the crane is not in use.
There are meetings to attend in connection with engineering work, such as bridge construction, where the use of the motive power breakdown crane is needed, or a meeting with contractors working adjacent to the railway who wish to hire the crane.
1960 April 29, A. W. Bennett, “A Locomotive Shedmaster's Day”, in Railway Magazine, page 272
Cite this entry
APA
breakdown crane. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/breakdown%20crane
MLA
“breakdown crane.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/breakdown%20crane. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “breakdown crane,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/breakdown%20crane.
Source: breakdown crane on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.