The Nova Scotia Steel & Coal Co. received a crane locomotive in 1914 from Barclay, Sons & Co. of Scotland. It was basically a conventional, eight-coupled shunting locomotive with the crane mounted on the boiler. The engine was not only designed to move the crane locomotive itself, but also had similar dimensions to conventional locomotives in this size class.
The crane had one steam engine to rotate the jib and another to raise and lower the hook. Thus, the hook was always at a distance of almost five meters from the pivot point and it could always lift a load of eight long tons, regardless of the position of the boom.