1946, one of E.P. McHugh’s five 20 ton lift capacity Baycity mobile truck cranes assist in the loading out and securing of 12 broad gauge steam locomotives into two ships at the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, PA.
Here are three of the McHugh’s worlds first ever built cranes. The first 6 axle 100 ton truck crane, the first 6 axle 175 ton truck crane, & the first 265 ton crawler crane. These three McHugh cranes were all built by the AH&D company.
One of two special heavy haul tractors redesigned by Jimmy McHugh. The units were originally built as a large 100 ton dump trucks with a signal steering axle.
The C.J. McHugh company equipment colors of ‘green & red’ that date back to 1896 have continued to be applied to the McHugh company equipment for the past 114 years.
Jimmy McHugh inspects a EMD 1500HP locomotive at a customers location.
James C. McHugh / V.P. - Engineering, In 1952 when Jimmy was attending the University of Miami, he started a equipment rental company that provided truck cranes, gradalls, and trucks, to many contractors and also the Florida East Coast Railroad. In 1958, Jimmy returned back to Pennsylvania due to the death of his father. Jimmy, then began to and manage the MCHUGH crane rental, heavy hauling, rigging, and other businesses, with his mother Adelaide E., brothers Robert C., Gerald J. and two other family members.
Jimmy, was a mechanical engineer and also a member of the American National standard Committee B-30.5 from 1969 to 1987. These are the standards used by O.S.H.A. for regulating all, truck, crawler, & locomotive cranes, hoist, derricks, jacks, and slings. Jimmy, was also on the Standards Committee for all cranes that are used in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 1970 to 1977.
Jimmy, was also a Vice Chairman for the South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, and was a Board of director member for 11 years. This is the mass transit system for the city of Philadelphia, PA and the surrounding five counties. The SEPTA system encompasses all, railroad passenger trains, subways lines, trolley lines, and bus operations.
Today, Jimmy is semi-retired but he continues to provide his valuable knowledge and assistance to the MCHUGH company on a part time basis. Jimmy, always enjoys the challenge of helping provide a solution to a customers Rail Motive Power and Equipment problems.
The McHugh Service Company, a brief 114 year history.
The McHugh family started in the service industry back in 1896 with the C.J. MCHUGH CO. located in Philadelphia, PA as a hauling, rigging, and service company, that was assigned Pennsylvania hauling authority certificate #87. After the turn of the century in 1916, the C.J. McHugh & Son Co. was formed and the business expanded with motorized trucks and hauling trailers. The E.P. McHugh Co. was established in 1929, and a 10 ton lift capacity crane was purchased from the Insley company in 1931. Then in May of 1945, the E.P. McHugh Co. purchased the worlds largest truck crane, a 20 ton lift capacity machine from the Baycity company. The E.P. McHugh Co. in 1950, again purchased another worlds first largest truck crane, a 45 ton lift capacity machine from the Lorain company.
Several of the American Hoist & Derrick Co. cranes built between 1962 and the mid 1970’s, were developed because of the innovative concepts of Jimmy McHugh.
The McHugh family companies diversified and expanded under the direction of Jimmy McHugh. In 1962, Jimmy was instrumental in the design and development of the worlds first 6 axle truck truck crane carrier, built with 3 steering axles and 3 drive axles. Jimmy McHugh decided that his new 6 axle crane carrier would be fabricated / welded and built with the newly developed USS T-1 steel, another McHugh and worlds first. This crane carrier was built by Hendrickson Truck with a American Hoist & Derrick Co. 700 series upper works placed on the carrier, making it the worlds first 6 axle 100 ton lift capacity truck crane.
Because of the great success of Jimmy McHugh’s 6 axle carrier, the late Mr. John Carrol, a former president of the AH&D Co. worked closely with Jimmy on the design and development of other never before built AH&D cranes. They were the first 6 axle truck crane with a 175 ton lift capacity, that was built in 1967. The first 6 axle truck crane with a 200 ton lift capacity, that was built in 1969. The first 900 series crawler crane with a 265 ton lift capacity, that had long costalo type boom capabilities. And the first two 8440 model 4 axle 150 ton lift capacity truck cranes. Another innovative crane industry design of Jimmy McHugh is the McHugh Tip Head Section of crane boom. This boom is still sold by the American Hoist & Derrick Co. ( now TEREX ) when an order for this type of new OEM factory boom is placed.
Over the decades, Jimmy McHugh also design several large heavy haul tractors and trailers that were build in the McHugh shops. One particular innovative McHugh large heavy haul project was moving a 610 ton Nuclear Reactor in Ohio for a power plant with a trailer that had 196 steer-able tires.
The McHugh’s begin repairing locomotives along with other rail equipment and operate two railroads.
Jimmy McHugh also became involved with a short line railroad in 1966 and began to assisting them with locomotive repairs and other maintenance work. Then in 1973, Jimmy became president of this Pennsylvania short line railroad and JC McHugh joined the operation in 1978. A second short line railroad located in New Jersey was also operated by both Jimmy & JC McHugh in the early 1980’s.
The McHugh company in 1974 began rebuilding locomotives and locomotive cranes along with providing on-site repair service for short lines and industrial plant rail operations. During this time the McHugh company also leased locomotive cranes and locomotives to industrial plants, railroads, and rail contractors. The McHugh railroad lines equipment included over 500 new box cars, along with high rail maintenance of way equipment, that was also leased to the nations railroads.
J.C. McHugh, incorporated McHugh Railroad Maintenance Equipment, Inc. in 1985 and since that time our company has continued the rebuilding of locomotive cranes and locomotives, along with providing on site repair services. The McHugh company has operated separate satellite facilities at various industrial plant locations providing maintenance and rebuilding of locomotive cranes and locomotives.
Today, the McHugh company is a global supplier of parts and service, along with sales of locomotive cranes, railroad type material handlers, and locomotives. The McHugh company is committed to and continually strives to meet or exceed our customers expectations.
“Hands On” & “Technical Experience” provide us with “Qualifications” of the industries that we serve.
JC McHugh is operating a old coal burning steam locomotive at a tourist railroad.
J.C. McHugh / President, had the unique opportunity of growing up in a family who operated a business that covered so many different industries. This enabled him to learn the intricacies of those industries at a very young age. At the age of 18 J.C. was qualified to work on and lead a team of boiler-makers, machinist, and other craftsmen to rebuild two steam locomotives. Their extensive overhauls included the upgrading of these steam locomotives to the then current Boiler Code and Safety Standards, set forth by the United States Department of the Federal Railroad Administration.
Since 1978, J.C. has rebuilt and operated many various types of locomotives and other railroad related equipment. This has been at the MCHUGH facilities or at class I, II, III, & regional railroads, short lines, transit systems, and industrial plant rail operations.
J.C.’s crane industry experience since 1978, is from when he maintained and operated many types of, locomotive, conventional truck, hydraulic, & crawler cranes. J.C. has also been involved with many critical multi crane heavy capacity lifts such as. The lifting of derailed 450 ton special 8 axle railroad ladle cars full of molten hot steel, and then to place them back onto the tracks. J.C. has operated cranes up to 265 ton lift capacity, and also driven tractor trailers hauling large over-dimensional loads weighing over 250 tons.
In 2009 JC McHugh along with the engineering staff at Barko Hydraulic developed a locomotive mounted material handler with self elevating operators cab that could now be used on the nations railroad systems. The McHugh / Barko 695MH machine in 2010 currently is the only ‘USA manufactured product’ that meets the current weight restrictions of axle loadings and plate ’C’ dimensions for railroads.
Today, if a costumer has a Rail Motive Power or Equipment challenge arise. It is not uncommon to find our C.E.O., J.C. McHugh at their location providing a solution to their problem.
Ann Gillaspy-McHugh operating a McHugh company rebuilt EMD SW8 type EMD locomotive.
Ann Gillaspy-McHugh / V.P. & Controller, handles our administrative part of our business. Ann, before she joined the McHugh Team in 1999 had over eight years experience in the electrical and electronic industries. Her duties during that time included working on and assembling many various prototype models, along with testing and qualifing them, prior to these units being placed onto the market.
Today, aside from Ann’s management position at the McHugh company, she will also assist a customer with the same type of “Hands On Tradition” of the McHugh family. Ann, has operate a diesel locomotive along with assisting in train service as part of the locomotive crew at two tourist railroads, and she even has the capitally to drive a 18 wheel big rig.