Don't worry about the crane driver, I doubt that the contraption pictured ever really existed anyway other than in the mind of the artist. No, what you need to worry about is why a Tallean Intergalactic Warp Jump Ship is hovering over that [Censored] in the first picture? I can only assume it is needing water to refuel its hydrogen powered warp field engines.
Agreed, that crane would be largely an artist's conception. Not entirely though - I'd say that those unguarded drive belts, chain and gears would have been true-to-life in those days.
Belated edit: Here's an image, courtesy of the Imperial War Museum, of overhead cranes operated by women in munitions manufacture during WW1.
![[Linked Image]](https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/uploads/usergals/2017/04/full-5630-33784-iwm_cranes_1917.jpg)
Link to original:
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205295986 That 'Tallean Intergalactic Warp Jump Ship' is actually an item that would also give the current day's 'Elfin Safety' mob the horrors.
It's a large Mercury Arc Rectifier, which was used to convert AC current to DC, for example for leccy train/tram overhead traction supply. Long supplanted by solid-state rectifiers, of course. Widely used from 1902 until the 1970's, and there were still a few in service in the '00's -
http://www.electricstuff.co.uk/mercarc.html .
Wonder what the book has to say about that one!
They're certainly big coins he's lifting.
I wonder what current-cy?
Manhole covers, maybe?
