Possibly/maybe/perhaps an NCK Rapier?

[Gavin Phillips]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25517093@N06/sets/72157623750665405/

For quite a few years I've noticed a vintage-looking blue & yellow crawler crane sitting in a small boat yard on the banks of the river Tyne. Well I finally got in today and have a look at the crane. Had a look at the cab, controls and the engine. Not sure what model the engine is, but its a Dorman. It has the following reference near the to makers name so I am assuming (maybe naively so) that if has something to do with the model: COV RAD, CRD 7242-22, DTD 424 UMDC A serial number for something I expect, as this was on the frame of the engine housing.

The machine is still used to be sure (in fact had I been there an hour earlier I would have seen it in action) but it doesn't travel anymore. The tracks are pretty worn as you can see from the pictures I've uploaded to my flickR account, not that it needs to as its a small yard and you can hit the boat racks just by slewing the boom around. In case it assists with identification, there are 3 carrier rollers and 9 track rollers supporting the crawlers.

Nice crane I thought and a decent group of people working there as well. It really annoys me they've had trouble with break-ins, vandalism and stolen equipment; one reason why I'm so surprised they let me on site. Very welcoming too.

I have posted about this crane on other forums, got some quite interesting replies which has given me plenty of food for thought. Koehring/NCK-Rapier models 304, 305, 405 and 605 have been mentioned. There is a 605-2B crawler dragline listed on eBay at the moment but the body of the machine looks far longer than the one which I photographed today, unless its a custom-built job.

Best regards

Gavin

[Martyn Henley]

I am no expert on cranes Gavin, but i would say that it looks to me to be a Pennine

Martyn

[Gavin Phillips]

Hi Martyn, could be now that I've seen a few pictures. Fixtures, crawlers and general size/shape of the body are close to the 33t 1976 NCK C34B Pennine crawler crane as seen on this site:

http://www.piling-equipment-ltd.com/crawler-cranes-for-sale.html

It too is powered by a Dorman engine, although they could have been a popular engine of choice for this size of crane?

Thanks.

Best regards

Gavin

[navvyfitter]

Hi Gavin,

I'd say that you're looking at a C34 Pennine by NCK. The back end counterweight handling sheaves confirm it, together with the forward mast and 12 part boom suspension reeving. It's a short - lever manual machine and thus only part air control - later ones were fully air controlled. the engine will be a Dorman 4LB II, if it's 4 cylinder, though some were fitted with 3 cylinder GM 3-71, or a 6 cylinder air cooled Dorman 6DA. The Cov Rad reference is the trade name of the Coventry Radiator Company, who made the cooling radiator.
If you want to see another one, there's a sister in the Vintage Excavator Trust's collection at the Museum of Mining and Quarrying, Threlkeld, Cumbria.
I've got an NCK 305, which was the excavator version - smaller feet, but otherwise similar, with a Dorman 4LB II.

Kind regards

Steve.