The Classic Machinery Network

Hi all

During my first trip to the Isle of Wight in 2007, I was heading my way down out of Southampton when I spied the crane pictured below. Its taken quite some time to discover anything about this, and its certainly not a new machine either!


This photo isn't one of mine - I only wish it was!! It was taken by Brian Curd who kindly gave me permission to use it in the hope someone else would recognise the crane; perhaps someone has more information or indeed knows its present location as it has been moved from where I saw it (shown in the picture).

The official designation of the crane is Barge Derrick 100t Design 264B, but mostly it is referred to as the "100ton crane". Roughly two dozen of these were built by several US-based companies in the 1940's and 1950's, most of which were presumably scrapped as more modern designs came into use. I do recall seeing one of them on an auction site some time back in a very curious orange livery... I think I prefer the gray.

You can see the crane using Google Earth or MSN Maps, but these pictures are pretty obsolete as they are maybe 2 years old now? Plus the fact well yes, its a floating crane and does move around at times!

Any feedback is always welcome.

Best regards

Gavin

Hi Gavin
I seem to remember you're a geordie or pretty close to being one. I mean that as a compliment by the way. On the subject of cranes, did you see the dismantling of the old Redheugh Bridge in Newcastle. The crane they had there was called something like TakLift 1 (or maybe 2). I think it was Norwegian. Looked like it could pick up the Angel of The North without breaking a sweat.

chrisdee wrote:Hi Gavin
I seem to remember you're a geordie or pretty close to being one. I mean that as a compliment by the way. On the subject of cranes, did you see the dismantling of the old Redheugh Bridge in Newcastle. The crane they had there was called something like TakLift 1 (or maybe 2). I think it was Norwegian. Looked like it could pick up the Angel of The North without breaking a sweat.

Hahaha, well I can put on quite a convincing Geordie accent.

I never saw the dismantling of the old Redheugh bridge, however I did witness the new Milleuium bridge being lowered into place by the floating crane Asian Hercules II. The TakLift series of cranes are indeed Norweigan, years back I remember seeing pictures of a TakLift floating crane lifting 600ton segments of a concrete freeway into place; somewhere in the US. Very impressive indeed!

Heres one from the web of Asian Hercules II





I placed a few more in a General thread for Giant floating cranes

(Not my photos just some i got ages ago out of interest in extreme machines)

Dave

Gavin Phillips wrote:Hi all

During my first trip to the Isle of Wight in 2007, I was heading my way down out of Southampton when I spied the crane pictured below. Its taken quite some time to discover anything about this, and its certainly not a new machine either!


This photo isn't one of mine - I only wish it was!! It was taken by Brian Curd who kindly gave me permission to use it in the hope someone else would recognise the crane; perhaps someone has more information or indeed knows its present location as it has been moved from where I saw it (shown in the picture).

The official designation of the crane is Barge Derrick 100t Design 264B, but mostly it is referred to as the "100ton crane". Roughly two dozen of these were built by several US-based companies in the 1940's and 1950's, most of which were presumably scrapped as more modern designs came into use. I do recall seeing one of them on an auction site some time back in a very curious orange livery... I think I prefer the gray.

You can see the crane using Google Earth or MSN Maps, but these pictures are pretty obsolete as they are maybe 2 years old now? Plus the fact well yes, its a floating crane and does move around at times!

Any feedback is always welcome.

Best regards

Gavin

I'm pretty sure that the crane above is owned by Commercial Marine & Piling Ltd
www.cmp.uk.com

Gavin Phillips wrote:Hahaha, well I can put on quite a convincing Geordie accent.

I never saw the dismantling of the old Redheugh bridge, however I did witness the new Milleuium bridge being lowered into place by the floating crane Asian Hercules II. The TakLift series of cranes are indeed Norweigan, years back I remember seeing pictures of a TakLift floating crane lifting 600ton segments of a concrete freeway into place; somewhere in the US. Very impressive indeed!

The Taklift Series of cranes are Dutch belongs to the Smit Tak International Salvage Company N.V., Rotterdam.

A photo from the Taklift 4 in the 'waalhaven' Rotterdam' and a photo from the 'Taklift 7'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dutchmetal/2551353229/

http://www.bymnews.com/photos/displayim ... &pid=26837

IBH wrote:I'm pretty sure that the crane above is owned by Commercial Marine & Piling Ltd
http://www.cmp.uk.com

I had an email from CMP today saying that the crane isn't one of theirs. However they did tell me who owns it; G Baker Marine Ltd who are based in Southampton. Google however doesn't bring up a website for them...it would be nice to confirm with them the crane is still on the river (or that it is elsewhere). I've been informed by a few people who often travel this route across to the IoW and back that it hasn't been seen for some time...