Film of derailed train being craned off hillside in Scotland

.....That was something different.  Thanks for sharing.  That  must have been a super size crane.  Hope it was all successful.

It almost looks as if the crane is on the solid ground beyond the end of the bridge around the curve - but not quite.

The key trick would be to place the outriggers and any wheels that are carrying the weight directly above or as close to the pilings and caps as possible. They may have used timber mats and the like to achieve that, and/ or spread the weight out.

If you look closely, at the right hand side of some views are a couple of guys with a yellow surveying instrument. I suspect they were monitoring the bridge deck for deflection and settlement, to make sure nothing was going awry.

Very interesting little clip, esp. with the 'background' info from Keith for context. Thanks for sharing !

- Paul North.

Paul_D_North_Jr

1:05 long, preceded by a 30-second commercial for Xerox.

It almost looks as if the crane is on the solid ground beyond the end of the bridge around the curve - but not quite.

The key trick would be to place the outriggers and any wheels that are carrying the weight directly above or as close to the pilings and caps as possible. They may have used timber mats and the like to achieve that, and/ or spread the weight out.

If you look closely, at the right hand side of some views are a couple of guys with a yellow surveying instrument. I suspect they were monitoring the bridge deck for deflection and settlement, to make sure nothing was going awry.

Very interesting little clip, esp. with the 'background' info from Keith for context. Thanks for sharing !

- Paul North.

That is facinating, the way that car is being handled. I watchd and thoought that crane was a monster. My curiosity got the better of me and i started looking for it.

Link here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/abnormal_load_escorting/4693781008/in/pool-1319166@N23

and Linked here; (motor crane Liebherr LTM 1500-1000Ton):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/earlex/2404426550/

That is a mighty impressive piece of equipment working in a fairly confined location.  I thought some others might enjoy seeing this thing.  here's another link showing additional pictures of the set up area for the railroad recovery operation: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1319166@N23/pool/

We rode this route in 2005.  Great scenery.  These DMU trains are very common all over the rural areas of the UK.  Would it be "rocket science" for us to try these cars on some regional routes in this country.  It might not need years of studies and billions of tax money to try them. 

kbathgate

Here is a link to a short film showing the recovery of a carriage from the hillside at Loch Awe in the Scottish highlands.

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8736322.stm

The train (a 2-car 'class 156' DMU) was derailed by a rockslide, and although there were fortunately no serious injuries the leading car ended up in a very precarious position, supported by trees over a 50 foot drop down to the road and loch below.  Recovery was further complicated by the fact that the road is built on a low bridge over the loch, and there were initially concerns about whether it could support the weight of the crane.

This part of the Oban line is notorious for rockfalls, and has special semaphore 'stone signals' which have been in use since 1882.  This is only the second time that they have failed to prevent a derailment - the first time (in 1946) the fall happened right in front of a train, and on this recent occasion the rocks apparently fell from below the trip wires.

Interesting link....

A question though..it is my understanding that although train operations as well as maintenance-of-way operations are done by private companies derailment reaponse is handled directly by the public rail infrastructure owner, Network Rail?

I seem to remember reading that one of the leading U.S Derailment cleanup providers, Hulcher Professional Services, attempted to enter the UK market, but was unsuccessful...

That may be due to differences in preferred techniques, in North America derailments are commonly serviced by contractors using modified pipelayer tractors (crawler tractors with side mounted crane booms) as well as purpose-built hi-rail wrecking cranes. Of course in the UK much of the network is under catenary which may hamper the use of that type of machinery. I know a number of UK rail construction and maintenance companies own and operate specially built Kirow cranes which are set up to make heavy lifts under catenary, so I imagine these are a common tool at derailment sites:

http://www.kranunion.de/index.php?id=51&L=1

samfp1943

That is facinating, the way that car is being handled. I watchd and thoought that crane was a monster. My curiosity got the better of me and i started looking for it.

Good find.....a great pic. of that monster crane,  Looks very similar to the one that was used out at Hoover Dam bypass bridge some months ago when they removed the 4 temporary concrete towers that carried the load of the arches until they were connected at the keystone.

Carnej1:

               Thanks for providing that link to the KIROW Multi-Tasker rail cranes. I would have never suspected that such a heavy capacity of lift at such a low angle ( used under catenary) would be as apparently as effective as they have managed with that adjustable counterweight.  

Carnej1 link:  http://www.kranunion.de/index.php?id=51&L=1

 Here's another  link to a Kirow PDF with some illuminating photos!http://www.kranunion.de/fileadmin/Downloads/Kirow/brochures/MULTITASKER_E_ES.pdf

Thanks for sharing that info here.

Thanks to you both !  The photos at the Flickr site from the media outfit - I forget the name at the moment - of the recovery of the passenger car provide a few more details.  One of those photos appears to confirm what I suspected - the crane is not on the bridge, but on solid ground at the far end of it.  One advantage of such a high-lift capability crane is that since it is not lifting its maximum load, it need not be really close to the load - because it can reach farther while remaining stable, it can sit further back from the site to obtain a good location, as it apparently did here.

With regard to the Kirow Multi-Tasker cranes, I had no idea such a machine with that kind of capability existed.  Note that the counterweight not only telescopes out backwards to provide more of a - well, counter-weight.  Actually, what it provides is more distance for leverage, or 'moment' in structural engineering terms.  Also, it can remain in line with the track while the boom slews to the side at an angle - it's not a rigid frame.  Too, it appears to have been designed to take advantage of the support and stability of the track as much as possible in the longitudinal direction.  The trucks have a hydraulic feature that locks/ bypasses the springing arrangement to provide maximum stability, and also to level them when working on superelevated track.  I see that it can pick and carry small loads, such as track panels.  I wonder if there's anything like that here in the US  I could see a need for at least one, maybe owned by Amtrak or Metro North or even MTA, and based in the New York City area, where it could be available for use by those most likely to need it.  Wonder how many $ millions such a critter would cost . . .

Very interesting information.  Thanks again to both of you for researching and providing those links.

- Paul North.  

samfp1943

 Here's another  link to a Kirow PDF with some illuminating photos!

Wonderful illustrations / photos of Multi Tasker machines.....That sure must be the state of the art equipment. 

Paul_D_North_Jr

Thanks to you both !  The photos at the Flickr site from the media outfit - I forget the name at the moment - of the recovery of the passenger car provide a few more details.  One of those photos appears to confirm what I suspected - the crane is not on the bridge, but on solid ground at the far end of it.  One advantage of such a high-lift capability crane is that since it is not lifting its maximum load, it need not be really close to the load - because it can reach farther while remaining stable, it can sit further back from the site to obtain a good location, as it apparently did here.

With regard to the Kirow Multi-Tasker cranes, I had no idea such a machine with that kind of capability existed.  Note that the counterweight not only telescopes out backwards to provide more of a - well, counter-weight.  Actually, what it provides is more distance for leverage, or 'moment' in structural engineering terms.  Also, it can remain in line with the track while the boom slews to the side at an angle - it's not a rigid frame.  Too, it appears to have been designed to take advantage of the support and stability of the track as much as possible in the longitudinal direction.  The trucks have a hydraulic feature that locks/ bypasses the springing arrangement to provide maximum stability, and also to level them when working on superelevated track.  I see that it can pick and carry small loads, such as track panels.  I wonder if there's anything like that here in the US  I could see a need for at least one, maybe owned by Amtrak or Metro North or even MTA, and based in the New York City area, where it could be available for use by those most likely to need it.  Wonder how many $ millions such a critter would cost . . .

Very interesting information.  Thanks again to both of you for researching and providing those links.

- Paul North.  

I live near Amtrak's M.O.W yard in RI on the Northeast Corridor and I've never seen anything like that. They do have at least one large American locomotive crane based out of there and I've also seen smaller road rail cranes. I have seen them use the American under wire but it doesn't have the abilities the Kirow cranes do..

              With (according to information in their PDF file)  5,000 units delivered and flat lifting capacities to 650 tons in an eight axel rail crane.  The pictures of these things working is amazing.

linked:  http://www.kranunion.de/fileadmin/Downloads/Kirow/brochures/MULTITASKER_E_ES.pdf

              I would think that with low clearances in the Northeast, certainly AMTRAK would have one of these, if not a fleet of them as they work and work to re work the Corridor, its bridges and infrastructure.  Cost could not be a major factor, with the numbers of European Crane manufacturers providing products in this country; and they are imported for their uses as well.

   I guess  that there have not been many new high capacity railroad cranes produced in this country for some time. The big Industruial Brownhoist 250 ton cranes are few and far between, American( brand)R.R. Cranes in the larger versions do not seem to be much in evidence or widespread in use.

    Mostly, the railroads seem to employ cranes designed, and built with a use towards the construction industry and then adapted for railroad use (with Hy Rail equipment).   The companies that respond to railroad wreck sites prefer pipline side boom CATS adapted with some specialty equipment (reinforced sidebooms and oxy acetylene rigs mounted on them).     The railroads only, seem to keep railroad specific cranes for assistance in  Maintenance of bridges and buildings.    BNSF this past fall renewed several switchs, and control points (ie; on the Ark City Sub at Mulvane, and Derby areas) during their recent rail renewal effort.   At one point ,on the job were at least half a dozen larger John Deere Backhoes, used in the switch swap outs.  Herzog was the contractor on the rail renewal, but the railroad crews were most evident in the switch renewal.  Quite an interesting process to observe.

As with so many industries now even the railroads seem to be outsourcing more and more jobs.

 very interesting, thx for sharing.  That had to be a heavy load for the crane and in a nasty spot too, but they did it.

samfp1943

              With (according to information in their PDF file)  5,000 units delivered and flat lifting capacities to 650 tons in an eight axel rail crane.  The pictures of these things working is amazing.

linked:  http://www.kranunion.de/fileadmin/Downloads/Kirow/brochures/MULTITASKER_E_ES.pdf

              I would think that with low clearances in the Northeast, certainly AMTRAK would have one of these, if not a fleet of them as they work and work to re work the Corridor, its bridges and infrastructure.  Cost could not be a major factor, with the numbers of European Crane manufacturers providing products in this country; and they are imported for their uses as well.

   I guess  that there have not been many new high capacity railroad cranes produced in this country for some time. The big Industruial Brownhoist 250 ton cranes are few and far between, American( brand)R.R. Cranes in the larger versions do not seem to be much in evidence or widespread in use.

    Mostly, the railroads seem to employ cranes designed, and built with a use towards the construction industry and then adapted for railroad use (with Hy Rail equipment).   The companies that respond to railroad wreck sites prefer pipline side boom CATS adapted with some specialty equipment (reinforced sidebooms and oxy acetylene rigs mounted on them).     The railroads only, seem to keep railroad specific cranes for assistance in  Maintenance of bridges and buildings.    BNSF this past fall renewed several switchs, and control points (ie; on the Ark City Sub at Mulvane, and Derby areas) during their recent rail renewal effort.   At one point ,on the job were at least half a dozen larger John Deere Backhoes, used in the switch swap outs.  Herzog was the contractor on the rail renewal, but the railroad crews were most evident in the switch renewal.  Quite an interesting process to observe.

As with so many industries now even the railroads seem to be outsourcing more and more jobs.

At least when the RR's outsource jobs, they don't go overseas.....

 Although I do see contractor owned equipment on the NEC, particularly Georgetown Rail "Slot machines" (self propelled,articulated ballast trains with excavators working inside the "trough" of connected gons) and Loram ditching equipment , most of the M.O.W fleet is Amtrak owned and operated..

 As for the lack of Kirow equipment, Amtrak is perpetually strapped for cash so perhaps that is why the stick with their older Hi-rail and locomotive cranes. I agree that that type of crane would be very useful on the NEC and other lines in the Northeast..