BNSF moves 4,000 ton Modular Crane to Ponca City, OK.

[samfp1943]

A story in PM-he BNSF News (08/22/2013), and an e-mail from a Poster on a website I monitor noted the move of this Modular crane from Port of Houston,Tx. to the Phillips-Conoco Refinery in Ponca City, Okla.

[Fixed links  PM 08/27/2013 ]

Try this llnk: (08/22/2013)  @  http://www.bnsf.com/

The try here (BNSF News) @ http://www.bnsf.com/employees/communications/bnsf-news/

Then go here: (BNSF News //BNSF moves mammoth Mammoet crane)

http://www.bnsf.com/employees/communications/bnsf-news/2013/august/2013-08-22-b.html

This BNSF article also has an artists representation of the crane , accompanying the article. 

Description FTA: "...Designed by Mammoet, a leader in the heavy lifting and heavy transport industry, this is one of the world's largest module cranes. It is so large that it takes two months to build and another two months to disassemble. The crane's boom length alone is 587 feet - twice the height of the Statue of Liberty.

The 4,000-ton crane was transported in nearly 200 20- and 40-foot intermodal units, including flat racks, open top/side containers and closed containers. All of the containers were engineered to carry a specific component of the crane and can handle weights in excess of traditional intermodal containers. Some of the 40-foot sections of the crane superstructure can actually double as open containers during transport. Most of the containers were transported in intermodal well cars, although some require heavy-duty flat cars..."

Here is a video of one of these cranes ( advertisement video by Mammoet)

@ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGrGOOvtlQo

Progressive Railroading  Magazine (08/23/2012 has a story also about this move

@ lhttp://www.progressiverailroading.com/bnsf_railway/news/BNSF-moves-mammoth-crane-from-Houston-port-to-Oklahoma-refinery--37396

FTA:"...Earlier this summer, BNSF Railway Co. began the process of moving a large industrial crane from the Port of Houston to Ponca City, Okla., where it will be used at a Phillips 66 refinery for six to eight weeks in fall to replace two massive coke drums used in oil refining..."

I had no idea what a " Coke Drum"  was.  found this bit of info

  @  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_coke

It basicly says that :PART OF THE COKING  PROCESS IS DONE IN ROTARY KILNS.

There ware several videos that show the placement of these refinery items as their content. 

 My curiosity is, how are the coke kilns coming in to the Refinery. I would suspect that they will not be built on site...

Will they be requiring one of the big Schnabel Cars for the movement?

If so where will it come from to arrive in Ponca City sometime in the FALL?

[MP173]

Thanks Sam for the link.

 

That video on Mammoet was worth watching.  Perhaps it was my computer speaker, but it seemed a bit heavy on the music (sort of reminded me of early U2) which drowned out the commentary.

Ed

 

[samfp1943]

    I appreciate the comment, Ed.   I thought it was an appropriate post here because of what had to be a tremendous logistical effort all through that operation... The two hundred or so cars that were moved up to Ponca City from Port of Houston. The shear job of assembly of the crane. 

   Sort of figured that Houston Ed would have been involved down at PTRA in Houston.  My plan is to get down in the Ponca City area and see if that thing is possibly visible from some vantage point off site. At almost 60 stories tall, It has got to be impressive. 

  Not to mention the Kilns that it is going to move.  The articles never mention anything other than moving two existing kilns at the refinery... If they are going to be replaced, then those replacements will have to come in from some place...(My Guess    )  So if that happens closest river port is Tulsa area, or from overseas, it would be Houston, or maybe another Gulf Port.  It would prpobably be a rail move , as well ( Schnable Car, and all. (?)  Just speculation on my part. 

[BaltACD]

Heavy lift it is!

Watching the manufacturing process - a whole lot of heavy duty welding and fabrication.

[Murphy Siding]

     Does a shipper ask for a bid to move that on the railroad, or is it more of a case just shipping it and sending the bill?

[edblysard]

.

[JamesM1979]

Here is a picture of the crane set up on location at the Ponca City, OK Conoco refinery.

[samfp1943]

Thanks, James M1975: 

      The picture is great!    Sure matches the ones in the BNSF piece (except for the addition of the Storage Tank!). 

  The Coke Kins they are setting up to move.   Do you know if  they going to move  them up off- site, or repair them; then place them back?  Or are they bringing in  new kilns to replace the old ones? 

Sorry for the questions. It is kind of interesting to see this kind of activity in this area.

[JamesM1979]

From what I understand, they are removing the 2 old units and installing 2 new units.

They just replaced one of these units that was very close to the roadway and they closed the road while they did it.

I wonder if the reason for such a large crane is for its reach.  It looks like a more congested area where these units are which would make it more difficult to get the Coke Drum on the truck close to its destination.

That last paragraph is all just speculation, I really have no idea.