Fairfield Titan

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The Fairfield Titan crane, with the RFA Cardigan Bay (L3009) under construction in the background. Govan Shipyard - geograph.org.uk - 47590.jpg
The Fairfield Titan crane, with the RFA Cardigan Bay (L3009) under construction in the background.

The Fairfield Titan was a giant cantilever crane at BAE Systems' Govan shipyard, and the largest such crane on the River Clyde until it was demolished in 2007. [1]

Contents

History

The crane was built by Sir William Arrol & Co. at the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company yard in 1911, and was first used to install machinery in HMS New Zealand (1911) . [2] [3]

The Titan was last used six weeks before its demolition, assembling a Type 45 destroyer. [4] Despite being category A listed, permission was granted for its removal as it was hindering development of the yard, and it was dismantled over a period of three weeks and recycled. [4]

The crane features in the song Shipyard Apprentice by Scottish traditional music group Battlefield Band. [5] [6]

Design

The original 200-tonne (220-short-ton) tested capacity was uprated to 250 t (280 short tons)c.1941, and then later derated to 220 t (240 short tons). [7] Two 65-brake-horsepower (48-kilowatt) electric motors powered the main hoist, and a 95-brake-horsepower (71-kilowatt) motor actuated an auxiliary hoist to allow loads of up to 40 t (44 short tons) to be lifted at the maximum radius of 161 ft (49.1 m). [8]

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References

  1. "A giant comes down - once the world's biggest shipyard crane". Shipping Times UK. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  2. "Fairfield Crane". theglasgowstory.com. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  3. "Naval Institute Proceedings". 37. United States Naval Institute. 1911: 1056.Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. 1 2 "A giant comes down - once the world's biggest shipyard crane". Shipping Times. 31 August 2007. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  5. Shipyard Apprentice - The Battlefield Band on YouTube
  6. "The Fairfield Crane". mysongbook.de. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  7. "Glasgow, Govan Road, Fairfield Shipyard, Giant Cantilever Crane". CANMORE. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  8. "Institution of Electrical Engineers". Science Abstracts: Electrical Engineering Abstracts. 14: 385. 1911.

Coordinates: 55°52′00″N4°19′25″W / 55.866704°N 4.323745°W / 55.866704; -4.323745