All was well for 70 years, until 1974 when the old wooden bridge that crossed the railway track that separates the sleepy villages of Upper and Lower Island Pond, Vt., was deemed too dilapidated to remain open and was torn down. For three decades villagers wanting to cross the tracks safely have had to take a long walk around the town.
But thanks to constant petitioning by locals to the state and federal government, the villagers’ finally got their new bridge—all 48 ton of it. And with some Grove muscle, in the form of two 90-ton TMS900E truck cranes, the bridge was recently installed.
Because the railway had to be kept open and secure at all times, it was decided to construct the 114-ft bridge beside the tracks and then lift it in one piece into position over the railway. The size and weight of the bridge and the need to maintain control of both ends as they were lowered into position dictated the use of two cranes. The units were sold by New England Manitowoc Crane Group dealer Shawmut Equipment to Desrochers Crane Service of Derby, Vt., and Gould Crane Service of Hooksett, N.H., the lifting contractors on the job.
As the heavyweight of the Grove range of truck-mounted cranes, the TMS900E (Circle 900) features a 37-142-ft, five-section Megaform boom fitted with the patented Twin Lock boom pinning system. The Twin Lock system provides pre-selection of boom extension modes to efficiently pin sections automatically. If needed, there is also a 33-56-ft bifold lattice swing-away extension, but it was not needed at the Island Pond lift. Power is derived from a turbo-charged six-cylinder Cummins diesel engine that produces 450 bhp at 1,800 rpm. Maximum torque of 1,450 ft-lb is produced as low as 1,200 rpm.
With the two-stage outriggers in place the bridge was first lifted from its construction site adjacent to the railway to a pre-lift position straddling the tracks. From there the TMS900E operators controlled the final lift—up to meet the pre-built staircase abutments—using the Electronic Crane Operating System (ECOS). The EKS4 load moment indicator provided detailed feedback and control of the cranes’ operating functions throughout the lift. “Having two machines of exactly the same type made the lift very controllable as each crane was able to mirror the other’s actions,” said Shawmut Equipment’s Brian O’Connell. “The TMS900Es are proving popular with customers as they combine good lifting capacities with controllability and rapid setup times.”
With a crowd of over 200 spectators in attendance, the reuniting of the two villages of Lower and Upper Island Pond after an estrangement of over 30 years was greeted with loud cheers and the blowing of air horns. If the new bridge lasts as long as the first one, it shouldn’t need replacing until 2074. In other Manitowoc news, the company recently completed the sale of the Delta Manlift subsidiary to JLG Industries Inc. “With the completion of the sale, Manitowoc exits the aerial work platform segment and will concentrate on its core crane businesses, manufacturing crawler, tower and mobile telescopic cranes, as well as boom trucks,” said Terry D. Growcock, chairman and chief executive officer.
Back in March, the Manitowoc Crane Group signed an agreement with Kobelco Construction Machinery Co. of Japan to furnish Grove’s all-terrain cranes to Kobelco on an OEM basis under the Kobelco brand name to be sold by Kobelco in Japan.
Kobelco and Manitowoc also agreed to supply Kobelco’s lattice-boom crawler cranes on an OEM basis to be sold by Manitowoc in the Americas under the Manitowoc brand.
Products
What follows are brief descriptions of a few of the latest lift and crane products.
Quick drawer
The EZ Latch drawer system (Circle 901) available for service-body cranes from Maintainer Corp. of Iowa Inc., Sheldon, Iowa, can be used anywhere that organized storage is needed, whether for stationary or mobile applications. Lightweight aluminum reduces weight by 20% versus competitive steel drawer combinations. The use of high-strength aluminum with heavy-duty ball bearing slides makes these drawers as strong as steel, yet lightweight for easy installation and increased tool-carrying capacity. Drawer faces are powder-coated, and every drawer comes standard with two-way dividers. The dual latch system locks automatically when closed.
15-ton boom truck
The 1560 boom truck features a 15-ton crane capacity and a 60-ft main boom length, with an available high-storage-capacity boom stowage system. The latest boom truck from Elliott Equipment Co., Omaha, Neb., also sports a hydraulic capacity overload system with overload lockout for main boom lifting capacities. The 1560 (Circle 902) uses 10% fewer fittings than competitive units, according to the company, and allows easy access to all grease fittings. Operator amenities include cup holders and a 110-V charger on the operator’s console.
Big envelope
The Bronto Skylift SI 105 HDT is an insulated telescoping and articulating truck-mounted aerial device for utility line work up to 500 kV. It features a 105-ft working height and a 65-ft maximum side reach with a full 52-ft side reach at 75-ft working height, giving it one of the largest working envelopes in its size class. Coupled with a 360° continuous turntable rotation and 120° platform rotation, the SI 105 HDT (Circle 903) can easily reach more overhead working areas without repositioning the machine. Capacity on the 60 x 40 x 44-in. steel platform is 600 lb. The SI 105 HDT is available from Bronto Skylift, Westfield, Mass.
Maximum lifting
Iowa Mold Tooling Co., Garner, Iowa, has added two truck-mounted articulating cranes to its line: the 52/380 and the 72/516. These additions represent capabilities significantly greater than any unit previously offered by IMT. The 52/380 (Circle 904) and 72/516 (Circle 905) cranes are designed for two to eight hydraulic extensions. With eight hydraulic extensions, both models have a horizontal reach of 67.6 ft and a vertical reach of 77 ft. The maximum lifting capacity for the 52/380 crane is 26,000 lb, while the maximum for the 72/516 is 35,500 lb. Both offer 360° continuous rotation. The cranes can be equipped with hydraulic jibs as an option. Both models come standard with wireless radio controls.
Tire is served
The model 9000 is the largest tire service crane to fit on a Class 6 truck chassis, according to Stellar Industries Inc., Garner, Iowa. It is a 90,000 ft-lb crane with the capacity to lift 9,000 lb at 10 ft. It has a maximum horizontal reach of 16 ft from the centerline of the crane. The model 9000 (Circle 906) is considered a small to medium OTR (off the road) tire service crane. It will handle a 9,000-lb tire without a Tire Manipulator, and with the Stellar model 3107 Tire Manipulator, it will lift a 3,400-lb tire. Like other Stellar cranes, the 9000 has a hexagonal boom, a fully enclosed extension boom cylinder, load-holding counterbalance valves and standard radio remote control.
Climbing the mast
The space-efficient Max Climber 5700 Mast Climbing Work Platform (Circle 907) from Beta Max Inc., Melbourne, Fla., is easy to transport and features a double tower system with a lifting capacity of up to 5,700 lb. The system has a maximum platform length of 70 ft and a maximum working height of 265 ft. Each base unit is powered by two 1.5-kw motors and operates on 230-V, three-phase power. The Max Climber 5700 requires no forklift or crane for installation. It travels at 35 fpm and must be tied in at 20-ft intervals.
