Fairfield Titan

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]

The Fairfield Titan crane, with the RFA Cardigan Bay (L3009) under construction in the background.

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 tonnes (200 long tons; 220 short tons) tested capacity was uprated to 250 tonnes (250 long tons; 280 short tons) c. 1941, and then later derated to 220 tonnes (220 long tons; 240 short tons).[7] Two 65 brake horsepower (48 kW) electric motors powered the main hoist, and a 95 brake horsepower (71 kW) motor actuated an auxiliary hoist to allow loads of up to 40 tonnes (39 long tons; 44 short tons) to be lifted at the maximum radius of 161 feet (49 m).[8]

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. "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.

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