Glasgow And Ships Of The Clyde

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Thursday, January 9, 2025 @ 1500 		Own Page

Repair plan for Titan crane at James Watt Dock, Greenock after safety concerns .... PART 1 OF 2
Ship's locationJames Watt Dock, Greenock (Scotland, UK)

From BBC Scotland online news 9 January 2025

 

Repair plan for iconic crane after safety alert

  1. A lattice type crane beside a dock, with modern buildings behind it and large ships in the river

    The James Watt Dock crane has been part of Greenock's skyline since 1917

    Calum Watson
    BBC News
    • 9 January 2025
    Updated 8 hours ago

    Urgent repairs have been ordered on a giant Clydeside crane after fears the 107-year-old structure could be crumbling.

    A safety exclusion zone was ordered beneath the Titan crane at Greenock's James Watt Dock in mid-December after reports of "material" landing on a boat in the nearby marina during high winds.

    Heritage campaigners and local politicians have voiced concern that the category A-listed crane - one of only four surviving Titans on the Clyde - is not being properly maintained.

    The crane's owners say an inspection found no parts were missing but remedial works will begin in the coming weeks to allow the exclusion zone to be lifted.

    A crane stands in the distance next to a black red and white ship which is moored in a dock. Another ship is moored on the other side of the dockInverclyde Heritage Network

    The crane was used for fitting out ships when Greenock was a shipbuilding town

    The Greenock Titan Crane was built in 1917 by Sir William Arrol & Co Ltd - one of the leading Glasgow engineering firms of the 19th and 20th Centuries.

    The company built some of the UK's most famous steel structures, including the second Tay Bridge, the Forth Bridge and Tower Bridge in London.

    The giant cantilever crane at Greenock stands 150ft (48m) tall and was once rated to lift 150 tonnes - the equivalent of about 30 adult elephants.

    In Inverclyde's shipbuilding heyday it was used for lifting the heaviest objects into ships, particularly engines which were often made by the nearby Kincaid works.

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  9. A blue painted crane photographed at night. The crane is constructed of giant latticed girders.
    Transient Places

    The James Watt Dock Titan crane, photographed some years ago. Images courtesy of Transient Places. All images are copyrighted.

  10. A blue painted crane photographed at night. The crane is constructed of giant latticed girders. There are orange and white lights in the distance.
    Transient Places
  11. The interior of the crane's cab. The glass is broken in some of the windows and dials can be viewed as part of the equipment.
    Transient Places
  12. A blue painted crane photographed at night. The crane is constructed of giant latticed girders.
    Transient Places