Looking Back: Cranes

Mon December 13, 2021
HCEA

The HCEA gives us a look at cranes from the past.

The Historical Construction Equipment Association (HCEA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to preserving for public education the history of the construction, dredging and surface mining equipment industries.

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A Universal Crane Company crane with riveted boom is mounted on this late 1920s Sterling carrier. In place of the truck’s rear axle is a Motor Truck Crawler assembly produced by Christie Crawlers Inc. The crawlers allowed for greater mobility and stability on site, and were removed, as shown here, for travel on the assembly’s hard rubber rollers. One crawler is visible behind the rear tire.
(Thomas S. Peirce, HCEA Archives photo)

A Byers Model 3 Auto-Crane ¾ cu. yd. half-track clamshell crane loads dump wagons drawn by a Holt 70-120 tractor. The state of Nebraska owned this equipment.
(Duane Parsons, HCEA Archives photo)

A Moore Brothers Speedcrane, ancestor to the Manitowoc crane line of today, charges a hopper
that in turn loads gondola cars.
(Bob Walkner, HCEA Archives photo)

In 1957, an Austin-Western self-propelled hydraulic crane is being used by James D. Morrissey Inc. to place concrete on Roosevelt Blvd. in Philadelphia in odd places a dry batch paver couldn’t reach.
(Austin-Western Road Machinery Company image, HCEA Archives photo)

Contracting & Material Company of Evanston, Ill., has a pair of Bucyrus-Erie 14B cranes setting pipe on a residential project. These 15-ton capacity cranes, which B-E called wagon cranes although they were self-propelled, ride on model 4215 carriers built by Maxi Corporation. Maxi was formerly Six Wheels Inc.; the Maxi name originated with the Six Wheels advertising slogan of “Maxi Engineering.”
(Bucyrus-Erie photograph, HCEA Archives photo)

Link-Belt TCC-1400 Lends Versatility to Va. Express Lane Extension Project →

A Link-Belt Cranes 140-ton TCC-1400 is assisting the construction of an express lane extension project in Tysons Corner, Va.

Link-Belt 348 Series 2 Lattice Cranes Handle $170M Mixed-Use Build →

Link-Belt Cranes' 300-ton 348 Series 2 lattice crawler cranes placed precast concrete panels as part a $170 million, 650,000-sq.-ft.

NessCampbell's New Grove GMK6450-1 Powers Towboat Assembly in Seattle →

NessCampbell Crane + Rigging, a leader in crane and rigging solutions across the Pacific Northwest, partnered with Western Towboat to assemble a new towboat at its Seattle facility.

Erlinger Is Heavy-Duty Resource for Major Construction Work →

After joining what is today Russ Erlinger Crane Service in Lebanon, Ill., in 1988, Rich Hillesheim advanced through the company to later become its president and owner.

Load Weight Plays Key Role in Keeping Crane Jobs Safe →

The first step in planning a lift is to determine the weight of the load. A true understanding of load limits is critical to safe construction crane operations.

Lift Planning Requires Strict Attention When Working On Wind Projects →

Mobile cranes, especially crawlers and all-terrains, are critical components in wind turbine installation.

Liebherr Supplies Two Ship-to-Shore Cranes to Port Newark Container Terminal →

Liebherr announced the successful delivery of two ship-to-shore container (STS) cranes to Port Newark Container Terminal (PNCT), marking another milestone in the company's long-standing support of the U.S.

Select Crane Sales Adds to Team in Mid-Atlantic Market →

The Mid-Atlantic expansion of Select Crane Sales continues with a new addition to its sales force. Bruce Alvis joins Select Crane Sales as the Mid-Atlantic territory manager.

World's Strongest Land-Based Crane Passes Test Program →

Mammoet has officially completed testing of the SK6000 — the world's strongest land-based crane.

Tadano AC 7.450-1 Performs Double Duty in Wisconsin →

Major Wisconsin contractor Findorff had a unique opportunity to showcase the versatile performance of a mobile crane recently during the construction of a new 44-story mixed-use building in Milwaukee.