swisslet

They’ve winched a new bridge over the Trent today using one of the biggest cranes in the world (« Big Carl »). It really is quite a thing to behold.

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Edit: apparently this crane is a CC6800 and is nicknamed « the Beast », not the SGC250 known as « Big Carl ». Apologies to all crane fans for my error. I’m listening and I’m trying to learn.

Nov 10 at 12:48pmWeb
Show threadKalle KniiviläNov 10
@swisslet Nice. Funny how it looks the ballast to the right is hanging at an angle. Must be the wide angle lens.
Show threadLars FosdalNov 10
@swisslet Engineers rock! :)
Show threadExtreme ElectronicsNov 10
@swisslet Is this the new footbridge near Trent Bridge ?
Show threadswissletNov 10
@Extelec yes. Just downstream of Lady Bay Bridge and spanning Trent Basin into Hook Nature Reserve.
Show threadAndy WoottonNov 10
@swisslet "Who, me? I drive a counter-balance".
Show threadHoward GeesNov 10
@swisslet I had been hoping for bad weather so I could see it happen tomorrow instead.
Show threadDave FischerNov 10
@swisslet For something on this scale, is the main sequence programmed, or is someone actually driving that manually?
Show threadswissletNov 10
@davefischer 🤷‍♀️ pretty awesome, eh?
Show threadDaniel GibsonNov 10
@swisslet
Are you sure that's Big Carl?
Big Carl looks different on https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-somerset-49673561
And it's a SGC 250, while the one used for the bridge (according to https://westbridgfordwire.com/new-bridge-over-river-trent-now-lifted-into-position-by-the-tallest-crane-in-europe/) is a CC6800
Hinkley Point: World's largest crane begins work in Somerset

Standing at 656ft (250m) tall, Big Carl is due to be in the west country for the next four years.

Show threadswissletNov 10
@Doomed_Daniel 🤷‍♀️
Show threadAndrew J SpauldingNov 10
@swisslet . OUTSTANDING!!
Show threadEm & future cats 🇺🇦🐈🏳️‍🌈Nov 10

@swisslet That is really quite amazing, if anyone from 200-300 (and previous) years ago could have seen something like this! Being able to just “place” an entirely built bridge where we need it would have been amazing to behold!

Now if only we could put the rest of our clever minds together to solve our daily world problems we would be getting somewhere 😹 (and getting enough gumption to stand up to evil rich people)😹

Show threadswissletNov 10
@em_and_future_cats they built the whole thing in Hucknall, proofed and protected it, dismantled it and shipped it across town to be assembled and dropped into place. The whole operation hsd been pretty mind boggling. It will open to pedestrians and cyclists in the spring, apparently.