Dockside cranes on the move again - Bristol
30th May 2011
Dockside cranes on the move again
26/05/2011
News
Bristol’s much-loved dockside cranes are on the move again - thanks to thousands of hours of hard work by volunteers, and a £50,000 cash boost from the Friends of Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives.
After four years of being marooned at one end of the quay, on Wednesday 25 May all four will ‘walk’ back to their usual positions on Princes Wharf, the first time that they’ve all moved under their own power for 35 years. A key element in achieving this has been the reinstatement of the quayside power supply, an expensive job that the Friends have funded.
The electric cranes on Princes Wharf are the last survivors of over 30 in the City Docks at their busiest. Restoration work started on the cranes way back in 2001, but with the opening of M Shed just weeks away, works to get them in tip-top condition have accelerated. Now, Bristol’s historic harbour can boast two fully functioning cranes and a third crane almost restored to its former glory. Work has also started on the fourth crane. The cranes will feature in a visual spectacle on 17th June to mark the opening of M Shed and visitors to the museum will be able to visit the cabs and see the cranes in action on regular occasions.
Each crane has had all the control gear stripped out; these have been clean and repaired. The wiring has been checked and where necessary replaced to ensure everything meets appropriate standards for electrical installations. A significant number of new window frames have been made and installed to the crane cabs, other window frames have received major repair and renovation works. In one case, the whole of the front of the cab has been rebuilt. Each of the three fully working cranes has had a new rope, thanks to specialised fitting by crane riggers from the Bristol Port Company.
Bristol City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for culture, Cllr Simon Cook, says: “The restored cranes look amazing.
Their place on the harbourside outside M Shed are a physical reminder of how important a role our historic docks have played in the city’s economic development. Thanks must go to the Friends and volunteers who have made a significant contribution to bringing the cranes back to life.”
Andy King, Bristol City Council’s curator of Industrial & Maritime History, says: “It’s marvellous to see the cranes moving again - they’re a stunning sight as they glide almost silently along their tracks. Bristol’s proud of its industrial heritage and it’s right and fitting that every effort has been made to restore these beautiful industrial structures which were once the heartbeat of the Bristol’s thriving port. I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who has worked so hard and given up their time so freely to bring the cranes back to life. I know the cranes will be a star attraction for visitors to M Shed.”
Mary Bailey, chairman of the Friends of Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives, added: “Half of our donation was vital in getting the power supply re-connected to the cranes so that they can once again operate safely. The other half was spent on fitting out the workshop used by the volunteers to work on the cranes and other dockside exhibits. We are delighted that our funds have been instrumental in ensuring that the museum’s working exhibits can continue to operate and give visitors a flavour of Bristol’s industrial history in action. It makes all the hard work involved in raising funds worthwhile.”
26/05/2011
News
Bristol’s much-loved dockside cranes are on the move again - thanks to thousands of hours of hard work by volunteers, and a £50,000 cash boost from the Friends of Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives.
After four years of being marooned at one end of the quay, on Wednesday 25 May all four will ‘walk’ back to their usual positions on Princes Wharf, the first time that they’ve all moved under their own power for 35 years. A key element in achieving this has been the reinstatement of the quayside power supply, an expensive job that the Friends have funded.
The electric cranes on Princes Wharf are the last survivors of over 30 in the City Docks at their busiest. Restoration work started on the cranes way back in 2001, but with the opening of M Shed just weeks away, works to get them in tip-top condition have accelerated. Now, Bristol’s historic harbour can boast two fully functioning cranes and a third crane almost restored to its former glory. Work has also started on the fourth crane. The cranes will feature in a visual spectacle on 17th June to mark the opening of M Shed and visitors to the museum will be able to visit the cabs and see the cranes in action on regular occasions.
Each crane has had all the control gear stripped out; these have been clean and repaired. The wiring has been checked and where necessary replaced to ensure everything meets appropriate standards for electrical installations. A significant number of new window frames have been made and installed to the crane cabs, other window frames have received major repair and renovation works. In one case, the whole of the front of the cab has been rebuilt. Each of the three fully working cranes has had a new rope, thanks to specialised fitting by crane riggers from the Bristol Port Company.
Bristol City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for culture, Cllr Simon Cook, says: “The restored cranes look amazing.
Their place on the harbourside outside M Shed are a physical reminder of how important a role our historic docks have played in the city’s economic development. Thanks must go to the Friends and volunteers who have made a significant contribution to bringing the cranes back to life.”
Andy King, Bristol City Council’s curator of Industrial & Maritime History, says: “It’s marvellous to see the cranes moving again - they’re a stunning sight as they glide almost silently along their tracks. Bristol’s proud of its industrial heritage and it’s right and fitting that every effort has been made to restore these beautiful industrial structures which were once the heartbeat of the Bristol’s thriving port. I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who has worked so hard and given up their time so freely to bring the cranes back to life. I know the cranes will be a star attraction for visitors to M Shed.”
Mary Bailey, chairman of the Friends of Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives, added: “Half of our donation was vital in getting the power supply re-connected to the cranes so that they can once again operate safely. The other half was spent on fitting out the workshop used by the volunteers to work on the cranes and other dockside exhibits. We are delighted that our funds have been instrumental in ensuring that the museum’s working exhibits can continue to operate and give visitors a flavour of Bristol’s industrial history in action. It makes all the hard work involved in raising funds worthwhile.”
