The Fairfield Titan was a

giant cantilever crane A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist rope, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It is mainly used for lifting heavy objects and transporti ...

BAE Systems BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...

' Govan shipyard, and the largest such crane on the

River Clyde The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...

until it was demolished in 2007.

History

The crane was built by Sir William Arrol & Co. at the

Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company The Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited was a Scottish shipbuilding company in the Govan area on the Clyde in Glasgow. Fairfields, as it is often known, was a major warship builder, turning out many vessels for the Royal Navy ...

yard in 1911, and was first used to install machinery in ''

HMS New Zealand (1911) HMS ''New Zealand'' was one of three s built for the defence of the British Empire. Launched in 1911, the ship was funded by the government of New Zealand as a gift to Britain, and she was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1912. She had been ...

''. The Titan was last used six weeks before its demolition, assembling a

Type 45 destroyer The Type 45 destroyer, also known as the D or ''Daring'' class, is a Ship class, class of six guided-missile destroyers built for the United Kingdom's Royal Navy in the early 21st century. The class is primarily designed for Anti-aircraft warfa ...

. Despite being

category A listed This is a list of Category A listed buildings in Scotland, which are among the listed buildings of the United Kingdom. For a fuller list, see the pages linked on List of listed buildings in Scotland. Key The organization of the lists in th ...

, 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. The crane features in the song ''Shipyard Apprentice'' by Scottish traditional music group

Battlefield Band Battlefield Band were a Scottish traditional music group. Founded in Glasgow in 1969, they have released over 30 albums and undergone many changes of lineup. As of 2010, none of the original founders remain in the band. The band is noted for t ...

Design

The original tested capacity was uprated to , and then later derated to . Two electric motors powered the main hoist, and a motor actuated an auxiliary hoist to allow loads of up to to be lifted at the maximum radius of .

References

External links

Demantling of the 'Fairfield' Titan Crane, Govan, Glasgow (Flickr gallery)
{{coord, 55.866704, -4.323745, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Individual cranes (machines) Buildings and structures in Glasgow Govan Buildings and structures completed in 1911 Buildings and structures demolished in 2007