Fairfield Titan

The Fairfield Titan was a giant cantilever crane at BAE Systems' Govan shipyard, and the largest such crane on the River Clyde until it was demolished in 2007.^[1]

The Fairfield Titan crane, with the RFA Cardigan Bay (L3009) under construction in the background.

History

The crane was built by Sir William Arrol & Co. at the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company yard in 1911, and was first used to install machinery in HMS New Zealand (1911).^[2][3]

The Titan was last used six weeks before its demolition, assembling a Type 45 destroyer.^[4] Despite being category A listed, 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.^[4]

The crane features in the song Shipyard Apprentice by Scottish traditional music group Battlefield Band.^[5][6]

Design

The original 200-tonne (220-short-ton) tested capacity was uprated to 250 t (280 short tons) c. 1941, and then later derated to 220 t (240 short tons).^[7] Two 65-brake-horsepower (48-kilowatt) electric motors powered the main hoist, and a 95-brake-horsepower (71-kilowatt) motor actuated an auxiliary hoist to allow loads of up to 40 t (44 short tons) to be lifted at the maximum radius of 161 ft (49.1 m).^[8]