11.06.2008

Photos from Wyoming

We have been sent a series of aerial views of the 1,100 ton Lampson Transilift that collapsed at the end of May.
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The fallen Lampson Transilift

The crane was lifting the large tube that can be seen in the photos, when it appears the superstructure came away from the transporter undercarriage, causing the whole crane to collapse. Lampson officials are reported to have said that "the ground shifted under the crane" causing the collapse."
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The large tube can that it was lifitng can be seen on the left

Three men were injured in the accident , two, including one of the operators, have now been released while the third is still in critical but stable condition in hospital.
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Vertikal Comment

A great deal of preparation was taken by Lamspons to walk this massive crane over the railway tracks into the site when it first arrived, without damaging what is one of the nations busiest railway routes.

It is very hard to imagine therefore that the crane was lifting from ground that had not been tested and analysed to the 'nth' degree, and that massive margins for error were not then calculated into the lifting platform.