In the early years of my career I operated a 1967 American-Clyde 110 ton friction crane. I miss that machine so much. It had friction boom, holding line, and closing line. So much fun to operate, 3 brake pedals, 3 clutch levers, 3 parking brake levers. Electric swing, and travel. You'd be slapping levers like crazy. Friction separates the operators, from the lever pullers. When we decommissioned the machine, it was purchased by one of the largest crane companies in the world, Lampson. They completely rebuilt it, gave it a longer boom, and mounted it to a construction barge. Old girl is living a second life.
Nice to hear 👍 must give you a level of satisfaction to know it’s still going. P.S. I live in MA. and HALLAMORE is one of the biggest rigging companies in the area.
Technology sure has come a long way being a crane operator is always going to be stressful but having so many options does make it easier! I have run cranes that didn’t even have a heater and look how comfortable and operator friendly that machine is! Thanks gentlemen for taking the time and the cost to make this video it’s nice for old guys like me to keep up with technology 😀🇨🇦
We still operate these cranes regularly in washington clam shell dredging and pile driving. A lot of them are skagit,clyde iron works,washington iron works,dravo,american, and manitowoc. Most are a mixtture of cranes all cobbled together and re powerd some more stock than others.most have limited too no operational aids.working with the cranes is awsome i will miss them when they are gone.
Exceptionally informative and important overview of the history and advancements in the technical aspects of cranes. Really interesting to learn about Manitowoc being responsible for the integration of hydraulics in the controls and power distribution in all of the various functions of the machine. As someone who has had a lifelong passion for these machines I was really impressed with this tutorial. I just turned 60 recently and have always wished that I could have broken into the field of rigging and hoisting but it was extremely difficult to get into the union which is local 4. In Massachusetts. It seemed as though you had to know someone who was in it that could give you a referral or a connection. But I soaked up a ton of knowledge over the years just by reading and watching videos etc. Thank you so much for giving me another chunk of knowledge through this excellent video 🙏😎👍
In my long years of crane operating, I have been in the seat of both friction and hydro. Give me the friction anytime. To me if the machine is adjusted right, the friction is much smoother and faster. Hydro is nice for sure. I got my NCCCO license on using both. I did not get to operate long but the Manitowoc 4100 Vicon was the man and still is a great crane. Today, operators have gotten lazy and most want air conditioning that most of the old friction rigs did not have.
If I’m correct, with older machines you can “feel” it and work with it. For instance, an engine can tell you if it doesn’t like what’s going on by the sound, it also tells you what RPM’s it’s happy to run at. These older machines are, in a way, alive.
Thanks for video very good brings back lots of memories! makes me want to get back in the seat again ran several kinds of friction cranes back in seventies and eighties. After getting out of service very good thanks
I played a lot with a 250 ton truck P&H (70 feet of boom) from Hoffman out of Jersey (Belleville?) in 72 at Ft. Story at Virginia Beach Army base for Operation OSDOC. Had 2 cranes rented, one on the shore (me, I was on a D7 Cat) and another out in the Chesapeake bay on a cargo ship with an extended cab. The 250 was a lattice boom with 150 feet of boom, magnetic swing, modulated torque converter and 2-speed hoist and boom. Cummins up and down, 400 on the upper and a V-12 with an Allison and 4-speed aux. in the lower and the operators came with it. One raised bulldogs and was a hoot. Had a headache rack for conex boxes. OSDOC was a cargo handling exercise using the Army amphibs and a hovercraft from Canada. Had the start of a computer for end and side loads that you put cards into. The torque modulator was on a rheostat on the swing lever and the throttle on a twist grip on the boom lever. SWEET machine and I learned to run cranes in the Army overseas and played with this one a LOT! Even got to unload a conex box off an amphib and put it on a trailer pulled by a 5-ton.LONG time ago. THANKS!
For years I used a small crane with dragline. Of all the cranes I have operated, it is so much fun to operate a dragline. Keeps you going that thinking all the time. The new Riggs just don't do it for me. Got to have friction, the feel of the machine.
I've spent probably 5,000 hours operating and wrenching on a Link Belt LS98. It was powered by a Cat 3208 hooked to an Allison with a belt drive. It's since been repowered with a Cat 3406. Lots of time shimming clutch shoes to make it really hook up.
You don't have too free fall for lowering the load. You can release the master clutch leave your friction engaged on your hoist and release the hoist brake too lower in reverse through the gear train. If the crane has an overrunning sprague clutch for the boom the boom will come up if you do it this way so you have too dog the boom drum and release the sprague clutch. You can leave your master clutch engaged for heavy loads if you have the 3 stage torque converter for short distances which runs kinda like vicon . If you have controlled load lowering it is as simple as just powering down the load without worrying about any of that. Some american cranes have single lever control so when you apply the friction the brake releases and when you go too neutral the brake applies automatically. There are many options of lowering loads depending on weight and speed that is desired parts of line reeved transmission and draw works set ups. Get the books out when you operate these cranes do the maintenance get familiar with the machinery talk too people about them they are easy too run once all the gears mesh in your mind.
I've ran 45 SC, 65 SC, 604 and 703 Limas, 108 and 338 Link-belts. We thought if we had a crane with a torque converter and power down on 1 hoist we had it pretty good.
broke out on a 1963 P&H 430 TC gasoline waukesha in the upper and 671 detriot in the lower 100 foot of angle main boom and 30 foot jib load chart was permanently attached in the cab 45 years later did my last job on a Grove 5165 had 2 really thick manuals for boom and ctwt configuration
15:03 he says this is a freefall crane while standing and looking at the power down clutch. I don't know NY law but power down is legal for personel as far as I know.
6 min a true friction crane did not have the part directly in front of his hand. That power down clutch on the main line did what hydraulic cranes do but it's not automatic.
Before I took the seat of an old friction crane, an acquaintance told me this: "Remember. Gravity always works". Good advice for new operator.
In the early years of my career I operated a 1967 American-Clyde 110 ton friction crane. I miss that machine so much. It had friction boom, holding line, and closing line. So much fun to operate, 3 brake pedals, 3 clutch levers, 3 parking brake levers. Electric swing, and travel. You'd be slapping levers like crazy. Friction separates the operators, from the lever pullers. When we decommissioned the machine, it was purchased by one of the largest crane companies in the world, Lampson. They completely rebuilt it, gave it a longer boom, and mounted it to a construction barge. Old girl is living a second life.
Nice to hear 👍 must give you a level of satisfaction to know it’s still going.
P.S. I live in MA. and
HALLAMORE is one of the biggest rigging companies in the area.
Excellent Presentation!
Technology sure has come a long way being a crane operator is always going to be stressful but having so many options does make it easier!
I have run cranes that didn’t even have a heater and look how comfortable and operator friendly that machine is! Thanks gentlemen for taking the time and the cost to make this video it’s nice for old guys like me to keep up with technology 😀🇨🇦
We still operate these cranes regularly in washington clam shell dredging and pile driving. A lot of them are skagit,clyde iron works,washington iron works,dravo,american, and manitowoc. Most are a mixtture of cranes all cobbled together and re powerd some more stock than others.most have limited too no operational aids.working with the cranes is awsome i will miss them when they are gone.
THANK YOU fir a nicely narrated & interesting video.
I just watched it again, 2 months later. Excellent video!
Exceptionally informative and important overview of the history and advancements in the technical aspects of cranes. Really interesting to learn about Manitowoc being responsible for the integration of hydraulics in the controls and power distribution in all of the various functions of the machine. As someone who has had a lifelong passion for these machines I was really impressed with this tutorial. I just turned 60 recently and have always wished that I could have broken into the field of rigging and hoisting but it was extremely difficult to get into the union which is local 4. In Massachusetts. It seemed as though you had to know someone who was in it that could give you a referral or a connection. But I soaked up a ton of knowledge over the years just by reading and watching videos etc. Thank you so much for giving me another chunk of knowledge through this excellent video 🙏😎👍
In my long years of crane operating, I have been in the seat of both friction and hydro. Give me the friction anytime. To me if the machine is adjusted right, the friction is much smoother and faster. Hydro is nice for sure. I got my NCCCO license on using both. I did not get to operate long but the Manitowoc 4100 Vicon was the man and still is a great crane. Today, operators have gotten lazy and most want air conditioning that most of the old friction rigs did not have.
If I’m correct, with older machines you can “feel” it and work with it.
For instance, an engine can tell you if it doesn’t like what’s going on by the sound, it also tells you what RPM’s it’s happy to run at.
These older machines are, in a way, alive.
Thanks for video very good brings back lots of memories! makes me want to get back in the seat again ran several kinds of friction cranes back in seventies and eighties. After getting out of service very good thanks
57 seconds in and I love the oil running down the muffler. Classic.
I played a lot with a 250 ton truck P&H (70 feet of boom) from Hoffman out of Jersey (Belleville?) in 72 at Ft. Story at Virginia Beach Army base for Operation OSDOC. Had 2 cranes rented, one on the shore (me, I was on a D7 Cat) and another out in the Chesapeake bay on a cargo ship with an extended cab. The 250 was a lattice boom with 150 feet of boom, magnetic swing, modulated torque converter and 2-speed hoist and boom. Cummins up and down, 400 on the upper and a V-12 with an Allison and 4-speed aux. in the lower and the operators came with it. One raised bulldogs and was a hoot. Had a headache rack for conex boxes. OSDOC was a cargo handling exercise using the Army amphibs and a hovercraft from Canada. Had the start of a computer for end and side loads that you put cards into. The torque modulator was on a rheostat on the swing lever and the throttle on a twist grip on the boom lever. SWEET machine and I learned to run cranes in the Army overseas and played with this one a LOT! Even got to unload a conex box off an amphib and put it on a trailer pulled by a 5-ton.LONG time ago. THANKS!
For years I used a small crane with dragline. Of all the cranes I have operated, it is so much fun to operate a dragline. Keeps you going that thinking all the time. The new Riggs just don't do it for me. Got to have friction, the feel of the machine.
I've spent probably 5,000 hours operating and wrenching on a Link Belt LS98. It was powered by a Cat 3208 hooked to an Allison with a belt drive. It's since been repowered with a Cat 3406. Lots of time shimming clutch shoes to make it really hook up.
You don't have too free fall for lowering the load. You can release the master clutch leave your friction engaged on your hoist and release the hoist brake too lower in reverse through the gear train. If the crane has an overrunning sprague clutch for the boom the boom will come up if you do it this way so you have too dog the boom drum and release the sprague clutch. You can leave your master clutch engaged for heavy loads if you have the 3 stage torque converter for short distances which runs kinda like vicon . If you have controlled load lowering it is as simple as just powering down the load without worrying about any of that. Some american cranes have single lever control so when you apply the friction the brake releases and when you go too neutral the brake applies automatically. There are many options of lowering loads depending on weight and speed that is desired parts of line reeved transmission and draw works set ups. Get the books out when you operate these cranes do the maintenance get familiar with the machinery talk too people about them they are easy too run once all the gears mesh in your mind.
That is the cleanest American crane i have ever seen.
I do piledriving, I use old friction cranes, link belts and manitowocs
I've ran 45 SC, 65 SC, 604 and 703 Limas, 108 and 338 Link-belts. We thought if we had a crane with a torque converter and power down on 1 hoist we had it pretty good.
Just set up an American 7260 today with 170’ boom. We still use these old cranes
broke out on a 1963 P&H 430 TC gasoline waukesha in the upper and 671 detriot in the lower 100 foot of angle main boom and 30 foot jib load chart was permanently attached in the cab 45 years later did my last job on a Grove 5165 had 2 really thick manuals for boom and ctwt configuration
I cam to watch because they said at the Baltimore ship wreck clean up they are using friction cranes and did not want to use them in the rain.
15:03 he says this is a freefall crane while standing and looking at the power down clutch. I don't know NY law but power down is legal for personel as far as I know.
5:40 translation. The computer was your a$$.
Very interesting
Where do I take the nccco exam? I didn’t see nothing on the website
6 min a true friction crane did not have the part directly in front of his hand. That power down clutch on the main line did what hydraulic cranes do but it's not automatic.
Friction rigs separate the Men from the boys
Would love to run a 4100
Mlc 165 is run by pumps……not enough pumps😂😂
Clamshell in a 4100 for a 12 hour shift. That’ll put hair on your chest
I like 4100 vicon is nice.
Absolutely agree 100%. I’ve always said you operate a friction clutch crane, and drive a hydraulic crane.
15 min Drum brakes hoisted the load band brakes stopped or held the load.
really he teach
I’ll take a friction crane over hydraulic I prefer any 900 series American .
How many times a man can say ‘OK’. This is an example.
I ran and worked on the older friction rigs, and then started on the hydraulic type with remote controls
5 min Vicon took a multitude of evers to do what he's describing.
Excellent video!
IN 1970 THEY LIFTED US UP TO THE 14 TH FLOOR WITH THIS PIECE OF SHIT... I WAS ALWAYS SCARED WHEN THEY LOWERED US.