Industrial History Online
Crane base
Key Words :- crane
Address :- Mill Park, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB1
Grid Ref :- TL 46045 57181
Co-ordinates :- Lat 52.19353 , Long 0.135236
Local Authority :- Cambridge City Council
Pre 1974 County :- Cambridgeshire
Site Status :- Site extant - No Protection
Description and History of Site:-
Base of crane erected sometime between 1863 and 1888 within the Great Northern Railways Goods Yard.
Re-sited here during redevelopment of the CB1 station area sometime in the 2010s.
Sign reads:
'Cast-iron base of 5 ton goods yard crane, erected on this site sometime between 1863 and 1888.
'One of the few remaining pieces of industrial archaeology remaining from the Great Northern Railway's goods yard, originally situated close to this location. Cranes of this type were used at almost every railway station and canal wharf in Britain. Unfortunately, the winding gears and jib have been long since lost from this example.
'The crane would have originally been operated by hand for the removal of coal from railway wagons in the sidings, onto an adjacent horse and cart, or latterly a truck. 5 tons refers to the amount the crane could safely lift, though without any form of weighing system, this was left purely to the skill and experience of the operator to judge the load.'
Described in a 2004 conservation appraisal, pre-development:
'Cast iron with six fins bolted to concrete base. Circular cast-iron plinth surrounded by a course of sett work with tapering column rising from it to height of approx 6ft.
'Domed column top with heavy drip beneath has connection shaft to missing jib above.'
Further Reading and References:-
https://files.cambridge.gov.uk/public/ldf/coredocs/RD-NE/RD-NE-150/Station%20CAA.pdf
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Grid Ref :- TL 46045 57181
Co-ordinates :- Lat 52.19353 , Long 0.135236
Local Authority :- Cambridge City Council
Pre 1974 County :- Cambridgeshire
Site Status :- Site extant - No Protection
Base of crane erected sometime between 1863 and 1888 within the Great Northern Railways Goods Yard.
Re-sited here during redevelopment of the CB1 station area sometime in the 2010s.
Sign reads:
'Cast-iron base of 5 ton goods yard crane, erected on this site sometime between 1863 and 1888.
'One of the few remaining pieces of industrial archaeology remaining from the Great Northern Railway's goods yard, originally situated close to this location. Cranes of this type were used at almost every railway station and canal wharf in Britain. Unfortunately, the winding gears and jib have been long since lost from this example.
'The crane would have originally been operated by hand for the removal of coal from railway wagons in the sidings, onto an adjacent horse and cart, or latterly a truck. 5 tons refers to the amount the crane could safely lift, though without any form of weighing system, this was left purely to the skill and experience of the operator to judge the load.'
Described in a 2004 conservation appraisal, pre-development:
'Cast iron with six fins bolted to concrete base. Circular cast-iron plinth surrounded by a course of sett work with tapering column rising from it to height of approx 6ft.
'Domed column top with heavy drip beneath has connection shaft to missing jib above.'
https://files.cambridge.gov.uk/public/ldf/coredocs/RD-NE/RD-NE-150/Station%20CAA.pdf
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Contributor :- Cambridge IAG - 7 January 2023
Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Cambridge IAG
Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Cambridge IAG