Crane on a train

Austrian railway construction company Strabag Rail used a PCC 71.0002 crawler crane, made by Austrian crane and access equipment manufacture Palfinger, for a railway refurbishment project in Leipzig, Germany. The PCC71.002 was separated from the crawler tractor while still being powered by it - with both crane parts being located on the train. Palfinger said this was the first time it has heard of the crane being used in such a way.

The tractor was located on the wagon behind the crane thus reducing the height of the setup. This enabled work to be carried out underneath overhead power lines, without removing them. Crane operation was partly diesel and partly electric powered to reduce noise and exhaust fumes.

“As far as we know, this was the first time a PCC was used on a railway wagon and it opened many peoples’ eyes because it worked so well,” explained Hemmo Luijerink, head of sales and outbound management for Palfinger’s PCC crawler crane range.

Luijerink points to flexibility as being key to the PCC’s popularity. “In the face of efficiency, safety and reduction of transport efforts, crane users are increasingly meeting the limitations of conventional lifting solutions,” says Luijerink. “Here the compact crane kicks in with its serious lifting capacity, flexible footprint, and the ability to move behind structures or inside a building.

Palfinger entered the crawler market when the PCC range was launched in 2018.