Mechanical Dinosaurs: The Gentle Giants of Fremantle Port

Ever cruised past Fremantle Port and spotted those towering giants on the horizon ? They look like metallic brachiosaurs, towering as if they reach for the sky. Locals have nicknamed the machine " Mechanical Dinosaurs" . And honestly if you look at the featured picture above from Sam Wilson they look like one, except these prehistoric lookalikes are not stomping around causing chaos.

As reported in the Fremantle Shipping News in early 1920s 4 Babcock & Wilcox cranes supported the logistics activities across the port.

Until the introduction of Container Cranes or Container Gantry Cranes in 1970s.

By the 1920s and 30s, Fremantle boasted a total of 4 Babcock & Wilcox cranes. These cranes, with cargo nets, were used to load and unload the cargo vessels that called into Fremantle, before the introduction, in the 1970s, of the shipping containers we use today. Three of the early B&W cranes remain intact and may be found resting behind the Fremantle Maritime Museum.

Container Gantry Cranes

Container Gantry Cranes are designed for heavy duty task of loading and unloading containers from vessels at container terminals. These cranes are mounted on rail tracks along the quay and have high lifting capacity, ranging from 40 to over 100 tons depending on the design.

They have long, horizontal beams that extend over the ship, equipped with a spreader bar or lifting device that can lift and secure containers. These cranes play an important role in reducing the overall turnaround time of ships in port, a major factor in port efficiency across the shipping industry.

American Harbor and Docking Pilots Association recommends

To minimize the risk of a vessel collision with a terminal gantry crane, the American Harbor and Docking Pilots Association recommends that all terminal operators with gantry cranes adopt the following Best Practices:

1) Prior to a vessel’s arrival or departure from a berth, gantry cranes should be positioned close together, near the amidships section of the vessel (avoiding the vessel’s bow and stern flair).

2) Idle gantry crane booms should be topped up over empty berths. If a boom cannot be topped up, tug dispatchers and pilots should be notified.

3) Gantry cranes should not be moved while a vessel is berthing. Moving a crane could put it into an unsafe position, and also disorients and distracts the docking pilot.

4) No personnel should be allowed aloft on a gantry crane during berthing or unberthing operations.

Safe Work Australia

SWA also provides direction for Stevedoring. This involves all activities directly connected with:?

• loading or unloading vessel cargo?
• stacking and storing on the wharf?
• receiving and delivering cargo within the terminal or facility.?

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