Nuclear Crane

[seriesonewelder]

You'll find this interesting ~
A local engineering company has built this crane which will be used to remove nuclear fuel rods from decommissioned Royal Navy submarines.

I took a picture one morning and a few days later a piece was in the local paper about it with a few facts - It has cost £1.5m, took 8000 hours to build and weighs nearly 60 tons.
By now it will be at the Devonport Royal Dockyard, Plymouth.

 

[madkayaker]

its even babcock blue

 

[seriesonewelder]

its even babcock blue

Apart from the yellow bridge beam it was unpainted

 

[Pete.]

Those subs have to be decommissioned but the money it's going to cost is staggering. 1.5m is a drop in the ocean.

 

[madkayaker]

Apart from the yellow bridge beam it was unpainted

the down legs look blue to me

 

[AndyStobbs]

There is a similar looking (though smaller) thing on Anglesey. I've often wondered if its something to do with the Wylfa nuclear power station.
Government cost isn't like layman cost, when you think about how much of that outlay comes back to them through various taxes.

 

[awemawson]

Overkill. Bloke in a lead suit driving a Bonser forklift could do it in 10 minutes for a packet of fags

 

[hillbilly234]

why spend all that,when Harland and wolf in Ireland have ample size cranes stood there doing nowt.

 

[overload]

why spend all that,when Harland and wolf in Ireland have ample size cranes stood there doing nowt.

I don't think the Royal Navy will appreciate the crane driving skills they have there!

http://youtu.be/lW8l_REm_1Q

 

[pedrobedro]

Overkill. Bloke in a lead suit driving a Bonser forklift could do it in 10 minutes for a packet of fags

I don't smoke so I want paying in beer.

 

[brightspark]

You'll find this interesting ~
A local engineering company has built this crane which will be used to remove nuclear fuel rods from decommissioned Royal Navy submarines.

I took a picture one morning and a few days later a piece was in the local paper about it with a few facts - It has cost £1.5m, took 8000 hours to build and weighs nearly 60 tons.
By now it will be at the Devonport Royal Dockyard, Plymouth.

the thing is who s subs will it be de comissioning as well

 

[Wedg1e]

why spend all that,when Harland and wolf in Ireland have ample size cranes stood there doing nowt.

Because Devonport already has a specially-built process plant in a blast-proof building alongside one of the dry docks, that is used to handle the radioactive liquids etc. that would need to be taken off the subs.

We hired out the x-ray sets that were used to inspect the process plant as the building was put together (it goes a few floors down as well as about 5 up). As the concrete was poured for each floor, the process plant was put in, inspected and once OK, the next floor level cast and so on. The last bit to go in was the lift-shaft. As the welders were working in confined spaces using TIG, they had to wear breathing apparatus and there was a 3-4 hour window at the end of each working day for the air to clear before the radiographers could go in on night shift and x-ray the welds.
So when the x-ray sets broke or needed servicing I had to drive from Teesside to Plymouth (5-8 hours), hang around till 10PM then go in and sort out the kit, before heading off to a hotel at 5AM - usually the one just over the Tamar Bridge at Saltash. Few hours kip and then drive north again...
I seem to recall there was a massive crane that had to be moved in case it fell/ was knocked over by terrorists and landed on something nuclear...

 

[Pete.]

I heard that the crane was removed in case there just happened to be an earthquake in SE England.

 

[Wedg1e]

I heard that the crane was removed in case there just happened to be an earthquake in SE England.

Aye, apparently there's a fault line that passes down the west coast; whilst that process plant was in the early stages there was a minor earthquake centred not too far away IIRC.

 

[Hitch]

They had a crane at Devonport for refueling subs. It was a fair lump that was a city landmark. It was removed in 2008, it was about 30 years old though.

 

[Highway_Star]

when Rosyth was refuelling submarines in the early days, the crane used dated back to WW1. A truly massive beast, originally built for lifting turrets on Dreadnoughts.

Ironic really that the first submarine refuelled there was HMS Dreadnought.

 

[Highway_Star]

Wedg1e, those buildings, plant etc you mention. My dad was part of the team who spec'd and designed the facilities. Originally intended for construction at Rosyth, but sent South to help keep Maggie and Malcie in power.
It's funny how one of the original reasons for refueling nuclear submarines at Rosyth over the South coast yards (other than the obvious but unsaid 'if it blows up, let's make sure it blows up in Scotland') was always given as the geology, ie the fault line mentioned above would have excluded nuclear activities.

Oh how times have changed!

 

[Wedg1e]

Wedg1e, those buildings, plant etc you mention. My dad was part of the team who spec'd and designed the facilities. Originally intended for construction at Rosyth, but sent South to help keep Maggie and Malcie in power.
It's funny how one of the original reasons for refueling nuclear submarines at Rosyth over the South coast yards (other than the obvious but unsaid 'if it blows up, let's make sure it blows up in Scotland') was always given as the geology, ie the fault line mentioned above would have excluded nuclear activities.

Oh how times have changed!

A tale I heard was that with the Scots seeking devolution, it was tantamount to placing our (i.e. England's ) nuclear sub facility in a foreign country...

Last time I was down there they were busy refurbishing the largest dry dock, the one that used to handle the last long-deck Ark Royal, 'just in case' it was needed for some hypothetical new ship(s).

About three years later, the QE and POW were announced... but their home port is Pompey

The MOD doesn't need to save money: it just needs to spend what it has, properly.

 

[Wedg1e]

when Rosyth was refuelling submarines in the early days, the crane used dated back to WW1. A truly massive beast, originally built for lifting turrets on Dreadnoughts.

Ironic really that the first submarine refuelled there was HMS Dreadnought.

Did I read somewhere that most of the last generation nuclear subs are all parked at Rosyth, including Dreadnought...?

 

[Highway_Star]

Correct, stored afloat at Rosyth;

Dreadnought
Resolution
Repulse
Revenge
Renown
Churchill
Swiftsure

Dreadnought was retired due to cracking, and by then she was a noisy old boat. The Reso's had been superceded by the Vanguards but were not without their problems. Swiftsure was refitted and never returned to service, something to do with weakened pressure hull. Churchill was end of life, but interestingly was fitted with pump jet propulsion.

There are also several decaying subs at Devonport.

The new aircraft carriers are being built at Rosyth, and in all probability despite being based elsewhere will be refitted there. As will any other foreign powers who can foot the bill.

As to the devolution thing, what's happening right now?