Dooes anyone know what this crane does?

tomfifield · Nov 23, 2017

It was used by the power company. It looks as if it can go off road and is some kind of crane

bcp · Nov 23, 2017

Looks like it could be the carrier and base of a temporary emergency power tower.

Bruce

MossRoad · Nov 23, 2017

I don't think its a crane. That may be a winch motor on the bottom end of the boom, but I can't tell. Looks like a hydraulic motor on it, though. But it may be for rope or wires, but looks kinda small for cable.

Also, I don't think that's a rotating turret. Look at it. It appears to be adjustable left and right and forward and backward on gear racks, but not able to rotate, I think.

Sure is interesting, though. Can't wait to find out what it is.

Rustyiron · Nov 23, 2017

Looks to me like it will raise vertical, no rotation & a small hoist & only a 1x or 2x telescoping boom. The top (left in pic) is what really puzzles me. It looks like the obvious "working" part of that are the 4 holes, like to attach a clevis ? and they telescope out and are 90* to each other.
We need Coobie here, iirc he's a retired lineman and might recognize this. I would suspect this is a specialized machine for line construction vs every day line maint. & repair.

mrmikey · Nov 24, 2017

Looks like a yarder yarder - Google Search ............Mike

mpham · Nov 24, 2017

They were rebuilding a sub station around here and they had two similar trucks like that on both sides of the highway holding the wires up while they worked on the towers. Could be that.

BLSXJ · Nov 24, 2017

not a crane.

the "lift cylinders are way to small to lift any real amount.

my guess is some sort of temp hydro pole. the mast get raised to vertical.. then pinned, then mast is raised up,then the 4 outriggers on top support hydro lines.

Egon · Nov 24, 2017

A specialized form of cherry picker? End use???

stingray1 · Nov 24, 2017

mpham said:
They were rebuilding a sub station around here and they had two similar trucks like that on both sides of the highway holding the wires up while they worked on the towers. Could be that.

Maybe this and to also set large power poles?

aczlan · Nov 24, 2017

stingray1 said:
Maybe this and to also set large power poles?

Probably not as there are no winches on it. There is one little spool but it looks like it's just for hydraulic lines or something rather than winching things up.

Aaron Z

tomfifield · Nov 25, 2017

I sort of think it may be for setting towers as it has a turntable and can it looks as if it can also move the tower back and forth, it may also be for stringing or holding wire or both, towers and wire. I think I will stop and look closer and take a few more photos.

tomfifield · Nov 25, 2017

mpham said:
They were rebuilding a sub station around here and they had two similar trucks like that on both sides of the highway holding the wires up while they worked on the towers. Could be that.

That sounds like it may be it.

aczlan · Nov 26, 2017

tomfifield said:
I sort of think it may be for setting towers as it has a turntable and can it looks as if it can also move the tower back and forth, it may also be for stringing or holding wire or both, towers and wire. I think I will stop and look closer and take a few more photos.

It would be interesting to see more pictures, I dont see a turntable on there(unless it is buried in the chassis) , I see gears to let it slide left/right and front/back.

Aaron Z

bcp · Nov 26, 2017

Possibly a drilling rig with the drilling assembly removed.

Any of these might look like a short crane under those conditions.

casagrande drilling rig - Google Search

Bruce

tungularafishcamp · Nov 26, 2017

I have never seen anything like it, but I like the setting towers train of thought. It looks like a round collar that the sliders sit on and it wouldn't make sense ( to my non engineers brain) to build that unless you wanted to make it rotate able.

coldsteelva · Nov 27, 2017

Based on the shape of the cab, I would say that is an OshKosh. The lifting cylinders look to serve a single purpose - to lift the boom into a vertical position. The boom is mounted on a turntable, so the orientation of the vehicle is irrelevant to the boom, and the vehicle has outriggers, so we can surmise that is has to counteract pulling forces.

It does have a cable winch, but that likely would only be for small ancillary duties and not part of it's main function (thin cable). Based on the 'clevis' mounting points, I tend to agree that this may be for stringing power lines across a short distance or perhaps actually anchoring a new power line tower, while it's being installed.

tomfifield · Nov 27, 2017

I have a some more photos of it.

MossRoad · Nov 27, 2017

I found it....

MossRoad · Nov 27, 2017

So it belongs to PG&E, is that Pacific Gas and Electric?
If so, we know its for maintaining/installing something to do with the power lines.
It doesn't appear to be any sort of lifting device like a crane, because the cylinders for erecting the tower are too small.
It appears to rotate on a turret as per the alignement marks in the latest pictures.
And it appears to be able to move left/right and fore/aft on the turret.
What's odd is those four mounts on the cross on the end. They appear to be able to expand in an X fashion.

So what's its function? Can't find any similar pictures on google.

Next time you take pictures, see if anyone's around and ask what it does?

Very interesting. :thumbsup:

flyerdan · Nov 27, 2017

It looks like it used to belong to Portland General Electric, and was probably sold off to a local utility company. My guess would be a temporary tower so repairs can be made on the real one without live wires on it. Hopefully Mace will swing by with a definitive answer.

Edit: an image search shows that is was a Pacific Gas & Electric rig