One of GGR’s UNIC mini cranes helped out with some essential maintenance work on the Shropshire Union Canal recently, creating a temporary dam to drain the lock of water for an inspection.

A 2.9 tonne capacity UNIC URW-295 mini crane was tracked 200 metres up a tow path to reach the lifting location next to the lock gates in Chester. The crane was set up alongside the canal to lift the 5 metre long wooden stop planks into place.

The 100kg stop planks were carried down the canal by  boat until they reached the crane which lifted them down to the bottom of the lock. The UNIC URW-295 also lifted two pumps down to help drain the canal section.  Once the inspection was complete, the crane returned to the lock to remove the planks again.

Regular lock inspections are an important part of making sure the the UK’s canal infrastructure is kept in perfect working order. Maintenance work such as lock gate replacements often takes place over the winter when there is less traffic on the canals.

GGR’s UNIC mini crane have been used to provide some much needed lifting power on lock gate replacements, for example on Buscot Weir lock, Oxfordshire and Northgate Locks, Chester.