GGR Rail’s mini cranes have proved invaluable for track-side lifting as their miniature size means they can be easily transported to restricted access areas on the UK’s railway lines to carry out essential offtrack and permanent way maintenance work.

This UNIC URW-295 spider crane was hired to replace a Road Rail Access Point (RRAP) in Manchester so Road Rail Vehicles (RRVs) can work on the track. The mini crane had the speed and precision required to complete this lifting job overnight so minimum disruption was caused to the railway network.

After removing the old RRAP sections, the 2.9 tonne capacity crane moved each of the new rubber Holdfast panels from their pallet into a pile close to the track. The mini crane was then quickly set up in a new position so it could lift each unit onto the tracks using a set of Holdfast pins, with the installation team making the final adjustments to slot each panel into place.

UNIC mini cranes can also provide a safe and efficient solution for replacing sleepers and lifting level crossing panels for inspections and tamping operations. To find out more about GGR Rail’s range of Network Rail approved lifting equipment visit www.ggrrail.com