At the end of last year, Atlantic Coast Cranes & Machinery (ACC) of Ashland, Va., was responsible for necessary repairs and improvements to the crane owned by the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) in Washington, D.C.

Owner Wally Jones was contacted by Charles Ridenour, superintendent of the AOC, regarding their 1990 P & H CN128 28-ton (25.4 t) rough terrain crane, which is used to maintain the U.S. Capitol. The 22-year-old machine was leaking, lacked a computer, and needed paint.

“We made a frog into a prince on short notice,” Jones said. “It was complete with a modern computer system, just in the nick of time so the national Christmas tree could be set on the Capitol grounds in time for Christmas.”

Work included cleaning, priming, painting, and installing safety and machine decals; fabricating, repairing, and welding four outrigger guide plates; mechanical repairs, such as repairing a leaking outrigger, packing, and hoses; completing the annual safety certification and supply documentation; and supplying and installing a new LMI computer to include a radio-controlled ATB system.

“The repairs took about five weeks, and were accomplished by the deadline set by the AOC,” said Dee Carter of ACC. “This was the Monday before Thanksgiving, so that the crane could unload the national Christmas tree, a 65-foot tall spruce from the state of Colorado. The new LMI could weigh the load and calculate the load moment of the tree as it was unloaded on the Capitol grounds, making it a much safer operating crane.”

This story also appears on Crane Equipment Guide.

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