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Atlantic Coast Cranes & Machinery Repairs Crane Owned by the Architect of the Capitol

Atlantic makes a frog into a prince on short notice.

Mon July 08, 2013 - Southeast Edition
Brenda Ruggiero


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.


Brenda Ruggiero

Brenda Ruggiero has written for CEG for over 20 years. She lives near the town of Accident in far western Maryland. Her favorite assignments so far involved interviews with Survivor’s Boston Rob and hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut. Both were involved in construction at one time.

Brenda holds a BA in Mass Communication with a writing focus from Frostburg State University and minors in Public Relations and Political Science. She works full time as a staff writer for a weekly newspaper, the Garrett County Republican. She enjoys feature writing the most, which gives her the opportunity to talk to people and share their stories.

Brenda and her middle school sweetheart, Reuben, have been married for over 34 years and have three grown children and four cats.


Read more from Brenda Ruggiero here.





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