Metals and Plant were employed to dismantle then arrange the shipping of 2nr 1000 tonne Dockside container handling cranes from the Port of Tokyo in Japan to Bristol Port. In brief the ship was fitted with bespoke rails along both the port and starboard side and a bespoke folding rail extension support system to the stern. By pumping out water from the ballast tanks in the holds of the vessel, this raised the ship thus allowing the cranes weight to be taken by the ship on the folding support rails. The rail bogies of the crane were then safely detached and loaded onto the vessel, with the crane then being winched into position for transportation. This process was then repeated for second crane.
At Bristol port the ship was again docked with the stern of the vessel with the same process mentioned being reversed to allow the cranes to be safely off loaded in the area they would be put to work on completion. This time water was pumped into the ballast tanks in the holds of the vessel which lowered the crane body along with the ship down onto the associated rail bogies positioned on land. The bogies were then attached to the crane body completing the off loading procedure. The same process was repeated further down the port for the second crane.
