A Liebherr LTM 1450-8.1 mobile crane lifted a historic seven-tonne suspension railway carriage into position at Wuppertal Central Station in Germany, where confined working conditions required a carefully planned crane configuration.
Franz Bracht Kran-Vermietung deployed the 450-tonne LTM 1450-8.1 for the operation, assisted by a Liebherr LTM 1090-4.2 from Wuppertal-based Wilden.
Space around the station was extremely limited. A basement-level shopping area and underground parking facility directly in front of the site meant vehicles weighing more than eight tonnes could not enter certain areas, leaving the main crane positioned on a narrow access road.
To work within the available footprint, the LTM 1450-8.1 was set up with its outriggers reduced to 7.95 metres. Its VarioBallast system carried 134 tonnes of ballast at a reduced radius of five metres.
For the lift, the telescopic boom was extended to 31 metres and equipped with a 56-metre luffing jib, providing a maximum working radius of 65 metres.
The carriage and lifting gear weighed around seven tonnes. Liebherr’s VarioBase and VarioBallast systems allowed the crane configuration to be adapted to the restricted space while maintaining the required lifting capacity.
The vehicle, Car 76 from the Series 50 fleet dating from 1950, was transported to Wuppertal by Kahl Schwerlast on a flatbed trailer on 31 August before being lifted into the station area on 1 September.
It was moved into its final position on 18 September, ahead of celebrations marking the 125th anniversary of the Wuppertal suspension railway.
The restored carriage will eventually be used as a registry office and venue for private events, giving the former public transport vehicle a new role at the city’s central station.
