Q. What is Portal Cranes?

The Portal crane is a hydraulically driven four wheeled machine and is meant for carrying sleepers or track panels. The power for running and working of the portal crane is supplied by a Deutz diesel engine having four cylinders and developing 44 HP at 2000 rpm. The portal crane is of five tones capacity with a maximum lift of three meters and can accommodate four layers of concrete sleeper's panels. Grippers are provided for lifting ten sleepers at a time and scissors type rail clamps are provided for lifting pre assembled track panels. The cranes are provided with hydrostatic brakes with hand levers on two wheels.

The portal crane has retractable legs which enables it to get loaded and unloaded from specially designed BFRs by its own power with out any out side assistance. The portal crane has been provided with a turntable also so that getting loaded in BFR. It can turn in right hand direction and get properly seated without any infringement to moving dimensions.

One crane can be used to lift a panel of 13 meter rail assembled on CST9 sleepers. Two cranes are however able to lift a similar panel of concrete sleepers which is comparatively heavier one crane can normally lift concrete sleeper panel of 9.1 m. length only because of the crane capacity being limited to 5 tones only. Indian Railway have recently acquired portal cranes of 9 Tones capacity and one crane of this type can lift 13 meter rail panel having concrete sleepers.