THE LAST WORK BEFORE THEY WERE FELLED

The Sheerlegs and the AA Raymond

Richard Beckett

The AA RAYMOND pictured at East Quay alongside the marine Workshops. This was the last time that the sheerlegs were used in their capacity as a lifting appliance.

Prior to this the sheerlegs had not been used for many years as a lifting crane and the lifting block had seized up and no longer hung downwards as it should have done.

This final exercise in heavy lift was a fitting end for the sheerlegs and early one summers day, the base of the uprights were cut through like a tall tree and the sheerlegs fell over into the river.