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2015

J3575 : "Samson" and "Goliath", Belfast (April 2015)

taken 10 years ago, near to Belfast, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland

"Samson" and "Goliath", Belfast (April 2015)
"Samson" and "Goliath", Belfast (April 2015)
The Harland & Wolff cranes “Samson” and “Goliath” seen from Victoria Park.
The Harland and Wolff Building Dock, Belfast

The building dock in Belfast was constructed between 1968-1970 by George Wimpey & Company for the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast. A massive 556 metres long by 93 metres wide, it was designed for the construction of massive crude oil tankers and bulkers. Although many ships were constructed here, including two supertankers of 172,174 tonnes (343,423 DWT), the yard was in decline by the early 1970s and the dock never really fulfilled its potential. The last ship to be constructed was the 'Anvil Point' in 2003 and the yard now specialising in ship repair and the emerging renewable energies sector, notably offshore wind turbines and tidal energy projects.
Towering above the dock are the two gantry cranes 'Samson' and 'Goliath'. Now landmarks on the Belfast skyline, the cranes were designed for the yard by the German firm Krupp. Goliath, completed in 1969 and mostly fabricated by the yard, stands at 96 metres and Samson, completed in 1974 and built entirely by Krupp, is taller at 106 metres. Both cranes have a span of 140m and have a safe working load of 840 tonnes each (though I believe were tested for 1,000 which caused the top girders to bend downwards by some 11 inches). They run on 800m of track which spans the length of the dock and each crane has 64 special anti-friction bearing mounted wheels.
Both the dock and the cranes are now protected scheduled monuments. See LinkExternal link for technical information .

LinkExternal link in an informative video from the BBC.

Victoria Park, Belfast :: J3675

A park of some 60 acres, built on reclaimed land in 1906, between the industrial part of Belfast Harbour Estate and the Sydenham bypass, replacing an earlier pleasure park on Dargan Island (now Queen’s Island). There is a large lake with two islands. The park is partly enclosed by an embankment on the northern and western sides.
It attracts a considerable number of ducks and greylag geese. On one of the flight paths to the George Best Belfast City Airport – low flying aircraft are one of the attractions.
Part of the park is included in the Connswater Greenway project Link “Proposals in Victoria Park will protect and enhance its environmental and amenity value. Proposals include a new bridge into Airport Road, lighting, improved and new paths, an observation point, new toilet block, interpretative signage and a trim trail”.
Most of the park is level making it suitable for those with impaired mobility. There is a car park and public toilets.


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Albert Bridge and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Industry Place: Belfast Primary Subject: Crane other tags: Victoria Park (Belfast) Harland & Wolff Cranes Click a tag, to view other nearby images.
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J3575, 1064 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Albert Bridge   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Monday, 27 April, 2015   (more nearby)
Submitted
Monday, 27 April, 2015
Subject Location
Irish: geotagged! J 356 752 [100m precision]
WGS84: 54:36.4301N 5:54.1120W
Camera Location
Irish: geotagged! J 369 754
View Direction
WEST (about 270 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Supplemental image
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