A Flyover of the Canal's Heavy Lift Crane Titan

Looks like the folks at the Canal are having a lot fun with the remote control "drone" helicopters equipped with HD cameras. Here's the latest flyover of the Crane Titan at the Dredging Division Headquarters in Gamboa. Perhaps they will treat us to other neat flyovers!

The Titan has a very interesting history... It was built in Germany around 1941-42. There were several cranes similar to the "Titan" which were seized by the Allies after WW2. The British and Russians each took one and the US disassembled the the Titan and shipped it through the Panama Canal to the Port of Long Beach CA. Long Beach was home for the Crane until 1996 when it was shipped to the Canal. While in Long Beach it was known as "Herman the German." The Titan is rated for lifting 350 tons and is used for heavy lift projects around the Canal, primarily lifting the miter gates in and out of their positions in the locks.

The Canal has always had a place for heavy lift cranes that were built in Germany. The Canal maintained two heavy lift cranes of 250 tons each for the same purpose, which was to lift the miter gates. These two cranes, the Hercules and the Ajax, were delivered to the Canal before the US entered WW1. The Ajax was eventually sold, while the Hercules remained in active Canal service until the Titan's arrival. The Hercules is still in Panama, I don't know how or even if it is being used presently, but it is on the Atlantic side near Cristobal.

A little bit of irony, even though the Ajax had been sold to private interests outside Panama, for its last job the Ajax returned to the Canal in the early 70s. An old Victory ship traveling through Gaillard Cut struck the bank and sank a little north of Pedro Miguel Locks. The salvage company hired to remove the wreck brought the Ajax back to the Canal to assist in the removal of the wreck. After the removal, the Ajax was being towed back to her owners when she sank in the Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico. Rumors were abound as she was reportedly heavily insured, but nothing more ever came of it.