Clydebank Titan wins Engineering Heritage Award

Described by IMechE chairman John Wood as a "magnificent example of mechanical engineering", the crane joins the world's first railway locomotive, the Vulcan Bomber and Bletchley Park's Bombe code breaking machine on the list of award winners. "This award is being presented to the Titan Crane to celebrate its position as the oldest crane of its type in existence," commented Wood. "This award doesn't just celebrate the great work of the team who built it but also the fantastic work of Clydebank re-built to restore it and open it up to the public." Built in 1907 by Sir William Arrol and Company Limited, Titan was instrumental in the prosperity of the shipyard and Clydebank's rich shipbuilding heritage. It is one of only 13 Titan cranes that remain in the world. Claire McGinley, operations manager for Clydebank re-built said: "We are very honoured to receive this prestigious award from the IMechE. The Titan was the first electrically powered giant cantilever crane in the world and its lifting power helped John Browns build the biggest ships in the world in the last century." She continued:"This recognition of the Titan by the Institution underlines the proud skills and ingenuity of our mechanical engineers - past and present - who have played such an important part in the development of shipbuilding and industry not just on the Clyde but in the rest of Scotland and UK."