When a 22t motor grader got into trouble in the Bundaberg Region of Queensland, Matherson Crane Hire sent two Franna MAC 25 SuperLifts to the rescue.

To access the site, the Frannas had to navigate the Boolboonda Tunnel which is an abandoned heritage-listed railway tunnel at Tunnel Road, Boolboonda, in the Bundaberg Region. The tunnel is 192 metres in length making it the longest unsupported man-made tunnel in Queensland.

On arrival, the Matherson Crew carefully planned the lift to ensure the motor grader couldn’t move in an uncontrolled manner and that no damage was done during the recovery.

To manage the 22t grader, the rear crane had a weight 13t and the rigging included a 30t Maxirig bar and 8t 6m slings which were doubled on the top of the grader and 10t x 3m slings on the bottom. The spreader was utilised to minimise/stop the far sling from damaging the engine covers.

The front crane had a weight of 9t with 2 x 10t 1m slings attached to the lifting lugs at the top of the chassis, above the front axle, to maintain a high centre of gravity on the lift to maximise control.

The team and the Frannas executed the recovery perfectly, says Wayne Matherson, Matherson Crane Hire.

“The team did a great job and executed the lift perfectly. The motor grader was in a fairly precarious position by the time they got there, so they had to carefully prepare the rigging and the position of the Frannas for the lift to go smoothly.

“Our business originally grew on Pick and Carry cranes and we have been running 25t Frannas for over 10 years. The addition of extra lifting capacity by adding SUPER LIFT to our current Franna MAC 25’s has only extended the capability of an already great machine. As usual, the Frannas performed perfectly with this lift and the client was happy to have his grader back on stable ground with no damage. The crew also enjoyed the journey through the Boolboonda Tunnel which doesn’t happen every day,” said Matherson.

Article credit: Cranes & Lifting Magazine