is this a cat option or an aftermarket addon
My guess is an aftermarket custom build.
If it's a custom build, that's a lot of engineering, fabrication, and effort for a one-hit wonder. Looks like it even has built in feet at the end of the boom that rest on the trailer when in transport. Very cool looking though. I wonder why they went this dedicated route instead of using a standard crane?
I sure would like to see more pictures
In the Days of 3-d parametric CAD, CNC plasma/laser/waterjet, one off's can be pretty nicely made. IIRC there was a posting here about a large CAT dealer in Western Canada that did mod's and attachments, and the work was approved by CAT.
the third boom cylinder is interesting
I'd think because it will work in terrain that a crane would be more difficult. No outriggers or stabilizers required. Just much simpler to reposition or unload items off a truck and move into position.
Modern hydraulic crawler cranes make this Cat a odd one.
My guess is they have enough use for a crane setting those box culverts that they crunched some numbers and decided they could build that setup cheaper than they could buy or hire. Since it still has an excavator boom, is it still an excavator or does it require crane certification to operate?
It was probably built specifically for the installation of box culverts as this company does a lot of them. Sections are off loaded over a 1/4 mile stretch of road and skidded to the excavator with a wheel loader. The team takes 4 days to install a culvert and the 5th day for staging to the next site.
You would be surprised at how many logging machines were first drawn up on a cocktail napkin. First dealership I worked at put together a Hough 530 wheel loader with an extended boom and a secondary bucket tilt cylinder to clean stalls at the local horse racing track. The machine had to reach over thirteen feet to dump the muck into the middle of a dump trailer. No engineering done at all. Project was handed to a mechanic in the shop and just told to get it done.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
Must have put the third cylinder on so it would lift more. It has extra counterweight on the back.
There is a R.R. specialist rigger that does recovery, and they have their own rig's similar to what's been shown. Here it is: Cranemasters Railroad contractor providing innovative solutions. Car re-railment, clearing the line, laying panel track, damaged car relocation and site clean up. Cranemasters can recover heavy equipment, vehicles and trucks. www.cranemasters.com Design and Manufacturing : Cranemasters Cranemasters specializes in designing and purpose-building high-quality equipment for rail work. A leading innovator, Cranemasters is consistently producing equipment and machinery that introduces new capabilities to the field while exceeding industry-leading standards for durability and... www.cranemasters.com
Those are some neat machines.
They are hiring......
Curious what the price difference is between a modified excavator and a crawler crane? An excavator might be easier to sell when it's time to replace it.
And probably cheaper to purchase once they own the crane boom
Here's how this went down a dozen years ago: Foreman: "Johnny, you may be the son of the owner, but your dad is going tear you a new one when he finds out you took his favorite 345B and taco'd the dipper trying to show off how much it can lift" Johnny: "Yeah, you're right. So here's what you're gonna do. Take the hoe to Dave in the fab shop and tell him to make a crane out of it. Extend the boom out, move the dipper cylinder to be a third boom cylinder, add a lot of fish plates, and put a butt load of weight on its arse. We'll use the bucket function to drive the hydraulic winch that Dave will figure out how to mount on it. It'll be awesome!" Foreman: "What?!? Are you nuts? I ain't doing that. I'll get fired!" Johnny: "Do it and I'll stop dating your daughter." Foreman (speaking into his phone): "Dave, we're floating a hot custom job to you right now and we start tonight. I'll explain in person...."