ALL Erection & Crane Rental's "Blue Beast" has been involved in some storied lifts.
The crane-rental giant's Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1, which earned its colorful nickname due to a striking cobalt blue paint scheme, has torn down and rebuilt bridges, made long reaches to set rooftop utilities on new hospitals, and generally exhibited the blend of brute strength and finessed German engineering that make it a standout in the field.
One of the more unusual lifts in the Blue Beast's recent history took place in a recreation of a historical village in Columbus, Ohio. The crane can now count itself among the few called on to lift a train car over a building and into place.
Specifically, for customer Continental Building Co., the crane hoisted a 1945 B&O wagon-top caboose from the Ohio History Center's collection and placed it near the Ohio Village Visitor Center. There, it will serve as a welcoming feature at the outdoor entrance to the village.
Ohio Village is touted as a living history museum that provides a firsthand view of life in Ohio during the Civil War. It is this commitment to historical accuracy that required the use of the Blue Beast.
"The streets within the village aren't made to accommodate a large, modern-era crane like a Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1," said Chris Kirk, a sales representative with ALL Crane Rental Corp., a member of the ALL Family of Cos.
Because of this, the Blue Beast needed to work from outside of the village. "We needed a crane with the capacity and reach to set up along the parking lot and sidewalk outside then reach over and into the village," said Kirk, noting the Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 has a 770-ton capacity and a 263-ft. boom.
This also meant lifting the caboose directly over a single-story, pitched-roof building.
"We had removed the caboose from its original resting place as renovations were done to that part of the village," Kirk said. "Now that it was time to reset it, Atlas Industrial Contractors loaded it onto a flatbed and hauled it to our site."
Kirk also credits Atlas with coming up with the necessary rigging to lift a 66,000-lb. caboose more than 20 ft. into the air.
"There were three lifting beams across the top and two below to evenly distribute weight and hold the caboose steady," he said.
The capacity and reach of the Blue Beast enabled it to make quick work of the task from its 120-ft. lift radius. Kirk estimated the lift itself took only about 15 minutes. The crane operator also needed to help "stick the landing," as the caboose rests on a short length of actual train track. The welcome center is meant to evoke the look of an early-American train station.
"This is one of those projects that reminds you how no two lifts are ever the same," Kirk said. "Using the Blue Beast to place a piece of Ohio railroad history into its new home was a great example of meeting a unique challenge."
Ohio Village is amid a multi-year renovation and isn't expected to re-open to the public until 2027, but a first look of the new village will be open during the 2026 Ohio State Fair from July 29 to Aug. 9.
For more information, visit allcrane.com.
