Oct 6, 2021: Crane-like device fell off the Red Line, no serious injuries

This rig was digging piles for Phase 1 of the CTA Red-Purple Modernization Program. There were no serious injuries.

Chicago Fire Department via BlockClubChicago
"The yellow crane fell into a nearby alley, crushing a nearby car, downing power lines, causing a utility pole to nearly topple over and damaging some fencing on a nearby apartment building. The crane cab was inverted, fire officials said." People were evacuated from an apartment building because of live power lines on the ground.
It fell about 3pm and shut down the Purple Line service throughout the afternoon. Red Line trains skipped the Bryn Mawr station until about 9pm.

 

The news reports say it lost its balance. But it was reducing its overhang as it slewed. I suspect that a support gave way.

0:19 video @ 0:16
At 0:12 note the worker by the port-a-potty realizing that he needed to be somewhere else. And have the sense to go sideways as soon as he could.

Chicago Fire Department via BlockClubChicago
The mobile crane in the background was not involved in the incident.

Not only does this show the crushed car, it shows that at least three transformers fell of a pole. I wonder if they had oil with PCBs.

Provided by Christopher Corbett via BlockClubChicago

The thing that fell off the elevated track was a foundation/piling rig. [vertikal]

Equipment, p1

 

This view clearly shows that it was not a crane, but a drill rig.

Chicago Fire Department via enr
The drill rig, an IMT International AF 300 mounted to a Cat 349D hydraulic excavator base, is typically used for foundation piles, and can work at depths of up to 75 meters.

This article specifies a cost of $2.1b for the modernization project. I had been reading a cost of $1.7b.

ChicagoTribune, Photo by Chris Sweda
The incident happened near 1119 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.

Fox32chicago, Photo credit: HuronTrader/Twitter, cropped
The evacuees were provided overnight shelter....Occupants of the evacuated building won’t be able to return until the drill rig is cleared.

Berkin 4C Tweet, Photo credit: Berkin Ozisikyilmaz via cbsnews

It has been almost a year later. I tried looking for the results of an investigation, but I could not find anything.

Mark Arnold Fredrickson posted two photos with the comment:

Touched by the serendipity of the timing of this North Side Chicago CTA construction accident. 

Just minutes before this Walsh Construction drilling crane toppled from its perch, I met with the project manager at the Belmont Street CTA platform where Carmen supervised building the Brown Line overpass.

While operating the Red Line beneath crane hoisted construction material movements in 2012, I suggested separating the two operations.

Fortunately this crane operator escaped unharmed.

In this incident, damage was confined fortunately behind a concrete barrier that delineated rail operation & construction.

(This contributor helped build surface parking lots at Midway & O’Hare International Airports fifteen years ago.)

(Thanks to photographer Vadim Chebotarev.)

George Kraenzle: October 6th, 2021 is the day.

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José Wolfman Guillén commented on Mark's post
Drill rig or caisson drill, not a crane. These have a whip line and cable sheaves up top like cranes, but they are not cranes.
[There were several comments correcting the usage of the word "crane."]

Roger Garey commented on Mark's post
Cleaning up the mess. Fall of 2021.