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The Crane Gang S01 complete (720p HD, soft Eng subs)
Following the men and women of the UK's largest mobile crane company as they compete to stay top of the crane tree, lifting everything from precious works of art to enormous wind turbines.
E01
Enter the world of the 'heavies' - the team behind the huge machines that are challenged with carrying out the biggest lifts of all.
In the millionaire's playground of Poole Harbour they are tasked with lifting a luxury yacht safely into dry dock. At the former Olympic Park technical problems threaten to throw the dismantling of the Aquatic Centre into disarray. Yet the biggest challenge of all comes when a freight train derails and the crane riggers Dave and Lea put their bodies on the line to ensure it is safely lifted from the track.
Away from the cranes, there is no let-up in the demands on the heavies team. Life on the road often means sleeping in and eating in their vans, conditions which see crane driver Tristam complaining to management - and new recruit Wayne struggling to deal with life 200 miles away from his family.
E02
The pressure is on for the UK's largest mobile crane company.
Lifting a hugely expensive sculpture into a private home in Somerset proves to be a logistical nightmare as an important client watches. In east London, the removal of an old railway bridge turns to angst and argument when the job falls 12 hours behind schedule.
For crane driver teams like Leigh and Lee, it all means a relentless and frustrating 24/7 schedule as they criss-cross the country in their 2-berth transit van, eating take-away dinners on the go and rarely seeing home. As the firm tries to get jobs done, it is not just the workers who are feeling the heat. With private investors leaning on him to up the profits, commercial director Gareth Jones sees balance sheets hit hard when high winds lead to jobs being cancelled across the country. To make matters worse, his new purchase of a £4m state-of the art crane has yet to lead to a job for the firm.
E03
The UK's largest mobile crane company is looking to the future. Its teams of drivers, riggers and slingers are working on the front line of new energy projects. However the installation of a wind turbine in Cornwall is brought to a halt by too much wind.
In London, the crane drivers are given cycle awareness training to help cut the risk of their HGVs to vulnerable road users. The team also face a delicate job as they are tasked with lifting the centuries-old HMS Victory in Portsmouth.
Meanwhile, two of the company's most trusted employees are looking for a change. Driver Andy Surridge gives up working six days a week on a crane floating in the Firth of Forth estuary so that he can see more of his wife. Paul Gilpin, the company's oldest employee, is retiring - but not before he has one last go in a crane.
(with soft subtitles)
First broadcast: September-October 2013
Duration: 1 hour per episode
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