The past and the future come together on Google’s Kirkland campus in the form of an antique train caboose, which has been a fixture there since 2015. Additionally, over the past several years, the historic railroad route through Kirkland — which runs along Google’s campus — has been transformed into the Cross Kirkland Corridor, where locals and visitors alike can traverse the 5.75-mile trail.

When Google’s expansion necessitated a larger office space in Kirkland, the company decided to relocate the 30,000-pound caboose to a position beside the trail, so the public could use and enjoy it. To make this move possible, the construction company leading the relocation contracted Omega Morgan’s experienced crane services team out of Seattle to complete the heavy lift and set.

PLANNING THE PRECISION LIFT

With the new placement only 500 feet from the original location, our main focus was the extreme precision and care needed to move the antique and historically significant component. Our crane team met with the construction company on site twice before producing a 3D rendering to visually plan the move.

EXECUTING A CRANE SERVICE SOLUTION

On the scheduled relocation date of August 17, 2021, Omega Morgan’s crane team arrived ready to execute. Our crew began by assembling the 350-ton mobile crane and positioning one truck after the other to lift and place the caboose and both sets of wheels — also called trucks — individually. In the new location along the Cross Kirkland Corridor, the wheels were placed on salvaged railroad tracks, followed by the caboose, which was set carefully atop the wheels. Our client was very pleased by our efficient execution — complete in eight hours — and the care shown every step of the way.

Read more details about this historically significant crane lift relocation project in our new case study.