Goliath Crane Track

Gazing up at the sky, imagine a steel giant once dominating this landscape. This is the Goliath Crane Track, a relic of a bygone era of shipbuilding. The Goliath Crane, once the second largest shipbuilding crane globally, was a fixture here at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy. Constructed in 1975 for building LNG tankers, this 328-foot titan graced the harbor skyline for over three decades. The Goliath Crane was more than just a crane; it was a symbol of Quincy’s industrial might. It was a testament to human ingenuity and a vital tool in the creation of massive ships. Can you imagine the sheer scale of the tankers it helped construct? But like all giants, Goliath’s reign eventually ended. In 2008, it was sold, dismantled, and shipped to Mangalia, Romania. The dismantling process wasn’t without tragedy. A portion of the crane collapsed during the process, resulting in a worker’s death. This unfortunate event served as a sobering reminder of the risks inherent in such massive undertakings. The Goliath Crane may be gone, but its track remains, a silent witness to the industrial history of this place. The USS Harvey, the barge that carried the crane to Romania, was christened in honor of the fallen worker, Robert Harvey. The Goliath Crane Track stands as a memorial to him and to the era of shipbuilding that once defined this area.