The process has seen the updating of most of the Hall's stage equipment, and the removal of all its existing, complicated arrangement of diverted manual hemp and winch sets. The new installation started with the insertion of a 40m long timber walkway and an access bridge in the roof void - all designed to aid the easy maintenance of the new equipment. PCM then rigged 13 11m-long, 4-line, hemp sets and cleat rails, complete with 150mm multi-block ball-raced pulleys, suspension bars and Chattam hemp ropes, plus nine of their Award-winning 500kg 4-line Pilewind winch cable sets. The latter were supplied complete with 200mm multi-block, ball-raced pulleys and wedge socket terminations.
A motorized proscenium track was also installed by PCM, which can open the FOH tabs either vertically or horizontally - as required. PCM supplied four 11m, 12-way lighting bars which can be positioned up or downstage as needed for individual performances. Eight 11m long rope-working tracks now allow the theatre full drawn-cloth flexibility. The picture was completed with a custom-designed 4-metre square black FOH house truss, with 24 integral lighting sockets.
Carnegie Hall's manager Evan Henderson comments "PCM supplied an excellent service throughout; covering the period where we had to make the Health and Safety application to Fife Council and address historic technical problems, right through to the final commissioning of the equipment. Their team worked closely with Carnegie Hall Management by discussing current problems and likely future needs of the venue. As a result, PCM produced some highly inventive design solutions to fit the gear into a very tight space." He adds: "In real terms, PCM has helped avoid the 'possible' future closure of a very important resource to the people of Dunfermline - all within an eight-week timeframe."
(Lee Baldock)
