It's a hive of activity on the construction site of Wangjiacheng Station of Chongqing Rail Transit Line 4. The shield machine moves forward underground. On the ground, the orange-red Gantry Crane slides slowly on the slide rail, and the hook rises and falls, lifting the shield segments and muck in an orderly manner with a weight of dozens of tons, while the driver of the large Gantry Crane is Ye Yiqiong. On the construction site, there are not many female drivers who can drive such a big “vehicle”. Because the Gantry Crane cab is hanging in the air, the colleagues call her “the lady in the air”. Let's me show you the story about her.

 

Perched nearly 10 meters above the ground, her “office” looks small against the huge steel frame structure. From the ground to the cab, she climbs two floors on her hands and knees on a steel ladder that slopes nearly 70 degrees.
This is a cab with an area of about two square meters. Windows on three sides show a wide view. A single seat in the cab takes up most of the space. On either side of the seat, there are joysticks and control buttons.
She started her work at 7:00 a.m. She operated the hook lever and steering lever, kept a close eye on the surroundings and communicated with the rope operator on the ground through a walkie-talkie.


“Slow down!” “A little left!” The voice of the rope operator came from the walkie-talkie. The roper operator was responsible for directing the driver’s lifting operation. Following the command, Ye Yiqiong lifted the shield segment weighing more than 20 tons steadily and slowly lowered it into the shield well more than 10 meters underground.
When it comes to Gantry Crane drivers, most people will think that the operation of this “huge vehicle” is too tired, too bitter, too dangerous, and it is a job for the men, but Ye Yiqiong has proved herself with the strength. She has worked in this industry for more than 20 years, grew up to be an experienced driver, checked Gantry Crane slide, hook and so on carefully.


Ye Yiqiong, 45 years old now, used to work in a factory. She drove car before learning to operate a Gantry Crane. In her opinion, in this business, she has to be bold and careful to do well. No matter on the ground or in the air, she should pay attention to whether the location of the hook is accurate and whether the personnel is standing at a safe place. She should not be careless. In addition, her partner is also a female driver. They are the only two Gantry Crane female drivers at Wangjiacheng Railway Station. Each shift, the two will remind each other to pay attention to safety.


All the rope operator with whom Ye Yiqiong worked were men. In their spare time, they also exchange experiences. Li Zengming, a rope operator, thinks that Ye Yiqiong is good at driving, bears hardships and stands hard work.
After work, Ye Yiqiong loves to make video calls with her son who is working in another city. Her son also thought his mother was good for the reason that she can drive Gantry Crane. Ye Yiqiong is very happy to be recognized by everyone. Now, the shield construction of Wangjiacheng Station of the Phase 2 of CRT Line 4, is proceeding in an orderly manner. Ye Yiqiong said she was proud to operate such a large machine and participate in the construction of the city.