A fuel transfer system for transporting spent fuel from a first room to a second room, the system comprising: a first room; a second room separated from the first room by a containment wall having a canal between the first and second rooms; a carriage that is arranged to travel between the first room and the second room through the canal; wherein the carriage includes a container for holding the spent fuel, the container pivotably mounted to the carriage and rotatable between an up-ended position and a down-ended position in both the first room and the second room; a boom assembly that extends and retracts between the first room and the second room through the canal; and a hoist system including hoists positioned in the first room, the hoist system including at least one boom cable interconnected with the boom assembly and the hoists so that pay-out and take-up of the at least one boom cable extends and retracts the boom assembly, and the hoist system including first and second carriage cables (138, 142) interconnected with the carriage, and the hoists so that pay-out and take-up of the first and second carriage cables move the carriage between the first room and the second room; wherein the first and second carriage cables (138, 142) are interconnected with first and second container sheaves (78, 80) positioned inside opposite sides of the carriage and on opposite pivot points of the container, and the hoists so that pay-out and take-up of the first and second carriage cables rotate the container between the up-ended position and the down-ended position in both the first room and the second room, and all moving parts of the fuel transfer system can be positioned in the first room for maintenance. a first room; a second room separated from the first room by a containment wall having a canal between the first and second rooms; a carriage that is arranged to travel between the first room and the second room through the canal; wherein the carriage includes a container for holding the spent fuel, the container pivotably mounted to the carriage and rotatable between an up-ended position and a down-ended position in both the first room and the second room; a boom assembly that extends and retracts between the first room and the second room through the canal; and a hoist system including hoists positioned in the first room, the hoist system including at least one boom cable interconnected with the boom assembly and the hoists so that pay-out and take-up of the at least one boom cable extends and retracts the boom assembly, and the hoist system including first and second carriage cables (138, 142) interconnected with the carriage, and the hoists so that pay-out and take-up of the first and second carriage cables move the carriage between the first room and the second room; wherein the first and second carriage cables (138, 142) are interconnected with first and second container sheaves (78, 80) positioned inside opposite sides of the carriage and on opposite pivot points of the container, and the hoists so that pay-out and take-up of the first and second carriage cables rotate the container between the up-ended position and the down-ended position in both the first room and the second room, and all moving parts of the fuel transfer system can be positioned in the first room for maintenance.