Falkirk
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It is a remarkable piece of engineering!!!
What a shame we didn't have time to go on the
Falkirk Wheel, but it was great seeing it in operation. :-)))
A brilliant video of the wheel: you tube video
Many thanks Jan for the link.
~~~~~~~
Also many thanks Dorota for this interesting link:
| My Website: www.janhoog.com |
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. The lift is named after the town it resides in of Falkirk in central Scotland. It opened in 2002, reconnecting the two canals for the first time since the 1930s as part of the Millennium Link project.
The plan to regenerate central Scotland's canals and reconnect Glasgow with Edinburgh was led by British Waterways with support and funding from seven local authorities, the Scottish Enterprise Network, the European Regional Development Fund, and the Millennium Commission. Planners decided early on to create a dramatic 21st-century landmark structure to reconnect the canals, instead of simply recreating the historic lock flight.
The wheel raises boats by 24 metres (79 ft), but the Union Canal is still 11 metres (36 ft) higher than the aqueduct which meets the wheel. Boats must also pass through a pair of locks between the top of the wheel and the Union Canal. The Falkirk Wheel is the only rotating boat lift of its kind in the world, and one of two working boat lifts in the United Kingdom, the other being the Anderton boat lift.
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in central Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal and open-end in 2002
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in central Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. The lift is named after Falkirk, the town in which it is located. It reconnects the two canals for the first time since the 1930s. It opened in 2002 as part of the Millennium Link project.
The wheel raises boats by 24 metres (79 ft), but the Union Canal is still 11 metres (36 ft) higher than the aqueduct which meets the wheel. Boats must also pass through a pair of locks between the top of the wheel and the Union Canal. The Falkirk Wheel is the only rotating boat lift of its kind in the world, and one of two working boat lifts in the United Kingdom, the other being the Anderton Boat Lift.
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in central Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal and open-end in 2002
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in Tamfourhill, Falkirk, in central Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It reconnects the two canals for the first time since the 1930s. It opened in 2002 as part of the Millennium Link project.
It is a remarkable piece of engineering!!!
What a shame we didn't have time to go on the
Falkirk Wheel, but it was great seeing it in operation. :-)))
A brilliant video of the wheel: you tube video
Many thanks Jan for the link.
~~~~~~~
Also many thanks Dorota for this interesting link:
The Falkirk Wheel lit up at night
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. The lift is named after the nearby town of Falkirk in central Scotland.
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in Tamfourhill, Falkirk, in central Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It opened in 2002 as part of the Millennium Link project, reconnecting the two canals for the first time since the 1930s.
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in Tamfourhill, Falkirk, in central Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It reconnects the two canals for the first time since the 1930s. It opened in 2002 as part of the Millennium Link project.
The Falkirk Wheel, Falkirk, Scotland. This remarkable contrivance allows canal traffic to move between 2 very different levels without the use of conventional locks. The old, 11 lock system, which took nearly a day to traverse, was closed in the 1930s and this new version was opened in 2002. The top and bottom cradles each hold a boat and the water it floats in. The counter-balancing effect then uses very little electricity to turn the wheel allowing each cradle to move to/from the bottom to the other end.
The Falkirk Wayfreight is tied down in its namesake town with a pair of SD60Fs (SD50AFs). In the distance is the Coal Creek Station, the largest coal-fired plant in North Dakota.
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in central Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal and open-end in 2002
The world’s only rotating boat lift, The Falkirk Wheel links the Forth & Clyde Canal to the Union Canal 35 metres above, allowing vessels to sail through the sky thanks to a unique fusion of art and engineering – and the same power it would take to boil eight kettles.
Transforming the contaminated site of a former tar works, The Falkirk Wheel opened in 2002 and replaced a flight of 11 locks that once stepped the Union Canal down to the level of the Forth & Clyde, more than 100 feet below. Whereas weary travellers once had a day’s heavy work opening and closing 44 lock gates to complete the journey between the two canals, The Falkirk Wheel allows vessels to transit between the two waterways in just a few minutes.
Now one of Scotland’s busiest tourist attractions, The Falkirk Wheel attracts around 500,000 visitors each year. The Wheel has transformed Falkirk into a key tourism destination, with visitors traveling from all over the world to marvel at the working sculpture which combines modern engineering and technology with ancient principles set out by Archimedes more than 2000 years ago.
When one of the structure’s gondolas is lowered, the opposite one rises, keeping the vast, 1800 tonne boat lift in perfect balance as it carries canal barges 35 metres into the air in a matter of minutes. Incredibly, the structure uses just 1.5kWh for each rotation.
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in central Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal and open-end in 2002
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in central Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal and open-end in 2002
I love the colours in it. It is really nice when it is lit up. The staff switch the lights off around 8pm
The world's one and only rotating boat lift. A marvel of engineering and Scottish Canals' flagship destination, The Falkirk Wheel. Connecting the Forth & Clyde Canal with the Union Canal in a half-turn that takes only five minutes!
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal.
It's certainly one of the more challenging locations as far as composition goes as there are only two spots you can take a shot from. I attempted something more central but it was a two man job and our efforts were not rewarded. We attached camera to tripod and then extended it out (with cable release) across the water. At four feet it was a little too wobbly and still not quite far out enough. It was also really hard to see the screen and my guess work was somewhat questionable. I think if I was to revisit I would take a scaffolding plank with me (not sure what Easyjet would think about that - perhaps buy one on the day). Anyway, I had to settle for this and whilst I would have loved for there to be no breeze I do feel very lucky with the conditions on the night and what I have come away with.
A big thank you to both the Operations Manager and Security chap at Scottish Canals for facilitating our visit.
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in central Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal and open-end in 2002
"The Roughcastle tunnel is 147 m long and forms part of the Millennium Link connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal and the Union Canal at Falkirk, Scotland. The tunnel was constructed in a mixed face of stiff Glacial Till overlying Lower Coal Measures that comprise interbedded sandstones, mudstones and coals of varying strength. "