Restored/New canal that's hoping for a mini-Falkirk Wheel?

[Chris J W]

Was chatting to a friend last night and she mentioned seeing The Falkirk Wheel on TV and how marvelled she was over it.

 

But isn't there a current restoration project that's also hoping to put a mini-Falkirk Wheel in at some point? My first thought was the Milton Keynes-Bedford Canal, but the high-point of that is the circular inclined plane, isn't it?.

 

Have I just miss-remembered some restoration / new project?

[bag 'o' bones]

Was chatting to a friend last night and she mentioned seeing The Falkirk Wheel on TV and how marvelled she was over it.

 

But isn't there a current restoration project that's also hoping to put a mini-Falkirk Wheel in at some point? My first thought was the Milton Keynes-Bedford Canal, but the high-point of that is the circular inclined plane, isn't it?.

 

Have I just miss-remembered some restoration / new project?

 

The Newport and Shrewsbury canal trust are on about installing a boat lift to get rid of the 20 odd locks going down from Norbury Junction on the Shropie, but not sure what system there considering.

[Chris J W]

The Newport and Shrewsbury canal trust are on about installing a boat lift to get rid of the 20 odd locks going down from Norbury Junction on the Shropie, but not sure what system there considering.

 

Norbury? Now that does ring bells. Not very loud ones, I must admit, but louder than the MK-Bedford link.

[Tim Lewis]

Was chatting to a friend last night and she mentioned seeing The Falkirk Wheel on TV and how marvelled she was over it.

 

But isn't there a current restoration project that's also hoping to put a mini-Falkirk Wheel in at some point? My first thought was the Milton Keynes-Bedford Canal, but the high-point of that is the circular inclined plane, isn't it?.

 

Have I just miss-remembered some restoration / new project?

 

It's the Derby Canal, details here.

 

Tim

[Chris J W]

It's the Derby Canal, details here.

 

Tim

 

BINGO! Perfect, Tim. That was the one I was thinking of.

 

Ta!

[twocvbloke]

Blummin' heck!!! That thing looks like it'll lift boats up really high!!! I don't think I'd want to be on the boat when it's being lifted over...

[magpie patrick]

The Newport and Shrewsbury canal trust are on about installing a boat lift to get rid of the 20 odd locks going down from Norbury Junction on the Shropie, but not sure what system there considering.

 

SNCT were considering back to back inclines, canal would cross the top of an embankment with a plane on each side, one bopat would go up one side while another was going down the other. I quite liked this one but it wouldn't work where they wanted it because the embankment on the shroppie at Norbury is too unstable to have a side arm canal connected to it. I would also say to any restoration group that if locks are an option use locks. They are more reliable and don't need professional supervision, so the canal can open 365 days a year.

 

Locks were not really an option at Falkirk because the old line had been filled in and the gradient on the new line was too great.

 

Some of the others, like the Derby Arm, The Brogborough Whirl, and the Sloping lock, strike me as solutions looking for problems.

[Athy]

What a hideous=looking structure; the Pride Park estate is hardly a thing of beauty but this will be an extra eyesore.

Then again, I thought the same about the Falkirk Wheel until I actually saw it three years ago. Now I think it's a great achievement - which, as it was made in Derbyshire, should hardly be a surprise.

[Natalie Graham]

Blummin' heck!!! That thing looks like it'll lift boats up really high!!! I don't think I'd want to be on the boat when it's being lifted over...

Me neither, and all that just to cross a river. What's wrong with an aqueduct or even a couple of locks into either side of the river?

[journeyperson]

It's the Derby Canal, details here.

 

Tim

 

Looks like a scene from The Day of the Triffids, much more of a blight on the landscape than the new marinas everyone gets upset about.

[Keeping Up]

Some of the others, like the Derby Arm, The Brogborough Whirl, and the Sloping lock, strike me as solutions looking for problems.

I still can't believe that the Brogborough Whirl is a serious suggestion. When they held a competition throughout Milton Keynes for ideas on how to cross the Hill, according to the local newspaper the winning entry was made by a primary school pupil who after a day at a funfair simply drew a helter-skelter for boats to go down. It wasn't until after it had been chosen as the winner, that the idea of feasibility was considered, and then the "experts" were given the challenge of how to make it work by adding water and thinking of a way to get the boats to go uphill !

[alan_fincher]

There's something a bit wrong with their impression of how it might look, I think.

 

An 80 ft long caisson reaching 100 ft above the ground ?

 

Even allowing for funny perspective, it's either drawn with a too short caisson, or too much vertical rise, surely ?

 

At first I looked at it and thought they can't be serious at letting you actually ride on it at those great heights.

 

But then I suppose if you are allowed to navigate Pontcysyllte, it's probably no more hazardous than that.

 

I can't see it ever being built, somehow, though.

[Chris J W]

I still can't believe that the Brogborough Whirl is a serious suggestion. When they held a competition throughout Milton Keynes for ideas on how to cross the Hill, according to the local newspaper the winning entry was made by a primary school pupil who after a day at a funfair simply drew a helter-skelter for boats to go down. It wasn't until after it had been chosen as the winner, that the idea of feasibility was considered, and then the "experts" were given the challenge of how to make it work by adding water and thinking of a way to get the boats to go uphill !

 

From the website (Clicky) it does look a bit of an overkill to go up the hill - very pretty, but why not stick to either a normal inclined plane or a lock-flight?

[CanalWalker]

Blummin' heck!!! That thing looks like it'll lift boats up really high!!! I don't think I'd want to be on the boat when it's being lifted over...

 

Its made me feel ill just looking at the picture! It will use less water than locks I would image and if its like the Falkirk Wheel it wont use much power.

Edited January 12, 2009 by redstarafloat

[Keeping Up]

From the website (Clicky) it does look a bit of an overkill to go up the hill - very pretty, but why not stick to either a normal inclined plane or a lock-flight?

I think they're trying to save space.

 

The earliest diagram I saw (when the competition winner was announced) looked just like a giant helter-skelter, with several complete turns around a central tower, and water running down the slide for boats to float up and down on. But I don't know whether that was the child's entry or the newspaper's misinterpretation of the description.

[Athy]

Was it in the April 1st edition of the newspaper?

[Natalie Graham]

I think they're trying to save space.

In which case two caissons side by side a la Anderton Lift would do it. It seems more like they are trying to find something to justify the gift shops, interpretation centre, and all the rest of it.

[magpie patrick]

In which case two caissons side by side a la Anderton Lift would do it. It seems more like they are trying to find something to justify the gift shops, interpretation centre, and all the rest of it.

 

Salutary lesson for those that would venture into this territory

 

Falkirk Wheel loses money (it has boosted the economy of Falkirk no end, but as an operation it is subsidised)

 

Anderton Lift Loses money. Ironically that's why the dropped the charge, it made no difference

 

Foxton Locks get 250,000 visitors a year, and the business at the bottom was totally private enterprise until BW intervened, and Foxton locks are a heck of a lot cheaper to maintain than Falkirk or Anderton

 

The main reason societies go this way is they think there is grant funding for oddball schemes, and looking at the rocking kelpies (now there was a bad funding decision) they may be right, but making it stack up day in day out is another story

[estwdjhn]

It does look a very hard way of solving a simple problem.

 

Surely either locking onto the river, or a small flight each side and a aquaduct would suffice?

[haggis]

Salutary lesson for those that would venture into this territory

 

Falkirk Wheel loses money (it has boosted the economy of Falkirk no end, but as an operation it is subsidised)

 

Is this true? The two trip boats (both of which carry about 100 pasengers when full) run continuously (45 minute trips) for most of the year at a cost per adult of £7.85. The income from them alone must be fairly high and then you have the income generated by the visitor centre (several outlets presumably paying rents plus a restaurant). There are also "outside" items - fun park, more food etc which presumably generate money for BWS in the form of rents. The whole complex is also used extensively for corporate events (not cheap).

I agree that the presence of the Wheel has boosted the economy in the Falkirk area but I think that the Wheel and it's surroundings must generate lots of pennies for BW Scotland.

[magpie patrick]

Is this true? The two trip boats (both of which carry about 100 pasengers when full) run continuously (45 minute trips) for most of the year at a cost per adult of £7.85. The income from them alone must be fairly high and then you have the income generated by the visitor centre (several outlets presumably paying rents plus a restaurant). There are also "outside" items - fun park, more food etc which presumably generate money for BWS in the form of rents. The whole complex is also used extensively for corporate events (not cheap).

I agree that the presence of the Wheel has boosted the economy in the Falkirk area but I think that the Wheel and it's surroundings must generate lots of pennies for BW Scotland.

 

For some reason my post got lost!

 

BW and Scottish Parliament both say tis subsidised. These things cost a heck of a lot to run. trying to make a trip boat stack up is hard work.

 

BW and SP think it is value for money, and England would do well to learn from the example

 

PS, now found the fault. Mods, posts should not be rejected due to a syntax error in HTML!!!

[tony collins]

Was chatting to a friend last night and she mentioned seeing The Falkirk Wheel on TV and how marvelled she was over it.

 

But isn't there a current restoration project that's also hoping to put a mini-Falkirk Wheel in at some point? My first thought was the Milton Keynes-Bedford Canal, but the high-point of that is the circular inclined plane, isn't it?.

 

Have I just miss-remembered some restoration / new project?

 

There was also something similar planned for the "extension" of the GU into Daventry.

 

Tony.

[magpie patrick]

There was also something similar planned for the "extension" of the GU into Daventry.

 

Tony.

 

There was, but I put paid to that one! They wanted a giant pair of scales....

 

Now either an inclined plane or a five rise staircase....

[haggis]

For some reason my post got lost!

 

BW and Scottish Parliament both say tis subsidised. These things cost a heck of a lot to run. trying to make a trip boat stack up is hard work.

 

BW and SP think it is value for money, and England would do well to learn from the example

 

As chairman if SIWA (the Scottish Inland Waterways Association) I am very interested in this! Could you please tell me what your source of information is pelase?

 

Thanks, Haggis