Inclined Plane for the Leeds and Liverpool?

[MartinClark]

What about an Inclined Plane for the Leeds and Liverpool Canal to take some of the misery out of the Wigan flight?
The top 13 locks could be replaced by an inclined plane boat lift similar to some that are in operation in Europe. Such a scheme could bring visitors flocking to Wigan, but would it be welcomed by boaters?

Follow this link for more information.

The photo below shows an inclined plane boat lift in Poland. [Photo: Wsombeck at de.wikipedia]

[Guest]

[kris88]

As long as they don't put one back in at foxton.

Regards kris

[Pluto]

The photo shows the Elbing Oberland Kanal, which senior staff members of the L&LC did visit in the 1890s when they were looking for ideas to improve their canal. They were also investigating how ice breaking was undertaken in Germany. The Elbing Oberland was built by Prussian engineers as it was in East Prussia, an area which became part of Poland after the war.

 

Back on the L&LC, there were several proposals for boat lifts over the years, but more for replacing the staircase locks which used too much water. There was a proposal to replace Wigan flight, which suffered badly from subsidence. At one time, the top lock had a fall of 15 feet 6 ins, and the lock falls throughout the flight were equalised on several occasions to ensure less waste of water. One reason the gates are so hard to move is that the walls of some locks are now out of true because of the subsidence. There was a scheme to lengthen all the locks to take 100 ton boats, but the money required, around £30,000, could not be found after the government introduced the Railway and Canal Rates & Tolls legislation in 1893.

[Guest]

Damn fine idea.

[Peter X]

Excellent idea; the claim that "The scheme could pay for itself over a longer period through savings in the cost of maintaining the 13 locks it would replace" actually sounds quite plausible. There would be a big initial construction cost, but would the annual running cost including that engine be much less than the cost of maintaining 13 locks, and how long would it take for the savings to pay for the scheme? I think Maureen Wring should come up with some estimates and send out a circular.

[Sir Nibble]

"However, Joe Kerr, of the Friends Of Old Lancashire, is not happy and feels the plane will change the character of the historic lock flight: “It will change the character of the historic lock flight,” he told us. “I am not happy.”

[Pete & Helen]

Despite this being the normal wind up at the beginning of April, Its an interesting concept and would indeed become something of a tourist attraction. Wigan could do with a boost. I don't think it could be done in one lift though due to length of cable needed. It would be great if your trying to get somewhere quickly, but locks and all their little quirks are what boating is all about.

[zenataomm]

I seem to remember WW doing one about 35 years ago about an inclined plane lift, all quiet feasible until they started waffling about horizontal gravity or some such.

[DeanS]

If you had 2 "lifts"...at the Wigan flight...one at the bottom and one at the top.......then adding weight to the one at the top would force the bottom one to move up the hill. As long as the boat at the top was longer than the boat at the bottom, it would work like a dream. Soon all the short boats would be up near Leeds, and all the longer boats would be down near Manchester. Widebeams could be given 1month off their boat licence, and used to pull up 2 narrowboats, or 4 small GRP boats.

 

In the same manner, all the fat people would end up near Manchester and all the slim people would end up on their way to Leeds.

[Athy]

Wigan could do with a boost.

Surely a misprint for "bomb"?

[DaveC]

If you had 2 "lifts"...at the Wigan flight...one at the bottom and one at the top.......then adding weight to the one at the top would force the bottom one to move up the hill. As long as the boat at the top was longer than the boat at the bottom, it would work like a dream. Soon all the short boats would be up near Leeds, and all the longer boats would be down near Manchester. Widebeams could be given 1month off their boat licence, and used to pull up 2 narrowboats, or 4 small GRP boats.

 

In the same manner, all the fat people would end up near Manchester and all the slim people would end up on their way to Leeds.

If the boats were floating it wouldn't work Dean (As April Fool jokes don't after mid-day)

 

Dave

[MartinClark]

In the same manner, all the fat people would end up near Manchester and all the slim people would end up on their way to Leeds.

 

All the fat people would just stay in Wigan to get their hands on all the pies.

[MHS]

It could become the Wigan log flume, with a big splash at the bottom. An automatic camera could then take your picture a la Alton Towers.

[Emerald Fox]

It could become the Wigan log flume, with a big splash at the bottom. An automatic camera could then take your picture a la Alton Towers.

 

I woz thinking if you're fed up with one canal eg. going round London and can't find a parking spot then you could simply drive your narrowboat onto a train (like the Channel Tunnel vehicle trains) and off you go to somewhere like the Upper Peak Forest Canal, in 6 hours rather than 6 weeks. If you fancy the Caledonian Canal then you could sleep in your boat on the way up to Scotland as you 'let the train take the strain'. You may have to remove the chimney for tunnels though.

[Guest]

One thing is for sure; the kids who vandalize Wigan locks frequently would have some fun with that!

[steven wilkinson]

they could also have a Bingley plane!

[MHS]

One thing is for sure; the kids who vandalize Wigan locks frequently would have some fun with that!

How about installing some guillotine locks then? Might help reduce the chav population.