The Travels of Tug 44 |
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Falkirk Wheel Boat-Lift - Scotland |
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The Falkirk Wheel Boat Lift, with it's radical futuristic design, went into service in 2002 in Scotland, and connects the Union Canal with the Forth and Clyde Canal. The 115 foot lift is done nearly effortlessly, as the 2 water chambers balance each other. A 30 horsepower electric motor takes only 4 minutes to lift a group of boats to the other level. The rotation is much like the cylinder of a revolver gun, and the boats sit in the revolver's chambers.
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This side view shows the water box has just lifted from the lower canal level and the upper box containing a boat, has just lowered from the top.
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Here you see one of the water boxes filled with boats, starting a lift. Notice the water box is on small wheels, which allows the box to remain level as the frame rotates.
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Here the chamber is about half way up, and on the right one sees the other chamber counterbalancing it.
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This view shows the left chamber nearly to the top and the right chamber nearly to the lower level.
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Lighthouses - Canal Corp Boats - Tugboats & Trawlers