Falkirk Wheel
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in Tamfourhill, Falkirk, in central Scotland. It connects the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It opened in 2002 as part of the Millennium Link project. It 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.[1]
The two canals used to be connected by a series of 11 locks but they were closed in 1933. The Union canal is 35-metre (115 ft) above the Forth and Clyde Canal.
Much of the money came from the Millennium Commission. The wheel was built in Ripley, Derbyshire by Butterley Engineering and carried to Falkirk on 35 lorries. There are also a 160 m (520 ft) new canal tunnel of 8 m (26 ft) diameter, 2 aqueducts of 20 m (66 ft) and 120 m (390 ft), three sets of locks and a number of bridges.
Falkirk Wheel Media
OS-Map of the lock flight at Falkirk
View of the aqueduct and top of the wheel
The construction of the basin
Members of the Royal Family at the opening ceremony
Showing the ring gears.
A reconstruction of the mechanism using Lego. Lead architect Tony Kettle used a different Lego model to demonstrate the mechanism to clients and funders.
The Falkirk Wheel in action. The wedge-shaped building on the right is the visitors' centre. Note the Docking Pit at the bottom canal.
The doors being lowered at the lower canal basin
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References
- ↑ "The Falkirk Wheel". Scottish Canals. Archived from the original on 2023-04-19. Retrieved 2023-04-19.