Falkirk Wheel

The Falkirk Wheel is a modern boat lift in Scotland, which is by its construction in the style of a ferris wheel unique in the world.

The elevator is part of the Millennium Link, the Scotland crosses in west-east direction, thus forming a link between the rivers Clyde and Forth. It was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 24 May 2002 on the occasion of her golden jubilee, replacing a lock staircase of eleven locks, the Forth and Clyde Canal linked to about 1930 in Falkirk with the Union Canal. The cost of the new project of 17 million pounds.

The channel and lifting system has predominantly tourism and water sports importance when traveling with smaller narrow vessels, known as narrowboats, between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Operation

Two gondolas are attached to a giant wheel hub. Through a half turn of the wheel the feed troughs exchange within about four minutes of their position and so can raise and lower the narrowboats. The Falkirk Wheel has a diameter of about 35 m and thus overcomes a height difference of 24 meters.

The gondolas have 50 t mass and keep 250 tons of water, the entire structure weighs 1800 tonnes. Due to the Archimedean principle, the boats displace as much water as they weigh themselves, so the two gondolas are always in balance and for turning the engines only have to overcome the friction.

When docking the gondola at the top or bottom channel two tightly closing sluice gates are opened, whereby only a small amount of water loss occurs: When you undock you need only this small amount of water between the two close together lying outside pump out.

Pictures

Lower entrance

Upper entrance

Gears, to keep the troughs horizontal

Others

Near the Falkirk Wheel was the former Roman Antonine Wall, which was indeed over time largely eroded or destroyed by erosion, but is still visible as terrain formation. Likewise, there was the Roman Fort Rough Castle.