[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
>
>
> When on the Mersey Ferry trip on the MSC we were told by the guide that
> excess water on their weirs was used to power the locks
>
>
That wouldn't surprise me. The Weaver used such a system.
Water-powered turbines using the head of water between the river above and
below the locks were used to open and close the lock gates. At the two locks
below Anderton this system was abandoned in favour of electro-hydraulic
operation in the 1960s or thereabouts, while at the two locks above anderton
for a long time only the smaller of each pair of locks (which is equipped with
manually operated gates) has been in operation as there has been no commercial
traffic for many years.
However following the collapse of a bullnose wing wall at Vale Royal locks
three years ago the large lock was temporarily put back into use as this was
quicker and cheaper than rebuilding the wall. When we went through a year ago
the keeper was happy to show us how the water-powered system worked (at least
on the three gates where it did - the fourth was operated using a Tirfor winch
and a length of cable).
The permanent repair to the wall was scheduled for this winter but is one of
the stoppages that is likely to be put off due to shortage of funds. So thanks
to Defra you will be able to observe this unusual system of operation in use at
one lock for a little longer.
Martin L
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