Falkirk Wheel - Rotating boat lift

FK1 4RS Falkirk, Great Britain (UK) (Scotland)

By public transport

By foot or bike

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It opened in 2002, reconnecting the two canals for the first time since the 1930s as part of the Millennium Link project.

Structure

The wheel has an overall diameter of 35 m and consists of two opposing arms extending 15 m (49 ft) beyond the central axle and taking the shape of a Celtic-inspired, double-headed axe. Two sets of these axe-shaped arms are connected to a 3.8 m  diameter central axle of length 28 m . Two diametrically opposed water-filled caissons, each with a capacity of 250,000 litres, are fitted between the ends of the arms.

The caissons or gondolas always carry a combined weight of 500 tonnes; of water and boats, with the gondolas themselves each weighing 50 tonnes.

Each of the two caissons is 6.5 metres (21 ft) wide, and can hold up to four 20-metre-long  canal boats.

Engine room

The area housing the machinery to drive the wheel is located in the final pillar of the aqueduct, and contains seven chambers connected by ladders. Access is by a door located at ground level or an entrance halfway up the tower with a gantry crane to facilitate the installation of equipment.

Power is supplied directly to the axle with 10 hydraulic motors, which also double as brakes. Connected to each motor is a 100:1 gear system to reduce the rotation speed.

Mechanism

The caissons are required to turn with the wheel in order to remain level. Whilst the weight of the caissons on the bearings is generally sufficient to rotate them, a gearing mechanism using three large identically sized gears connected by two smaller ones ensures that they turn at precisely the correct speed and remain correctly balanced.

Each end of each caisson is supported on small wheels, which run on rails on the inside face of the 8 m  diameter holes at the ends of the arms. The rotation is controlled by a train of gears: an alternating pattern of three 8 m  diameter ring gears and two smaller idler gears, all with external teeth, as shown in the picture. The large central gear is fitted loosely over the axle at its machine-room end and fixed in place prevent it from rotating. The two smaller gears are fixed to each of the arms of the wheel at its machine-room end. When the motors rotate the central axle, the arms swing and the small gears engage the central gear, which results in the smaller gears rotating at a higher speed than the wheel but in the same direction. The smaller gears engage the large ring gears at the end of the caissons, driving them at the same speed as the wheel but in the opposite direction. This cancels the rotation due to the arms and keeps the caissons stable and perfectly level

Visitor centre

A visitor centre is located on the east side of the lower basin. Boat trips on the wheel depart approximately once an hour

scottishcanals.co.uk:
The Falkirk Wheel is a fantastic day out with a difference and accessible to everyone! With boat trips, a cafe, gift shop, children's activity zone, water play park & mini-canal, waterwalkerz, canoeing, bike hire and woodland walks; there really is something for everyone!

The 50 minute journey lifts the boat up to join the Union Canal 35m above and sails smoothly from The Falkirk Wheel onto the Union Canal before returning to your starting point at our Visitor Centre.

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