Stuff I learnt today!

[Julian]

The Gateshead Millennium Bridge pivots!

I never knew that, I imagine quite an impressive sight if you can catch it, apparently only costing £3.60 to move. I've only ever seen it closed (pictures) and didn't ever consider it might lift.

Why are we living in a society that worships some 'reality TV nothing' whilst ignoring the engineers who are still building such impressive machines.

ho hum.

[Bejasus]

I f you think thats good, you should go to see the Falkirk Wheel in action.

http://www.thefalkirkwheel.co.uk

[Julian]

I know about the Falkirk Wheel and yes it is stunning. I live not so far from the Anderton boat lift, not a lot different in principle yet built in 1875, not in anyway to take away from the Falkirk, just interesting how some ideas just work..

The thing about the Gateshead for me, was that I thought it was static, it is in all the NE brochures and just as a bridge it is quite pretty, but now I know it's secret, wow!

I also live not so far from the Dee aqueduct, I would love to cross it, if anyone has access to a canal boat on (is it the Bridgewater?) that canal, please can I come with you for the day, I'll be good!

[T25]

Do you mean the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct ?.
If so, the crossing is well worth the cost of the trip boat. The inlaws have a narrowboat but it's on the Nene which restricts them to the Grand Union and anywhere they have time to get to from there, so we took a trip on the tour boat and even though I'm a vertigo man, and subsequently shat myself all the way over, it was a trip I will never forget. Well worth the money.

[DaveS]

I would agree with that. We took a hired narrow boat across it a few years back. On the towpath side it's merely spectacular, but on the other side you can look vertically down and the exposure is something else.

On the way back we had strong cross wind which meant that the boat kept banging the side. I was torn between reassurance that it had lasted 200 years and was unlikely to choose today to fail, and worry that if you wanted to break a cast trough that's precicely where you would hit it...

[Olivepage]

Yes

The Millenium bridge is quite impressive:



Its a surprisingly long walk across the bridge, its not straight across, but a quite deep curve, the same shape as the vertical bit.

The locals call it "The blinking eys"

[Julian]

I was torn between reassurance that it had lasted 200 years and was unlikely to choose today to fail, and worry that if you wanted to break a cast trough that's precicely where you would hit it...

Image from wiki


Do you see what I see??

Anyhoo, what is to stop me launching our tender on a quiet weekday and crossing in that? Do you think people would get sniffy if they saw me, a rubber ducky and little 4st o/b?

Other than being told off and told to stop, could I be fined or arrested for using the canal unlicensed?

I really want to see this from up top, though I do wonder if I would pass out if I had a peek?

Edit>> Acshully, no, I want to be a passenger, so I can have a good nosey about without the worry of driving.. The idea of leaning out of a deeper cockpit and looking down 38 metres is really appealing, I know, small things!

[FullCircle]

Now that looks scary.

Congratulations all there some great shots in this thread.

[T25]

Anyhoo, what is to stop me launching our tender on a quiet weekday and crossing in that? Do you think people would get sniffy if they saw me, a rubber ducky and little 4st o/b?

Other than being told off and told to stop, could I be fined or arrested for using the canal unlicensed?

I really want to see this from up top, though I do wonder if I would pass out if I had a peek?

Edit>> Acshully, no, I want to be a passenger, so I can have a good nosey about without the worry of driving.. The idea of leaning out of a deeper cockpit and looking down 38 metres is really appealing, I know, small things!

To be honest, no picture could ever do justice to the view and feeling when you look out onto the towpath on one side, and nothing but a sheer drop on the other. The problem with the trip boat is that you're more than likely going to end up spending most of the time below, so although you can see the view through the window, it's not as stunning as when you're in the cockpit where you can lean out and look straight down. I confess it made me feel sick, but I wouldn't have missed it.
As it's only just wide enough for a narrow boat to cross, it's a bit like a country road but without passing places, so as long as the boat was pointing in roughly the right direction it would cross by being guided as it bounced off the walls, and if you did it on a quiet weekday I don't think you would even be noticed.
The problem comes when vertigo takes over. I normally walk down the sides of narrow boats as it's the quickest way to get from one end to the other, but there is no way I would have stepped on to the side when I crossed, unless it was on the tow path side where you can step on and off easily, there isn't even room to get a leg trapped in the gap, that's how narrow it is.
If you go on the trip boat though, get pally with the helmsman and you're less likely to get ushered below to let others have a look, that is when you get the real feeling. Well worth the cost.

[DaveS]

[quote="Julian]Anyhoo, what is to stop me launching our tender on a quiet weekday and crossing in that? Do you think people would get sniffy if they saw me, a rubber ducky and little 4st o/b?

Other than being told off and told to stop, could I be fined or arrested for using the canal unlicensed?[/quote]

You're supposed to have a licence to use BW's waterways, even for a canoe, but I suspect that unless you're causing bother they're unlikely to make an issue of it. Technically, you're meant to have a licence before riding a bike on the towpath (this might, however, have changed relatively recently) but I doubt if anyone bothers.

I confess to sailing for a couple of miles downwind on the Forth and Clyde Canal (having first rowed in the opposite direction) in a completely unlicensed 6 foot pram dinghy with a rather fetching red lugsail...

[aquaplane]

I have been known to take my dingy/outboard combination down to the local cut to do a pre season test. It's much more fun than using a drum full of water to test the engine.

It's quite a nice way to kill a Saturday afternoon doing something boaty out of season too.

If you don't act stupid and cause a nuisance folk usually turn a blind eye.

[Arghiro]

(cut)
I also live not so far from the Dee aqueduct, I would love to cross it, if anyone has access to a canal boat on (is it the Bridgewater?) that canal, please can I come with you for the day, I'll be good!

Walk it. If you MUST navigate it, they run trip boats & you can hire a day boat. There is good free parking, Toilets & a slightly scruffy Pub which serves a reasonable pub meal.
Fron Cysyllte
Looking back towards basin & car park


From below, looking up


Will it fit? Fortunately (& by design) the walkway is built over the water so that boats don't behave like hydraulic pistons! Telford simply thought of everything.