October 2004, Dortmund and Dusseldorf

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The following pictures are of a historic boatlift on the canal to Dortmund harbour. Dortmund harbour is on an elevated section of canal with poor water supply, so heroic engineering efforts were made to preserve water. The original boat lift could transfer boats with minimal use of water (compared with a simple lock). A later effort (also now defunct) was a single lock with 5 side-ponds. In the 1960s (?) a second boat lift was built, but most traffic now goes through a modern lock with two side pounds. I am told that back-pumping is now used to compensate for the water used (50% lock volume per lock cycle)

20041008-1505-001.jpg 160.99 Kb 768 x 1024	20041008-1505-002.jpg 205.91 Kb 1024 x 768	20041008-1507-004.jpg 193.77 Kb 1024 x 768 One of three large water-filled piston shafts that use hydrostatic force (flotation) to suppport much of the weight of the caisson and its contents.
20041008-1507-005.jpg 84.15 Kb 768 x 1024	20041008-1509-006.jpg 169.32 Kb 1024 x 768	20041008-1513-008.jpg 186.28 Kb 768 x 1024 This picture shows one of the screw-jacks used to raise and lower the lift.
20041008-1516-011.jpg 95.79 Kb 768 x 1024 The engine house and part of the drive train used to power the lift screw-jacks.	20041008-1516-012.jpg 155.85 Kb 1024 x 768 Final drive to one of the screw-jacks. To give a sense of scale, the railings here are about waist-hight.	20041008-1518-014.jpg 140.22 Kb 768 x 1024
20041008-1519-017.jpg 66.20 Kb 768 x 1024	20041008-1520-018.jpg 133.72 Kb 1024 x 768 Part of the guillotine gate lift mechanism.	20041008-1528-021.jpg 103.96 Kb 1024 x 837

The pictures below are some glipses of a museum of historic boats, of which the original boat lift is a part. Also, beside the museum, are a modern working lock and boat lift.

20041008-1529-022.jpg 142.46 Kb 1024 x 768	20041008-1534-024.jpg 158.55 Kb 1024 x 768	20041008-1547-026.jpg 82.31 Kb 1024 x 768 The first lock, converted into a footpath
20041008-1551-027.jpg 144.90 Kb 768 x 1024 The new lock through which most traffic now passes	20041008-1604-031.jpg 128.26 Kb 1024 x 768	20041008-1607-033.jpg 172.77 Kb 1024 x 768

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