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View Full Version : Archived: Weighing Bridge Grand Union Canal Stoke Bruerne September 2009



Tankman
22-09-2009, 04:45 PM
The canals of England have always held a fascination for me, especially as they were the first major form of mass transportation of goods up and down the country:thumb With the coming of the railways, canals fell into decline and with that, dereliction and decay set in for the majority of them.

But the engineering legacy's of the great canal builders & Victorian engineer's survives today with the majority of canals well looked after and patronised, by many people who enjoy there quiet and simplistic slow life:thumb

A wander along the tow path of The Grand Union Canal, at Stoke Bruerne, there is some good examples of the engineering feats of the Victorian's:thumb

A Barge, Weighing Machine, one of only three ever constructed. The Weighing Machine was used to calculate how much cargo each boat held by taking the weight of each boat away from the weight loaded.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Scrap%20Album/Stoke%20Bruene%20Canal/003.jpg

Access into the dry dock weigh bridge.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Scrap%20Album/Stoke%20Bruene%20Canal/006.jpg

A barge on the Weigh Bridge scales, The dock would be pumped dry, the barge resting on the scales then Weights were placed on to a side plate to the side of the barge, until the scales evened out. Thus working out the relative tonnage of the load...simples:)

Further along the towpath one comes to the Blisworth Tunnel.
At 3,076 yards (2,813m) long it is the third-longest navigable canal tunnel on the UK canal network.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Scrap%20Album/Stoke%20Bruene%20Canal/010.jpg

The Southern portal of the tunnel. A segment of the 1977, relined tunnel lays just to the side.


http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Scrap%20Album/Stoke%20Bruene%20Canal/024.jpg

One of the first Ferro-Concrete bridges, built by Northampton County Council in 1916 spans the canal just before Stoke Bruene, although looking a little worse for wear in places due to the heavy traffic that was never envisaged over the bridge.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Scrap%20Album/Stoke%20Bruene%20Canal/018.jpg

Sometimes "Urban Canalists" dont close the sluices of the locks properly and result in tons of water cascading over the locks:thumb

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Scrap%20Album/Stoke%20Bruene%20Canal/014.jpg

The whole area around Stoke Bruerne is surrounded by old abandoned tram roads that once served the canal Here a former bridge hides in a deep wooded area.

Thanks for looking:coffee