Bridging a canal - a dilemma

[rynd2it]

I have a design issue that I would like some guidance with. The track on this layout (009) was laid many years ago and I'm not about to relay a load of it. Part of the design calls for a siding to become part of a paved canal side dock area which in turn is part of a road access. This is right next to a baseboard join so my choices of bridge type are limited.

 

I had thought of a lifting bridge but the base area is too large to fit on the right of the canal entrance and would not work with the baseboard join on the other side. A road bridge in stone with a steep approach might be possible (like the bridge in Wroxham in Norfolk) but the slope would interfere with the paved dock area. Then I thought of a swing bridge which could pivot on the adjoining baseboard but I can't find a prototype which is not pivoting in the middle. The sort of thing I'm drawn to is Winkwell bridge on the Grand Union but mounting it entirely on the adjacent baseboard would mean the 'left' end would stick out beyond the front of the baseboard when swung to permit canal traffic.

 

Anyone know of another prototype of suitable small size or another type of bridge that would fit in with the rural nature and size of the modelled area?

 

Thanks in advance

 

[Wheatley]

Have a look at Ainsbury Avenue near Esholt. It crosses the Leeds & Liverpool canal on a swing bridge - centre pivoted admittedly but side mounted rather than a separate pivot in the middle of the canal, it even has a basin next to it.  The one on Apperley Rd a few hundred yards south has rather fewer trees getting in the way. 

[H2O]

Couple of thoughts:

With the boat and dock outline shown would it be able to get round the corner to enter and exit? You could have a shorter boat or perhaps have the exit at the bottom at 45° rather than 90°.

For bridge design there are the lifting type where they rotate upwards from one side only (half a bascule bridge?).  There is also the compact Dutch type which have 2 lifting parts with a simple balance weight above, not sure if they were used in the UK or if they could cope with heavy vehicles.

Edited April 4, 2022 by H2O
Add type

[rynd2it]

1 hour ago, H2O said:

Couple of thoughts:

With the boat and dock outline shown would it be able to get round the corner to enter and exit? You could have a shorter boat or perhaps have the exit at the bottom at 45° rather than 90°.

For bridge design there are the lifting type where they rotate upwards from one side only (half a bascule bridge?).  There is also the compact Dutch type which have 2 lifting parts with a simple balance weight above, not sure if they were used in the UK or if they could cope with heavy vehicles.

Thanks for the input - it does get round the corner, especially after I shortened it  The 45 degree idea is interesting, I'll try & plan that and see if it helps.

 

I've been looking at various Dutch style lifting bridges and during my search I found this:

 

http://bridgedesign.org.uk/resources/bridgepictures/planklane.php

 

It seems to fit the bill as it has a longer deck than the model kit I found and less side supports so it might fit. More test pieces I think 

 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by rynd2it

[2ManySpams]

Try something like this:

 

[rynd2it]

1 hour ago, Wheatley said:

Have a look at Ainsbury Avenue near Esholt. It crosses the Leeds & Liverpool canal on a swing bridge - centre pivoted admittedly but side mounted rather than a separate pivot in the middle of the canal, it even has a basin next to it.  The one on Apperley Rd a few hundred yards south has rather fewer trees getting in the way. 

Interesting but I think it will be too large for the space limitations I have

 

[rynd2it]

1 minute ago, 2ManySpams said:

Try something like this:

 

https://images.app.goo.gl/5paZdpigMFxXpTLs6

That's very interesting, I like the simplicity, thanks

 

[johnb]

5 minutes ago, 2ManySpams said:

Try something like this:

 

There are several along the Oxford canal of a similiar design. I my memory is correct the canal is narrower so they are a bit shorter. Sorry, haven't got any photos and not been along that way for many years.

[SouthernRegionSteam]

I was fortunate enough to take a short trip on part of the Oxford Canal back in 2016 - I've re-edited some photos to brighten the shadows in the hope that they will be useful to you!

Needless to say, the bridges are perfectly balanced on the whole - requiring little effort to lift by the canal user. They are closed by pulling on a chain dangling from the open end (you can just make it out in some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edit: As John says above, the canal is much narrower at each bridge to keep the bridges as short as possible. Usually there are multiple mooring posts either side (although probably not in your example with such a harsh 90 degree turn. For what it's worth, you might be better off (if there's room) doing a sort of T-junction so that a boat could turn around before it goes under the bridge after having loaded/unloaded.

Edit 2: Here's my recent video of the same trip (I never got around to editing the footage until this year) on my Twitter page.

 

Hope that helps,
Jamie

Edited April 4, 2022 by SouthernRegionSteam
Kept forgetting to add things!

[rynd2it]

1 hour ago, SouthernRegionSteam said:

I was fortunate enough to take a short trip on part of the Oxford Canal back in 2016 - I've re-edited some photos to brighten the shadows in the hope that they will be useful to you!

Needless to say, the bridges are perfectly balanced on the whole - requiring little effort to lift by the canal user. They are closed by pulling on a chain dangling from the open end (you can just make it out in some photos.

 

Edit: As John says above, the canal is much narrower at each bridge to keep the bridges as short as possible. Usually there are multiple mooring posts either side (although probably not in your example with such a harsh 90 degree turn. For what it's worth, you might be better off (if there's room) doing a sort of T-junction so that a boat could turn around before it goes under the bridge after having loaded/unloaded.

Edit 2: Here's my recent video of the same trip (I never got around to editing the footage until this year) on my Twitter page.

 

Hope that helps,
Jamie

These are fantastic, thank you very much indeed. I'm attempting to modify a balsa kit of a lifting bridge with the overhead beams ( I already had it) not sure how its going to turn out yet. If it doesn't work, I'll make one of these simpler versions. 

 

I've re-checked the turn and after a little tweaking it works fine as long as I extend the roadbed on the bridge and i've found a prototype for that as well.

 

I'll post the results when I've built it, thanks everyone for the help

 

 

[Campaman]

If you do a google image search for Swing Bridge at Foxton you will find one that pivots from one bank only and fold against that bank.

 

There are two though, one a footpath and the other a road bridge found on Swing Bridge Street, its the road bridge you want.

 

Its local to me.

Edited April 11, 2022 by Campaman

[rynd2it]

3 hours ago, Campaman said:

If you do a google image search for Swing Bridge at Foxton you will find one that pivots from one bank only and fold against that bank.

 

There are two though, one a footpath and the other a road bridge found on Swing Bridge Street, its the road bridge you want.

 

Its local to me.

Thank you for that, looks interesting. I have found an image of a lifting bridge and I'm in the process of adapting a kit to fit the location - I'll post the result when I get a bit further along

 

 

[GRASinBothell]

The bridge at Hunston on the Selsey Tramway might be of interest.

And while I know it wasn't over a canal, the Hayling bridge had a swing bridge hinged at one end to allow boats higher than the bridge to pass through.

Gordon

[Nearholmer]

There are Dutch-type bascule bridges on canals in England, and another type to consider is one I don’t know the proper name for, but I call a “four poster”, where a deck is raised straight up, so remaining horizontal, between four corner posts (braced across the tops) using cable winches. There was one of the latter type carrying a 3ft gauge industrial line over the Grand Canal in Ireland - you might find photos is you search for piccies of Bord na Mona railways. The latter type would be tricky to make work well at 4mm/ft, but it has the advantage of small footprint, so not getting in the way of your baseboard joint.

 

Here it is. The rusty-looking horizontal things are counterweights that also acted as stop-blocks to prevent (maybe) trains getting a bath.

 

 

IIRC, both the Leicester & Swannington and the Bodmin & Wadebridge had versions of the ‘four poster’ to carry sidings over canals.

Another ‘four poster’ on the Deptford Wharf Branch https://www.transporttreasury.com/p555095720/hCBA4679D There was one on a wharf branch at Greenwich too, IIRC, or maybe it was on the Angerstein Wharf Branch ….. memory getting foggy!

 

Aha! Here is is https://knowyourlondon.wordpress.com/2019/08/09/deptford-creek-lifting-bridge/  The earlier versions of this one were a bit less ‘full on’.

 

The modern swinging footway/cycleway bridge over Deptford Creek is very cool and spectacular, but maybe too fancy for your needs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by Nearholmer