Falkirk Wheel: You Spin Me Right Round, Baby

Sorry but you are wrong, the Anderton boat lift on the Stafordshire Trent canal was built many years ago, this was the first original boat lift in the world, and it lifts boats much hire that the Falkirk wheel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spencer.

Thanks for your comment. You are correct, the Anderton Boat Lift was built far before the Falkirk Boat Lift. However, the Falkirk Boat Lift is unique because it is rotating.

Hi TechnoTourist,

Yes I have seen the Falkirk wheel on a number of ocasions, and as you said it is unique because it is a rotating lift.

I have also seen many incline-lifts on various European canals, the one in France raises the boats 21 vertical meters, while the one in Latvia lifts the boats 47 vertical meters over a distance of 310 meteres.

Spencer.

whatever mate thats all good but the Falkirk wheel is amazing and that one isnt

Meanwhile in the USA they can't even build a coart to coast high speed rail system. Or descent rail system that moves north to south. If I want to go to Fla from Tennessee by Amtrack I must go to South Carloina then catch the North bound train to Washington D.C then chance to the South Bound tain to Miami. But I can stop in South Carloina if I get on the right one. Only a few stop there.

<...This connection would not be possible without a rotating boat lift [in the space available] since the Union Canal is 35 meters above the Forth and Clyde Canal...>

Consider locks. At, say, 2m rise per lock, around 17 of them would be needed, and a length of hillside of somewhere over 1.5km. At 15 minutes per lock (and that's going some!) it would take the best part of a day to 'do' the flight ['flight' is a term that means a group of locks].

So the Fakirk wheel is a both a time- and space-saver, as well as an European Icon.

Nice blog.