Thursday 14 October 2010

There is More to Grimsby than Fish.
This is specially true for canalaholics or the lesser mortals who enjoy but do not inhale.
Some of the highlights of our weekend studying industrial history in and around Grimsby were the bridges.
In the city the Corporation bascule bridge is in regular use.









At Keadby, near Scunthorpe, is this Scherzer rolling lift bridge.






Built in 1916 it takes the road and railway over the River Trent but has not been opened for the passage of shippng since 1956. The bascule was originally powered by large batteries but was converted to mains electricity later.







Where the Doncaster to Scunthorpe railway crosses the Stainforth and Keadby Canal there is too little headroom for boats to pass under.


The railway crosses at a considerable skew and so when a boat needs to pass through the whole railway slides to the side.
Winches housed in the grey shed pull the bridge with cables and it rolls back on small wheels and rails of its own.
Not having a boat with us we could not persuade the bridge operator to move it over for us.

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