Bowling Swing Bridge
at Bowling, east of Dumbarton
See Geograph entry.
Constructed for the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway to carriy a double-track railway across the mouth of the Forth and Clyde Canal basin at Bowling.
1897 '... the tail of the bridge is unusually short, little over one-third of the nose portion, whereas the usual practice is one-half. This enables the bridge to be rotated much more rapidly than would otherwise be the case, the momentum being more easily controlled. This, however, involved an increase in the weight of kentledge, there being 145 tons, while the whole moving load is 380 tons. ...'. Charles Forman was the Engineer[1]. The hydraulic equipment was described and illustrated in Engineering 1897/06/18
The bridge no longer swings. All equipment has been removed from the pumphouse, as has the turning machinery. However, the main rams for lifting the bridge prior to the swinging procedure are still in position. These consisted of a total of five hydraulic rams, of which the main ram is located at the central pivot point.[2]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ Engineering 1897/06/04
- ↑ [1] Canmore: Forth And Clyde Canal, Bowling Harbour, Railway Swing Bridge And Approach Viaducts