Peterborough Lift Locks

This is a video of the world's largest lift lock in action. It looks just like an elevator coming up and down but it's filled with water! The principles the mechanism is built on are genius but fairly simple! They fill the locks up with boats... the boats displace water proportionate to their own weight so the weight of the lock doesn't change until they fill it (the top one) with a foot of water. A valve is then opened between the two rams which forces water pressure into the chamber of the opposite lock (lower one) and pushes the ram up till the locks have basically switched places. The gates drop let the boats out and the process happens again whenever a boat shows up.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• lift
• lock
• peterborough
• kawarthas
• hydraulic
• physics
• mechanical
• marvels
• boats
• trent
• severn
• waterway

[toothpicktower1]

I always golf beside it. The sound of the horn you hear at about 14 seconds has become a way of life for golfing there. People always trying to mess you up on the 14th tee. Which is right beside the road. And it doesn't help that it is near a tunnel. I have missed soo many shots because of those cars. And by the way, I am skating on the locks tomorrow.

[igifford]

I am jealous! We can't get our backyard rink stable enough to skate on yet... maybe this weekend? I think we'll have to get there and go skate on the locks! Sounds like a great time.

[spendy2]

Oh yeah, thanks for posting this . I was actually on this 3 days ago. I did the Trent system... beautiful too.I am terrified of heights, knowing that I was turning around and coming back to do it again, "PRICELESS" lol. It is an exhillarating experience though.

[igifford]

I would like to do the TSWW by any kind of vessel! This time we were just there while camping at the Provincial Park. I really enjoyed everything about our time in Peterborough.

Thanks for your comments.

[spendy2]

igifford, Doin the TWW was one of the most enjoyable things that Ive ever experienced, If you ever get the opportunity to try it by boat, you will never forget it :)

[igifford]

awesome. good to know! Thanks again!

[erwtenzuiger]

"It is not the highest boat lift of any type in the world today: the lift at Strépy-Thieu in Belgium has a greater capacity (1,350 tonnes) and height difference (73.15 m)."  - Wikipedia

[ANDREWWALLFORD123]

My god! Biggest lift isn't!!! Looks like a biggest bridge!

[Saintofthereborn]

man.. peterborough is sweet.. Am i RIGHT?! WOO!

[rickc1945]

During the 100th Anniversary I produced a film I am going to put various segments of that on very soon

[XmanymanX]

Im doing my history project on the peterborough liftlocks, Thanks. This helped me understand it more then i already did

[XmanymanX]

Im doing my history project on the peterborough liftlocks, Thanks. This helped me understand it more then i already did

[toothpicktower1]

Aww. My fun was put off. The red flag is still up, even after a frigid night. I guess I will need to wait until next week.