Hey Y’all; Here’s a bridge that’s almost a turntable - a swing bridge on a French canal
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/692213/
Remarks & Notes: On the line Nîmes - Le Grau du Roi B 81821 is crossing a swing bridge in Aigues-Mortes.
Is it my imagination, or is the pivot point offset so the bridge completely clears the channel as it turns 90 degrees clockwise?
Greg
Greg Elmassian said:
Is it my imagination, or is the pivot point offset so the bridge completely clears the channel as it turns 90 degrees clockwise?
It’s offset if you mean it isn’t in the middle of the bridge - seems to be on the landward side. The bridge pivot is on land so it completely clears the canal.
Interesting! Looks a little like the Goodson/Mills turntables, that swing in to space for almost half the radius, but when parallel with bench work are totally over the bench. Is that a traditional turntable on the opposite side of the canal from where the bridge pivot is located.
I think that’s just a beloved traffic circle to the right. Does not appear to have a table.
Nope, not turntable opposite side, is traffic roundabout with track bisecting it.
I think the Caughey was messing with us, Forrest… (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
Thanks for posting this, it’s a pretty clever design. The deck’s short-end wheels only need to go through 90 degrees, and is probably heavily weighted on that side to ensure wheel-to-plate contact. There must be some compliance to ensure good contact on the opposite side, not sure what that would be. Maybe a slightly sprung center joint? Who knows.
Very cool.
Very cool indeed!
Where is this in France, which canal?
Dan Pantages said:
Where is this in France, which canal?
Southern France, Dan. There are three canals listed (see Rivers), but I am not sure which is the one in the photo. Lots of water around that area as the link will show. Aigues Mortes = Still (dead) Water.