GOIN DOWN...

Saturday early was crap weather,steady rain and strong wind gusts,where's last weeks summer gone?. Early afternoon the weather brightened so Leonie & myself took  a gamble and headed off toward Anderton Boat Lift, about 1.5hrs which meant two more tunnels to pass through. The first Saltersford Tunnel, 424 yrds long was as crooked as, maybe the tunnellers were on the home brew cos it was all over the place. The second, Barnton, 572yrds,was'nt laser true but you could see each end. The weather held, actually got quite sunny, we moored up on the Stanley Arms pub moorings and went to watch the FA cup final, huge under dogs Wigan beating Manchester City. Witnessed a real "dog scrap" in the "snug",a couple of Spanials added a bit off excitement trying to remove each others jugular.
This morning Paul & Elaine, NB Caxton, AKA, The Manly Ferry, arrived so we booked in for the 'lift". Had a short wait then after a short instruction lesson we able to enter the Anderton Boat Lift.
It lower's or raise's the NB,s 50ft  from the Trent & Mersey Canal to the River Weaver.
Built 1875 for cargo movement it operated with water driven hydraulic rams, these crapped out by 1904 cos, the area is salt mined and it corroded parts. Changed to cables and cogs driven by electric motors this lasted until 1983 when corrosion shut it down. Saved and restored with lottery grants it reopened 2002 back to hydraulic rams now oil feed.
It's an awesome steel and mechanical structure and being able to steer a NB into and desend to the river was something we'll never forget..

 Proof that spring has been, bluebells in the woods.

It,s not all beer and skittles, checking the weed hatch in the rain..

First view, entering the pound, before the lift chambers.

 Guillotine gates aren't raised yet, still separate canal from lift..

Gate  open, fireflynz enters, steady rain but who cares...

 NB Caxton follows, if a Kiwi can do it an Aussie will find it easy as...

In the "trough" side by side..

Looking over the side of our trough to the one on the river level, freaky, no boats coming up at same time..

Redundant cogs from when it was made electric driven, note the shape of the "gears" designed  by MR Citreon 3 years before he built a car. Note the Citreon emblem on cars now..

Were going down, other side on way up.. they balance each other..bout 120 tonne each..

 Level now...

Hydraulic rams now used, stainless steel, each one cost 1 million pounds, takes 10,000 litre oil to operate 2 rams...

Who's got the Biggest nuts...

At river level, Fireflynz edges out first..

Followed by Caxton...

The river level view is one  not to be forgotten..

Moored up bout a mile and half upstream in the town of Northwich, Paul & myself went over to the local pub to watch Manchester United's last home game with Sir Alex Ferguson as manager after 26 yrs, they won and the locals, many in footy shirts, showed real emotion and class by clapping and cheering when he said a few words after the game. The same for Sir Graham Henry,I don't think so...