# Stanley Dock,Bascule Bridge,Liverpool -3-10



## kevsy21 (Mar 19, 2010)

The term 'Bascule' is derived from the French word for a see-saw - 'Bacule'. A bascule bridge is one in which the deck or roadway can be raised around a horizontal hinge or axis. 
At the western end of Stanley Dock, the dock road crosses this bascule bridge. The bridge was raised by rocking back under the weight of water-filled counterbalances to allow ships to enter the dock. It does not need to be lifted to allow canal boats to pass, which is just as well, as it is not currently in working order. 
The bridge was built in the late 19th century at a time when the docks were undergoing radical changes and refurbishment. 
Visited today with Georgie (cheers m8) and we managed to get rare access to the control room for a great explore.


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## Trinpaul (Mar 19, 2010)

Very interesting........oh, great pics too


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## Engineer (Mar 20, 2010)

*Bascule Bridge.*

Very nice old kit there, thanks for posting.


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## Mr Sam (Mar 20, 2010)

super cool!!!

the cramped little rooms look like 10-20mm territory


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## Black Shuck (Mar 20, 2010)

Blimey Im just loving all those Electric Gizmos in there1 W have around 5 of those Bascule bridges down here they really are something. Well done.


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## The Cat Crept In (Mar 20, 2010)

Great pics very well done.


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## wherever i may roam (Mar 20, 2010)

good stuff mate,glad you done it


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## Goldie87 (Mar 20, 2010)

Thats fantastic stuff, nice work


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## Foxylady (Mar 20, 2010)

Fabulous bridge...great to see all the stuff inside the control room. Very neat.


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## jhluxton (Mar 26, 2010)

Past near there on the way to Costco today and noticed that work appears to have started on repairing the bridge which as been closed to traffic for around 2 years.

Visitors to this site may not know that three of these bridges remain intact on the Birkenhead side of the river Mersey. They are built to the Schertzer Rolling Lift design.

Two at Birkenhead - "A" Bridge on the "Four Bridges" Road and Duke Street are still in operation moving regularly to allow the passage of ships.

A third, the Edgerton Bridge at Morpeth Dock was restored in the 1990s as a museum piece with the intention of opening the engine room to visitors. It was open for one or two years in the early days of the Birkenhead Heritage Tramway. Unfortunately despite restoration lack of visitors and vandals means that it is now closed to visitors and its windows boarded.

By then ships couldn't pass beneath the bridge as the access to Morpeth Dock from East Float had been blocked by the removal of another bridge on the "Four Bridges" route.

The remains of "C" bridge though with the lifting mechanism and engine room removed remain near the Twelve Quays Norfolk Line terminal. 

John


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## kevsy21 (Mar 26, 2010)

jhluxton said:


> Past near there on the way to Costco today and noticed that work appears to have started on repairing the bridge which as been closed to traffic for around 2 years.
> 
> Visitors to this site may not know that three of these bridges remain intact on the Birkenhead side of the river Mersey. They are built to the Schertzer Rolling Lift design.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the info. Heres 2 of the bridges ive captured.


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## Walrus75 (Mar 26, 2010)

Nice one.
I think Pegasus Bridge (think WW2, D-Day) was one of these Bascule bridges.


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## tigger2 (Mar 27, 2010)

Walrus75 said:


> Nice one.
> I think Pegasus Bridge (think WW2, D-Day) was one of these Bascule bridges.



Indeed it was...nice image of it: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pegasus_Bridge_1944.jpg

Tower Bridge is a double leaf bascule


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## jhluxton (Mar 28, 2010)

kevsy21 said:


> Thanks for the info. Heres 2 of the bridges ive captured.
> 
> For info the top one is the "A" bridge on Four Bridges and the second "Duke Street" bridge. The two working ones.
> 
> ...


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