The engineering principle behind the design of the Falkirk Wheel is a relatively simple one. The boats enter a reinforced steel and concrete aqueduct, which is linked to the Wheel's upper gondola. The gondola takes the boat and water that they float in, and this is then lowered by the wheel to the basin below. At the same time an equal weight of boats and water rises up in the other gondola. The Wheel is totally balanced by a series of five cogs so that it always remains horizontal, and this is balanced so efficiently that it can be turned by a group of hydraulic motors. The electricity cost needed for this half revolution is just a few pence! The structure of the giant wheel involved 1200 tonnes of steel plus two 50 tonne gondolas, and these were cast in a Derbyshire steelworks and delivered in 35 huge lorry loads to the site at Falkirk where they were bolted together like a giant Meccano set.
The whole structure was finally completed in 2002 and was opened by The Queen. The Falkirk Wheel in a few short years has become a major tourist attraction and a destination for boaters and for day visitors alike.
The Falkirk Wheel Visitor Centre
The Visitor Centre opened alongside the Wheel, and you can take a ride on the Wheel in specially designed day boats - the round trip takes about 15 minutes. The whole scheme now offers people sea to sea boating facilities, unrivalled walking and cycling opportunities, plus a varied selection of wildlife and rare plants for enthusiasts to see.
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