Anderton Boat Lift out of use for the year!

SUCH are the problems with the Anderton Boat Lift that it will be closed all year.

A repair is needed that will affect all the gates serving the lift, Keith Gudgin reports.

New equipment

This will result in the installation of new equipment in the gate lifting mechanisms but with the boat lift such a unique structure new components have to be designed, manufactured, and tested.

This cannot be done quickly we are told so the trust have taken the decision that the lift will not reopen for use this season.

Which of course means it will not open this year.

The major problem with the rebuilding of the lift was that new safety devices were fitted in line with current legislation that did not sit  well with the Victorian structure, hence so many stoppages over the years.

Failed to open

The first time it was publicly used it took up the Press, but alas, the top gates failed to open to allow the boat onto the canal to then return.  Even after much scuttling about by the engineers, the gates remained firmly closed, so the caisson juddered down again with not such good reports being the result.

Our photograph shows the band playing at the occasion of the opening.