1875-1983,2002-2024,2027 Anderton Boat Lift is the oldest in UK

(Satellite)

The lift from River Weaver to the Trent & Mersey Canal is 50.4' (15.4m). It is designated as a Schedule Monument, and it is one of the seven wonders of the waterway. Unlike a lock, a lift consumes very little water from the canal.

Facebook Reel

Andrew Baker commented on the above reel
Went up and down in my boat last year, photo attached is looking down from the caisson my boat was in to the top of the trip boat in the caisson below.

CanalRiverTrust
Nov 2025: "Please note: The lift is currently closed due to a fault discovered during routine maintenance. It will reopen once repair works are complete, expected early 2027. Keep an eye on this page for updates on the repairs."

CanalRiverTrust
"The Anderton Boat Lift is one of only two working boat lifts in the UK and is affectionately known as the Cathedral of the Canals."

"The unique 150-year-old structure was the world’s first major commercial boat lift and is internationally significant as a feat of engineering design....The Lift requires blast cleaning, repairing and repainting with an innovative technical coating system. Also, installing a new operating system will improve reliability." The Heritage Fund is financed by a national lottery. [CanalRiverTrust_future]

1:20 video @ 0:30
Today's gear driven machinery was added in 1908 to replace the hydraulic lift. The switchover took just four weeks.

bbc, Canal and River Trust
"Before the boat lift was built, chutes and slides were used to move goods between the canal and river"
The river was made navigable in 1732 to support the local salt industry. Then the canal was built by "pottery entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood."
The 1908 addition converted the lift to electric power.
Usage of the lift was very low in the 1960s because of improved road transportation, and it was closed in 1983 because of corrosion. (All of that salt handled in the past caused problems.) It was restored and opened in 2002. In 2025, it needs funding for another restoration.

The 2002 restoration went back to hydraulic operation, but it uses oil this time. 2002 is also when the visitor center was built. [4:21 video @ 2:35]

Image via GracesGuide via TalesFromTheBraziersGrotto, this webpage provides details about the conversions from hydraulic to electric and then back to hydraulic.

GracesGuide, this webpage also has a lot of informative details
"For balance and minimum power consumption there were two parallel troughs, one rising while the other descended, although the lifts could be operated independently. Each trough had just one central ram, 3 ft [0.9m] diameter. Each ram and its cylinder were assembled by bolting together three sections. The troughs were guided by cast iron blocks at the four corners, moving in guides in the vertical columns. Movement of water from one ram to the other provided 11/12ths of the lift, the final part being provided by a steam driven hydraulic pump via an accumulator. The hydraulic pressure was 550-670 psi."

So where is this alternative?

Facebook Reel

1927+1994 45mw Old & New Waddell Dams and Lake Pleasant north of Phoenix, AZ

1927: (HAER)

1994: (Satellite)

usbr
"New Waddell Dam, constructed between 1985 and 1994, stores Colorado River water for the Central Arizona Project,and also stores Agua Fria River runoff and provides flood protection by controlling river flows. The dam is on the Agua Fria River about 35 miles above the Gila River confluence and is located one-half mile downstream of the now submerged historic Waddell Dam, which was built by the Maricopa Water District (MWD)."

SaltRiverStories
"When completed in 1928, the Carl Pleasant Dam was the largest multiple arch concrete dam in the world. The massive structure stood 76 feet tall and 250 feet long with a crest length of 2,160 feet. The total storage capacity was 157,000 acre-feet of water. Date: 1929"

SaltRiverStories
"Old Waddell Dam in Relationship to current Lake Pleasant This photo illustrates relationship of the "old" dam with the current Lake Pleasant Dam. When completed in 1927, the Old Waddell Dam was the largest concrete arch and buttress dam in the world. It spanned 1,260 feet and was 176 feet above the deepest part of the stream bed. In 1936 a roadway was added to the top of the dam. In the mid-1980's the Central Arizona Project (CAP) folks decided to build a larger dam 1/2 mile downstream. This new Waddell Dam was completed in 1992 - it is an earthen dam. The new dam added tremendous capacity to Lake Pleasant, whose function is to be a storage facility for the CAP. The CAP canal system transports water from the Colorado river to Southeastern Arizona. The new dam allows water levels to tower 100 feet over the top of the old dam by the end of March each year. Source: http://www.porter-az.com/Waddell.htm Date: 2000"

usbr_office
"In the winter, Colorado River water is pumped uphill from the CAP aqueduct into Lake Pleasant when power rates are low. In the summer, when demand for water and electricity increases, water is released through the Pump-Generating plant, producing hydroelectric power that is sold to help repay the CAP's construction costs. In addition, New Waddell Dam adds 7,000 surface acres to the lake, greatly increasing the recreational value of Lake Pleasant Regional Park....The cost of constructing New Waddell Dam was more than $625 million. The Central Arizona Water Conservation District, which operates and maintains the CAP, is repaying $175 million of this cost."
The pumping plant has 8 units that can lift the water 192' (58.m) high and generate 45mw.

This is some serious spillway capacity. Especially since most of the water comes from pumps instead of the river's watershed.

usbr

These HAER photos are two of several construction photos available in HAER_gallery.

HAER ARIZ,7-PHEN.V,5--17
17. Upstream side of arches and buttress supports. Photographer unknown, January 1927. Source: MWD. - Waddell Dam, On Agua Fria River, 35 miles northwest of Phoenix, Phoenix, Maricopa County, AZ

HAER ARIZ,7-PHEN.V,5--19
19. Upstream face of arches and buttresses at west end. Photographer unknown, January 29, 1927. Source: MWD.

"Significance: Waddell Dam, formerly named Pleasant Dam, is the only water storage dam constructed by private interests in central Arizona. It became the largest multiple arch dam in the world upon completion." [HAER_data]

Central Arizona Project posted 15 photos with the comment:

If you’ve visited Lake Pleasant, you’ve likely seen New Waddell Dam, an earth and rock embankment dam that is nearly 4,800 feet long and a structural height of approximately 340 feet. It was constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation and cost $625 million. The dam is on the south end of Lake Pleasant, a popular recreational spot and storage reservoir for Central Arizona Project.

What you may not know is that before there was New Waddell Dam, there was the Carl Pleasant Dam, later renamed Waddell Dam. When its construction was completed in 1928, it was the largest multiple arch concrete dam in the world. 

Waddell Dam was partially dismantled, but left in place, as New Waddell Dam was constructed about ½ mile downstream. As Lake Pleasant filled, water breached the old dam, resulting in a reservoir that was able to hold nearly 886,400 acre-feet of water, which is triple the previous storage capacity. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4iBZOTE

Timothy Wareham: The link says, “The dam stores Colorado River water and runoff from the Agua Fria River.” I am not sure what “runoff” means here, but doesn’t all Agua Fria River water now flow into the lake?

Marie Crockett: Timothy Wareham it has no Colorado river water in it, that I am aware of. Yes the Aqua Fria runs into the lake.

Tom Leufkens: Marie Crockett it absolutely positively does have Colorado River water in it. It is pumped seasonally to maximize during the summer to provide additional water for large portions of Arizona. It is pumped and canaled from the Colorado River. As for the agua fria in the 50 plus years I've lived here that really hasn't run much in the last 15-20 years. But it used to provide some additional water especially during large monsoon floods or snow melts high in the mountains. But the majority of the water probably 98% comes from the Colorado.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

1925+2004 US-24,65 Bridge over Missouri River at Waverly, MO

1925: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; HAER)

2004: (Satellite)

The 1925 bridge was 1,942' (592m) long with a main span of 419' (127m). The deck was just 20' (6m) wide. [BridgeHunter]

Waverly, MO, is up on a river bluff, so the bridge descends down to the floodplain.

1932 photo via BridgeHunter, Credit: Missouri State Archives
Md Nurujjaman Sarkar posted

The old Waverly Bridge spanning Hwy 24/65 across the Missouri River. The view is looking toward the river bottoms between Carrollton and Waverly. 

Not my picture so not sure when it was taken - I only saved it because I grew up in the river bottoms about a mile from that bridge.

The bridge was built in the 1920’s I believe and was very narrow. Many people were extremely anxious about driving over it because it was so narrow, but it saw a lot of traffic in spite of its narrowness. 

It had at least one large chunk of pavement fall out of it from the amount of traffic it saw. Such was the case in 1967, when the river had flooded there and one of my brothers and I walked across the bridge. I remember getting to that big hole in the middle and was so freaked out! Maybe 12 years later, I road my 10-speed across that bridge. That was a bit scary too, but not as scary as walking up to the hole in it!

And that floodplain does get wet.

Apr 24, 1952, photo via BridgeHunter, Credit: MDOT, Missouri State Archives

MDOT squeezed every ounce of life out of the old bridge. I believe those holes in the steel caused by rust are called section loss.

Photo by Stan Baughn via BridgeHunter

"Significance: The Waverly Bridge (Bridge No. G-54R) is a monumental, multispan structure with two Pennsylvania through-truss spans, three Parker truss spans, one deck approach span, two plate girder approach spans, and one steel stringer approach span. The total length of the bridge is 1,945', and it has undergone only minor alterations since its completion in 1925. The bridge was built as part of a multi-structure program sponsored by the Missouri State Highway Commission to span the Missouri River at several locations. The Waverly Bridge ultimately had a tremendous long-term impact on the local and regional economy, eliminating a natural barrier to commerce within west-central Missouri." [HAER_data]

 HAER MO-112-7
7. Overall ground-level view to the northwest - Waverly Bridge, Spanning Missouri River at State Route 65, Waverly, Lafayette County, MO

HAER MO-112-15
15. Overall view to the northwest 

2004 Bridge

Street View, Jul 2024

Street View, Jul 2024

1886-1969,1997,2015 Washington Street Parabolic Bridge over Susquehanna River in Binghamton, NY

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; B&T; Satellite)

Street View, Sep 2019

booklet, p40

Berlin Iron Bridge Co. book via BridgeHunter

Description 

The South Washington Street Bridge in Binghamton, NY is a rare lenticular truss bridge of three spans. Built by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company in 1886 It is on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been restored and in now used only as a bicycle and pedestrian bridge linking downtown Binghamton over the Susquehanna River with the South Side of Binghamton. Addendum-Berlin Bridge Co. gives the build date as 1887 and the dimensions as 3 spans at 165' 24' roadway and two 6' sidewalks.

History and Significance of the South Washington Street Bridge 

Written by Michael Quiet

It seems fitting that Binghamton NY would host one of the finest examples of the lenticular through truss ever built, as this was also the hometown of the man who held the patent on the design, William Douglas. And a gracious host it has been over the years, as the bridge has been restored for pedestrian use since its discontinuation of vehicular traffic in 1969, and continues to be given regular maintenance, showing that the city and its population put value on this historic truss bridge. This bridge stands as an excellent example of how a historic span can continue to play an important role in a city even after retirement from vehicular traffic, and should serve as an example to others.

Fabricated in 1886, this bridge is (and was at the time) the longest lenticular bridge constructed in NY, and is the second longest remaining example of its type after the 5 span Aiken Street Bridge in Lowell MA. Like the other remaining examples this bridge employs pinned connections on its members and is fabricated from wrought iron. The abutments and piers are expertly crafted ashlar, which are still original and haven't been replaced/covered with concrete, further bolstering the historic appeal of this structure.

The bridge has all of the standard features for the Berlin Iron Bridge Co. including a decorative railing with iron rosettes, builders plaque, and although long gone now, portal cresting and cast iron finales. Also being built for city usage, the bridge features two 6ft pedestrian walkways on the outside of the trusses. Notable features include the 1885 patent strut braces in the first panels, the early use of the stylized portal bracing, and doubled-up eyebars on the lower chord.

On the last point, it should also be discussed that the bridge was built not only for heavy city traffic, but also supported Binghamton's electric trolley line. To accommodate this the bridge has been built up more then typical examples, including the aforementioned double pair of eyebars for the lower chord, built up box members for the vertical compression members, and relatively thick tension members.

As stated earlier the bridge was retired from vehicular traffic in 1969, and became a pedestrian crossing. Since then the bridge has received a major rehabilitation in 1997 which replaced the floor-beams (which replicated the shape of the original but are lacking the riveting work of the original), and a more minor rehabilitation in 2015 which included repairing railings, repainting, and re-decking the pedestrian walkways, demonstrating the care that the city extends this historic bridge.

[ArchivedBridgeHunter]

Wildia Andrilia posted eight photos with the comment: "The South Washington Street Parabolic Bridge in Binghamton, NY. One of my favorites to span the Susquehanna. Built in 1886, closed to vehicular traffic in 1969 and rehabilitated in 2014-17."

Metrotrails: Love lenticular trusses

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Erie Canal Lock #31 in Sprakers, NY

(Satellite, my guess based on the street view below.)

Erie Canal Overview

Matt Korona posted
Sprakers Ny Erie Canal lock 31 looking east

Christopher Freeman: The South wall is still visible on Rte. 5 S.

My guess of where the south wall is.

Street View, Sep 2024

Matt Korona posted
Sprakers Ny Erie Canal early 1900s

Mark Darrow: The hotel is now a church.

I had noticed that church when I was looking for the south wall. I don't normally include so much foreground, but in this case that was where the canal was.

Street View, Sep 2024

The canal was just south of 5S. Today's Empire State Trail was the West Shore Railroad.

1898/1954 Canajoharie Quad @ 62,500