Architecture
The lock gear on the Eastern Branch of the Montgomeryshire were of a different design to those on other canals. Whereas most other canal locks have culverts in the side walls to fill and empty the lock, with paddles opening and closing vertically, the locks on the Montgomeryshire were designed with a culvert in the base of the canal, with the paddle sliding horizontally over the culvert. During operation this can lead to a large whirlpool being observed. In order to operate the paddle, the winding gear is purely a geared design, rather than rack and pinion. An effect of this is that there is no pawl to be operated, and the paddles cannot be accidentally dropped shut. The paddle gear was designed by George W. Buck, who was appointed Engineer of the Eastern branch in 1819, and Clerk to the Western branch in 1832.
Many of the lock gates on the Montgomeryshire Canal were replaced with cast iron gates. These gates were curved, with tubular cast iron balance beams. The last surviving pair were removed from Welshpool and taken to Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum in the early 1970s.
Read more about this topic: Montgomery Canal
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