Kingsferry bridge

[FulmarJeddo]

I heard last night that Kingsferry bridge is to get a major refurbishment during 2017 by Network Rail. New motors are to be built and installed with redundancy. The new motors will be designed to prevent the overheating problems that happens now, so theoretically there shouldn't be the need for the cooling time between lifts. However, lifts will still have to be scheduled around train time tables. There will also be an upgrade of the lights and radio equipment. There will inevatively have to be some closures, but will be kept to a minimum in quieter winter periods. I suspect this won't be until late 2017, so it looks as though we still have 2 years of the old unreliable motors.

 

[Cantata]

That's really good news. I was lucky enough to have a grand tour of the bridge and its electro-mechanical systems recently, and the management did tell us about ambitions for a major refurb.
In the meantime it's down to one lift an hour, it seems, two lifts/hour no longer being possible in the interests of keeping the old girl going.

 

[sunquest]

Ah there's nothing like picking up a buoy at Harty Ferry, enjoying the peace and tranquility, then radioing the bridge for opening times and misjudging the cruise time to the bridge. Done that on two occasions.

 

[FulmarJeddo]

Ah there's nothing like picking up a buoy at Harty Ferry, enjoying the peace and tranquility, then radioing the bridge for opening times and misjudging the cruise time to the bridge. Done that on two occasions.

It's one thing to misjudge the timing yourself, but calling the bridge coming past Queenborough and being told the time of a scheduled lift and working it out that there was no way of getting there in time and then keep hearing a rather frustrated radio operator keep asking for updates. Then as I came into view of the bridge I saw a large commercial vessel that had been held at the bridge for about 15-20 mins after leaving Ridham dock, due to a late running train, just coming through the bridge. I watched the bridge come down knowing if I had pushed on hard I could have easily got through on the delayed lift. I ended up picking my way round the back of the island to Harty in the pitch dark.