Plan Incliné de Saint-Louis-Arzviller, Boat lift in Saint-Louis, France.
The Schiffshebewerk Saint-Louis-Arzviller is a boat lift that moves vessels up and down a slope on a rail system in northeastern France. A massive water-filled chamber carries the boats, supported by steel wheels and concrete counterweights that balance the movement.
This lift was built in 1969 to replace seventeen separate locks that slowed boats traveling through a long stretch of canal. The new system transformed what took an entire day into a journey of just minutes.
Engineers and maritime professionals gather at this structure to study its mechanical innovations and contributions to inland water transportation development.
Visit on a clear day to get good views of the machinery in action from the viewing platform. The site has parking and basic facilities, making it easy to spend a couple of hours watching boats move through the system.
The lift relies on two enormous concrete weights of 450 tonnes each to balance the movement of the water-filled chamber. This design works like a giant elevator rather than relying on traditional lock gates.
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