Asquith
Diamond
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2005
- Location
- Somerset, UK
1 2 3 4
Large sheerlegs, with riveted iron or steel tubular legs, were prominent features in numerous dockyards from the mid-19thC.
They were used for lifting heavy components such as boilers, engines, and guns into and out of ships. They were made obsolete by more versatile equipment such as hammerhead cranes. Surprisingly, a large set was installed in Aberdeen as late as 1911, and survived until it was blown down in a gale in 1970. Superb photos here:-
Sheer Legs | Doric Columns
I thought they'd all gone the way of dinosaurs, so I was delighted to come across an example in Trondheim, Norway.
The Trondheim sheerlegs are of relatively modest size, but very impressive nevertheless. I estimate the height at about 55 - 60 ft. Some 19thC examples were up to 160 ft high.
These sheerlegs are located in the former shipbuilding and marine engineering complex of TMV (Trondheim Mekaniske Verksted). The site has been redeveloped into an attractive location for leisure/shopping/offices, etc, while retaining many building and infrastructure from the TMV days. Unfortunately the execution suggests a somewhat unsympathetic attitude to old industrial equipment machinery, which is all too common with city authorities and developers the world over. However this is perhaps something for another thread.
More information about TMV's history and development:-
Trondheim Mekaniske Verksted - Graces Guide
This includes links to zoomable photos of the site in 1952, which show that the Trondheim sheerlegs have been relocated (presumably during the recent redevelopment).
Returning to the sheerlegs, it will be seen that the legs are pivoted on the edge of the dock, and in service they would have made to lean back to pick up the load, and to lean out over the ship to place it. The leaning was achieved by means of the rear leg (backstay), which was moved to and fro by a leadscrew. The leadscrew is about 5½" diameter. An example at Chatham Dockyard had a leadscrew 11½" dia and 85 ft long!
The winch equipment is damaged and incomplete, but I suspect that it was originally worked by an electric motor.
I only had time for a few quick photos, and later study begged a number of questions. Fortunately a return to the port a week later provided answers to those questions, but it raised a few more.
I'll return with more photos later.
Large sheerlegs, with riveted iron or steel tubular legs, were prominent features in numerous dockyards from the mid-19thC.
They were used for lifting heavy components such as boilers, engines, and guns into and out of ships. They were made obsolete by more versatile equipment such as hammerhead cranes. Surprisingly, a large set was installed in Aberdeen as late as 1911, and survived until it was blown down in a gale in 1970. Superb photos here:-
Sheer Legs | Doric Columns
I thought they'd all gone the way of dinosaurs, so I was delighted to come across an example in Trondheim, Norway.
The Trondheim sheerlegs are of relatively modest size, but very impressive nevertheless. I estimate the height at about 55 - 60 ft. Some 19thC examples were up to 160 ft high.
These sheerlegs are located in the former shipbuilding and marine engineering complex of TMV (Trondheim Mekaniske Verksted). The site has been redeveloped into an attractive location for leisure/shopping/offices, etc, while retaining many building and infrastructure from the TMV days. Unfortunately the execution suggests a somewhat unsympathetic attitude to old industrial equipment machinery, which is all too common with city authorities and developers the world over. However this is perhaps something for another thread.
More information about TMV's history and development:-
Trondheim Mekaniske Verksted - Graces Guide
This includes links to zoomable photos of the site in 1952, which show that the Trondheim sheerlegs have been relocated (presumably during the recent redevelopment).
Returning to the sheerlegs, it will be seen that the legs are pivoted on the edge of the dock, and in service they would have made to lean back to pick up the load, and to lean out over the ship to place it. The leaning was achieved by means of the rear leg (backstay), which was moved to and fro by a leadscrew. The leadscrew is about 5½" diameter. An example at Chatham Dockyard had a leadscrew 11½" dia and 85 ft long!
The winch equipment is damaged and incomplete, but I suspect that it was originally worked by an electric motor.
I only had time for a few quick photos, and later study begged a number of questions. Fortunately a return to the port a week later provided answers to those questions, but it raised a few more.
I'll return with more photos later.
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