Benutzer:Vossi75/Great Laxey Wheel

Vossi75/Great Laxey Wheel

Das Great Laxey Wheel, auch Lady Isabella genannt, ist ein großes Wasserrad im Ort Laxey auf der Isle of Man. Es wurde von Robert Casement entworfen, hat einen Durchmesser von Vorlage:Convert, ist Vorlage:Convert breit und dreht sich mit ca. drei Umdrehungen pro Minute.

Geschichte

Das Wasserrad wurde im Jahr 1854 als Pumpenantrieb für eine Miene errichtet und nach der Frau des Gouvaneurs "Lady Isabella" genannt.

Das Laxey Wheel ist soweit bekannt das größte noch funktionierende Wasserrad der Welt. Es wurde benutzt, um Wasser The wheel was used to pump water from the Glen Mooar part of the ‘Great Laxey Mines’ industrial complex.

The Triskelion is visible on the front of the wheel. However it is backwards; this happened by accident when transferring the image on to the wall, they forgot to reverse the image so it is actually a mirror image of the authentic Three Legs of Mann

The Laxey Wheel with tourists on it in July, 2008.

The 150th anniversary of the Lady Isabella was celebrated by the people of Laxey with a grand Fayre on Saturday 24 September 2004. It is currently maintained by Manx National Heritage as part of the Great Laxey Wheel & Mines Trail.

The Wheel features today on the reverse side of the £20 notes issued by the Isle of Man Government.

Technical details

The wheel is water-powered since the Isle of Man does not have a supply of coal but does have an abundance of water.

Water from the surrounding area, including the local river, is collected in a cistern which is above the level of the top of the wheel. A closed pipe connects the cistern to the top of the wheel; thus the water flows up the tower without problem as an inverted syphon. The water falls from the pipe into the buckets (formed from wooden slats on the circumference) and makes the wheel rotate in what is described as the 'reverse' direction. The crank has a throw of Vorlage:Convert and connects to a counterweight and to a very long rod. This rod runs along the rod viaduct to the pumping shaft where the Vorlage:Convert stroke is converted by T-rockers into a pumping action.

Most of the wheel and rod is made of wood; however, key mechanical parts are metal to provide tension and bearing surfaces. The rod has attached wheels at intervals to permit the stroke's motion with minimal friction.

Dimensions

• Diameter, 72 ft 6in.
• Circumference, 210 ft 6in.
• Width, 6 ft.
• Delivery, Vorlage:Convert of water a minute from the Laxey mines some Vorlage:Convert away and Vorlage:Convert below ground

The wheel still operates but does not pump water.

Mine

The mine employed over 600 miners at its peak producing lead, copper, silver and zinc until it closed in 1929. In 1965 the Manx Government bought the wheel and site. The wheel was restored and, in 1989, it was put under the control of Manx National Heritage.

Musical wheel

The wheel has a piece of music dedicated to it; penned by the late Stuart Slack it is entitled The Laxey Wheel.

• A video of the turning wheel and Stuart Slack's Laxey Wheel song played by the Stationary Willberries (Manx Folk Band lic. C. Slack)

See also

• Snaefell Wheel
• Great Laxey Mine Railway

External links

Commons: Laxey Wheel – Sammlung von Bildern, Videos und Audiodateien

• IOMGuide.com/LaxeyWheel Illustrated and with visitor prices.