Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane
Encyclopedia
The Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane is part of the Marne-Rhine Canal
, located in the commune
of Saint-Louis
, between the towns of Saint-Louis
and Arzviller
in the département of the Moselle
. It enables the canal
to cross the Vosges Mountains
.
. This was first solved by means of a ladder of seventeen locks
, allowing an overall level change of 44.45 metres over a distance of 4 kilometres. In 1969, these locks were replaced by the Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane.
Before the advent of self-propelled barges, the barges were hauled by two to four horses or mules, until the beginning of the 20th century. Then came the tractors, first on railways then on tyres since 1933, with electrical motors first and later diesel engine
s.
The greatest energy is needed to start the move. Thus, the traveling via the locks ladder was very laborious, tiring, expensive and long.
With 314 kilometres and 178 locks, the travel from Vitry-le-François
to Strasbourg
took six to nine days. Just using the locks ladder of Arzviller
needed one whole day.
Additionally, due to the narrow width of this section, the crossing of two barges was barely possible.
One person was needed to man each lock. These seventeen lock-keepers had to take care of the locks seven days a week and about twelve hours a day. They lived near the canal in houses owned by the state. Their duty was:
In winter, the canal was emptied, to allow the locks' upkeep.
The seventeen locks wasted a lot of water (about 600 cubic metres per boat and per lock plus the leaks). In summer, the water need was greater than could be compensated for by the surrounding available small river and ponds.
in Belgium
(1967) – were badly suited to the Vosgean site. The transverse system was the one best adapted to the topography of the site and also enabled the section of the old canal to be kept in service, limiting considerable cuts in navigation time. The only work of this type existing at the time was the Foxton inclined plane of Foxton, Leicestershire
(1900).
The new structure opened in 1969.
The system works by basically lifting or lowering a caisson containing a boat on a carriage along a slope using a balancing counterweight.
According to Archimedes' principle, the barge which enters the caisson drives back towards the canal a quantity of water equivalent to the mass of the barge. Thus, the caisson always weighs the same, whether or not it contains a barge.
In principle, the system could function without an engine. Indeed, the caisson is more full at the upper level, because it stops 20 cm below the level of the canal, and less full at the lower level, since it stops 20 cm above the canal. The engines control only the speed, and require relatively low power compared to the transported weight.
At the beginning, two caissons were planned but, with the decline of water transport, only one was built.
The decline in merchant water transport is partly offset by tourist traffic and the carrying of thousands of pleasure boats per year.
Evolution of traffic:
Since the early 21st century, a slight increase in merchant traffic and a slight decrease in tourist traffic have been observed; while energy costs still rise, this could be more effective.
The tourist association of Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane, which has managed the guided visits since the site opened, welcomes about 150,000 visitors per year. This makes this site the most visited one in Lorraine
.
Marne-Rhine Canal
The Marne-Rhine Canal is a canal in north eastern France. It connects the river Marne in Vitry-le-François with the Rhine in Strasbourg. Combined with the canalised part of the Marne, it allows transport between Paris and eastern France. The original objective of the canal was to connect Paris...
, located in the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Saint-Louis
Saint-Louis, Moselle
Saint-Louis is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-References:*...
, between the towns of Saint-Louis
Saint-Louis, Moselle
Saint-Louis is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-References:*...
and Arzviller
Arzviller
Arzviller is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-See also:* Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane* Communes of the Moselle department...
in the département of the Moselle
Moselle
Moselle is a department in the east of France named after the river Moselle.- History :Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
. It enables the canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
to cross the Vosges Mountains
Vosges mountains
For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany. They extend along the west side of the Rhine valley in a northnortheast direction, mainly from Belfort to Saverne...
.
History
The Marne-Rhine Canal was built from 1838 to 1853. The main problem it solved was going through the Vosges Mountains and especially climbing up its eastern side to its lower point, the Col de SaverneCol de Saverne
The Col de Saverne is a natural pass in the north of the Vosges mountains, near Saverne, which permits travel between the département of Bas-Rhin, région Alsace and the département of Moselle, région Lorraine.Lines of communication that traverse the Saverne Pass include national highway RN 4 and...
. This was first solved by means of a ladder of seventeen locks
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
, allowing an overall level change of 44.45 metres over a distance of 4 kilometres. In 1969, these locks were replaced by the Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane.
Before the advent of self-propelled barges, the barges were hauled by two to four horses or mules, until the beginning of the 20th century. Then came the tractors, first on railways then on tyres since 1933, with electrical motors first and later diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s.
The greatest energy is needed to start the move. Thus, the traveling via the locks ladder was very laborious, tiring, expensive and long.
With 314 kilometres and 178 locks, the travel from Vitry-le-François
Vitry-le-François
Vitry-le-François is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. It is located on the Marne River and is the western terminus of the Marne-Rhine Canal.- History :In 1142, Louis VII invaded Champagne and seized Vitry-le-François...
to Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
took six to nine days. Just using the locks ladder of Arzviller
Arzviller
Arzviller is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-See also:* Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane* Communes of the Moselle department...
needed one whole day.
Additionally, due to the narrow width of this section, the crossing of two barges was barely possible.
One person was needed to man each lock. These seventeen lock-keepers had to take care of the locks seven days a week and about twelve hours a day. They lived near the canal in houses owned by the state. Their duty was:
- to allow the boats to pass through the locks;
- to ensure good functioning and safety;
- to maintain the valves, the toothed racks and the canal's surroundings.
In winter, the canal was emptied, to allow the locks' upkeep.
The seventeen locks wasted a lot of water (about 600 cubic metres per boat and per lock plus the leaks). In summer, the water need was greater than could be compensated for by the surrounding available small river and ponds.
The solution
Several projects resulting from an international contest had been successively studied and rejected, because some of the systems that were presented, in particular those of longitudinal type - such as the RonquièresRonquières inclined plane
The Ronquières Inclined Plane is a Belgian canal inclined plane on the Brussels-Charleroi Canal in the province of Hainaut in Wallonia that opened in April 1968 after a six year construction period...
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
(1967) – were badly suited to the Vosgean site. The transverse system was the one best adapted to the topography of the site and also enabled the section of the old canal to be kept in service, limiting considerable cuts in navigation time. The only work of this type existing at the time was the Foxton inclined plane of Foxton, Leicestershire
Foxton, Leicestershire
thumb|Foxton parish churchFoxton is a village in Leicestershire, England, to the north-west of Market Harborough. It is on the Grand Union Canal and is the site of the Foxton Locks and Foxton Inclined Plane.-External links:****...
(1900).
The new structure opened in 1969.
Principle
According to Archimedes' principle, the barge which enters the caisson drives back towards the canal a quantity of water equivalent to the mass of the barge. Thus, the caisson always weighs the same, whether or not it contains a barge.
In principle, the system could function without an engine. Indeed, the caisson is more full at the upper level, because it stops 20 cm below the level of the canal, and less full at the lower level, since it stops 20 cm above the canal. The engines control only the speed, and require relatively low power compared to the transported weight.
Dimensions
Key numbers:- Reinforced concrete slope, with steel rails, allowing a horizontal move of 108.6 metres and a level change of 44.5 metres (slope of 41% - angle of 22°);
- steel caisson 41.5 m long, 5.5 m wide and 3.2 m deep (730 cubic metres capacity), steel carriage on 32 steel wheels, the whole weighting about 900 tonnes. It travels at the speed of 0.6 m/s (2.2 km/h);
- four lifting gates (two at the caisson and one at each level);
- two concrete counterweights on guided carriages of 450 tonnes each. Each counterweight is fastened to the caisson by means of 14 steel cables of 27 millimetres diameter;
- in the machine room, two winches each driven by a 90 kW electrical motor which ensures operation;
- a power-generating unit allows the inclined plane to be used even in the event of long power cuts.
At the beginning, two caissons were planned but, with the decline of water transport, only one was built.
Performance and traffic
The inclined plane of Saint-Louis-Arzviller is able to carry 39 barges per day. Each journey is made in four minutes, making a total transportation time of twenty minutes between going in and going out. While the inclined plane is manned by two people, water losses are limited to 40 cubic metres and electrical consumption to 40 megajoules (10 kWh) per journey.The decline in merchant water transport is partly offset by tourist traffic and the carrying of thousands of pleasure boats per year.
Evolution of traffic:
- merchant boats : 1969 = 5788, 1979 = 2914, 1989 = 1015, 1999 = 272, 2004 = 284
- pleasure boats : 1975 = 145, 1979 = 521, 1989 = 5330, 1999 = 7486, 2004 = 6624
Since the early 21st century, a slight increase in merchant traffic and a slight decrease in tourist traffic have been observed; while energy costs still rise, this could be more effective.
The tourist association of Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane, which has managed the guided visits since the site opened, welcomes about 150,000 visitors per year. This makes this site the most visited one in Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
.