Hi Brian, I may be completely up the wrong tree but I think that side ponds are supposed to be there, so that only one half of a lock full of water is used at a time.
I think that when the lock is full, the water is put into the side pond until the lock becomes half empty (Going down). Then the pond paddle is closed and the bottom gate paddles are opened. , saving the half lock full of water. That way, only half the water is lost. The water in the side pond is then used to half fill the lock before the top gates are opened, (Having shut the side pond paddle first! If this is nor done, no water can be saved! In other words the reverse of the above is carried out when going "up" through the lock(s) with side ponds. I might be quite wrong but I think this is something like how it should work. I hope you can follow my theory??? ~Allan~ --- In [email protected], Brian on Harnser <br...@...> wrote: > > dvdob...@... explained on 31/05/2009 : > > It does to the museum at Foxton. Mike the curator keeps a windlass ready as > > water-flows down the overflow channels when people get the order wrong > > cause > > the side ponds to spill over onto the path and into the museum. As the > > footpath outside the museum starts to disappear under the flood, Mike will > > disappear with his windlass muttering some local curse against the boater > > who > > got it wrong. > > > Can you explain how, The way I see it the most extra water you can get > into a side pond is one lock full and you can't get through the next > lock down without using it. Maybe if you went all the way up the flight > setting ahead and emptying every chamber into the side pound before > setting off, but under normal usage I can't see how you can get more > than one lock full into the pound before you use it. > But then I have got into my head how it happens and I could be > completely wrong > > -- > Brian traveling on Harnser > http://nbharnser.blogspot.com/ >
