Wanne-Eickel lock

The new southern Wanne-Eickel lock, from underwater, with the control center

Map of the canal with ports, locks, etc. va m.

The Wanne-Eickel lock belongs - from the Rhine - to the fourth of the five canal stages of the Rhine-Herne Canal in Herne .

The lock group, consisting of the north and south lock, is located at canal kilometer 31.20 and bridges a fall height of 8.40 m. The Nordschleuse has been out of service since 2003.

The canal stage also includes a pumping station for water retention in the Rhine-Herne Canal.

history

Both locks were built when the canal was built between 1906 and 1914 and had a usable length of 165 m and a width of 10 m. In the lock chambers there was space for two of the predominant ship types at that time, which were 80 m long, 9.5 m wide and had a draft of 2.5 m.

The south lock was rebuilt in 1994 and has a usable length of 190 m and a width of 12 m, so it is geared towards the needs of today's inland shipping. Due to renovation measures in 1965 and 1983, the Nordschleuse was initially still in good structural condition, which is why a new building was postponed for cost reasons. The north chamber has thus been preserved in its original size with a length of 163 m and a width of 10 m and could be used as a replacement lock during the following years in the event that the south chamber was closed.

In 2003, however, the Nordschleuse had to be permanently closed due to serious damage. Since the north lock is also too small for ships of European class II , a new building based on the south chamber is planned. Construction is expected to start in 2016 and commissioning is scheduled for 2020.

The Wanne-Eickel lock group is part of two themed routes on the Route of Industrial Culture : Erzbahn-Emscherbruch and canals and shipping .

gallery

On the left the quay wall and loading facilities of the Wanne-Herner railway and port , behind it the northern lock.
The disused northern lock with the frame for guiding the lifting gate to the underwater
Upstream of the plant, on the right a freighter with wood chips, in the background the Herne-Baukau hard coal power station
Night shot and long exposure of the plant with a view of the coal-fired power station .