Wide Wednesday: Large

This pedestrian bridge needs a large counterweight to allow it to open.

The bridge is over the entrance channel to the marina on the north bank of the River Tyne at St Peter's Basin. We were in that vicinity this evening as Son#3 lives there and we went to deliver some freshly picked raspberries from our garden. As the weather was gorgeous we had a little walk past the marina and along the riverside path. (I blipped the marina in April although you can't quite see the bridge on that shot.)

I like the exortation about not cycling on the white sign - you may need to look large to read it!

I always like to know how things work. I realised that the counterweight is to balance the weight of the bridge platform when it opens but I stood there puzzling what actually triggers it to tip. A very helpful local gave me the answer: apparently there's a hydraulic piston beneath the platform which pushes it up far enough for the weight of the counterbalance to take over and complete the rotation about the fulcrum at the top of the tower. So very little energy is required to open it. I assume that the reverse occurs for it to close. Clever!

Bobsblips is the Widwed host.