Canal drawbridges in Holland

I wish to construct a diorama incorporating a drawbridge such as this:


in a rural setting, circa 1944 - 45. I’ve looked at many pictures and can’t find any means of lifting the bridge roadway - no handwheels, capstans (windlass), or pulleys. Is everything completely manual where a person jump up to catch the landward end of the boom and his weight pulls down and lifts the bridge roadway? And were the older bridges have the booms made of wooden beams, or were they steel like newer ones…remember, this is up to, and including WWll. I’m going to use two of these, with some detaling and modification: 1:72 World War Ii European Drawbridge Architectural Scene Wooden Assembly Model Decoration Handmade Gift - Architecture/diy House/mininatures - AliExpress
:grin: :canada:

There is a wire running from the counter-weight (diagonally) to the vertical pillar of the bridge. And on de pillar, just above the railing, there is (what seems to be) a mechanism. Probably a winding sort of thing :slight_smile:

These bridges are generally operated by pulling down the counter-weight, either by a chain hanging from it or by some sort of winding mechanism.

The construction is either completely wood or a cast iron frame with a wooden “road” over it. We have a few bridges from around the 1860’s which are mainly iron.

The bridge you’re looking at, seems more modern (but made to look older). It looks like a steel foundation (round black pillars in the water), with concrete support beams across. The deck seems completely wooden, roadway, beams and railing. The pillars from the deck upward are either light-painted steel or wood (hard to see, but i think wood). The top of the construction seems wood with steel diagonals, with probably a steel/concrete counterweight at the back :slight_smile:

This is one from the city where i work. Mostly iron with a wooden deck:
https://www.google.com/search?q=appelmarktbrug+schiedam

Thanks. I’m not building a replica of the illustrated bridge, but just that type of double-drawbridge. Ha-ha…I was looking at that very drawbridge earlier, but decided there was too much steel in the construction for my purpose! :thinking:
:grin: :canada:

True, there’s quite a bit of steel in it :slight_smile:

Wooden drawbridges are (i think) a bit easier to recreate in scale. I know my scratchbuilding skills would fall short a long way from the target so i’m not going to try :wink:

Googling for “rijksmonument dubbele houten ophaalbrug” (national monument double wooden drawbridge in Dutch) gives quite a few ideas. Looking for similarities should give some ideas how to convincingly make something that looks authentic enough without make a specific bridge…

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