Talk:Tower Bridge/Archive 1

Old comments
on the purchase of Lonodn bridge: seems the Arizonas knew what they were getting: http://www.arizonahandbook.com/lake.htm

This page needs attention. It seems some edits/bots have removed much of the content. The page should be reverted (imo) to the December 29 00:07UTC version, and the interwiki links re-added. --RealGrouchy 18:02, 31 December 2005 (UTC)

Photographs
thumb|250px|A view of the Tower Bridge from [[The Queen's Walk.]] I have removed this photograph (and placed it in the gallery) because it is too obviously tilted. Acceptable if we don't have anything else, but we got lots. If the original uploader could correct this and reload it, then it should go back in because it is a great photograph of the bridge otherwise. --Surgeonsmate 23:37, 6 February 2006 (UTC)
 * It is actually quite easy to simply rotate an image if you're unhappy with its tilt. However, I kind of feel like perhaps we should remove a large number of the images in the gallery as they seem a bit redundant and uninteresting. Perhaps this image that you refer to is one of the exceptions but I think we need higher quality images, not more images. Diliff  | (Talk)   (Contribs) 08:44, 6 April 2006 (UTC)

Too many photographs
There seem to be too many photographs showing exactly the same thing in the gallery section - what do people think about trimming it down a bit (or at least moving them to the talk page until the article is longer) ? Megapixie 02:17, 23 June 2006 (UTC)
 * I agree, they don't add anything to the article. Why not put these images in a separate article in Commons and then have a link to them from this article. --Rodge500 18:57, 11 October 2006 (UTC)
 * Well of course, we already have the link to the appropriate page on Commons in the External links section. I should just prune away, although many of the images here haven't yet been added to the Commons page. -- Solipsist 19:22, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

Fergie's London Bridge
I think Fergie knows the difference between London Bridge.

and Tower Bridge.

Motor Bikes?
GSX-R bikes where allowed through the Tower Subway? TecTec 22:30, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Tower bridge today
Section seems to be a bit of a mess, combination of quotes from when it was relatively new, the Tower bridge Experience, the effect on Tower Subway, and the intro of a computer system. Split into different sections, or reword? rename this section? Paulbrock 21:04, 28 May 2007 (UTC)


 * Agreed - needs attention (split, probably). Addition of missing sections may help. For example, there is no mention of when the walkways were closed, renovated, or re-opened. The new control system (that caused the 2005 sticking incidents) should be incorporated into the history section. (etc)


 * Also have found a ref for the bridge getting stuck: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4620622.stm ("Fix to stop bridge getting stuck"). There may well be others but Google search used was not refined.


 * EdJogg 01:34, 29 May 2007 (UTC)


 * Have now split the section into several sub-sections. EdJogg 00:47, 26 September 2007 (UTC)

Schematic plan?
The, so-called, Schematic plan of Tower Bridge is not a plan. It is an elevation...82.38.112.68 21:26, 15 June 2007 (UTC)mikeL


 * Good point. Caption revised. Better? EdJogg 00:05, 16 June 2007 (UTC)

John Jackson (MP) - "Super-Builder"!!

 * Construction started in 1886 and took eight years, employing five major contractors and 432 construction workers,including Sir John Jackson who constructed the foundations.

Now I'm sure you don't really mean that Sir John Jackson (MP) built the foundations all by himself? I copied the text here as I could not see how to add the information differently, without additional information. For example, what was the name of the contracting company? Was Sir John responsible for the design of the foundations as well? etc.

EdJogg 12:35, 19 July 2007 (UTC)


 * From : constructed doesn't mean that he dug the whole hole himself 8-) However I've added the names of the other contractors which meant rewording - feel free to improve it Ephebi 19:58, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

That's much better. Sorry, I tend to read things literally! (Does help when proof-reading, although others don't often see the joke!) Adding the other contractors certainly helps, although I think there's still room for improvement, just can't quite put my finger on how.

EdJogg 20:26, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

Arrol, Armstrong, Jackson & Webster all gave their names to their respective companies, but the 5th company involved was Perry & Co. Bartlett was to give his name to the Bartlett School of Architecture, but not to the company which had the contract for the superstructure stonework. Maybe the 5 contracts could be clarified by adding that Webster did the south bank foundations etc, Perry the superstructure stonework, and Arrol the steel frame. Angeladunster (talk) 23:04, 2 November 2008 (UTC)

Sheep
Sadly there are no ancient rights associated with this bridge constructed in 1886 between Tower Hamlets and Southwark. The canard arises because Freemen pay no tolls on London Bridge for a specified list of livestock. There is no legal right, as such. The only right Freeman have that is enshrined in law, is to be hanged with a silken rope (apparently, it makes it quicker, although I suspect it could take yer 'ead off). Kbthompson 13:27, 25 September 2007 (UTC)


 * You're qute right, and it does say as such at the end of the news article where I found this. I guess a follow-up sentence to that effect is required...
 * EdJogg 14:12, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * In fact, they seem to now want to do it everywhere and anywhere ....a flock of about 30 sheep was driven across the Millennium Bridge to mark the start of London Architecture Week. Kbthompson 15:17, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

Further references - 1
Doing a google for  "Tower Bridge" operation  revealed a lot of very interesting web pages. Still nothing about how the hydraulic system itself works, but some other good stuff. These need to be incorporated as references, rather than just links...
 * Signalling Equipment at Tower Bridge – includes pics of interior of control room, etc, plus useful text about how original setup worked. Suggest this could be an ext link, since it is fairly accessible to the non-techy user!
 * Industrial Networking mag article – very technical, very detailed, very useful description of the LATEST incarnation of the control system, plus clues about the one that it replaced
 * Tower Bridge by Honor Godfrey – Journal of Design History, Vol. 2, No. 1 (1989), p. 57needs registered access, poss through library service, but may be cited as a paper publication...(Don't know what's in it yet!!)
 * Speed/Weight checking installation (PDF) Useful site from supplier describing what it does and how it works (other sites also mention weight limit being exceeded 18 times per day!)

There were many more, but it will take a while to absorb the useful info from this lot first!

EdJogg 15:56, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

Useful entry on the Engineering Timelines website (http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=131) which includes a number of engineering / constructional details not already in article.
 * Construction

EdJogg (talk) 14:05, 5 February 2009 (UTC)


 * Modern control system
 * http://www.fairfields.co.uk/pdf/towerbridge.pdf -- Case study describing the current system, written by the people who designed it. -- EdJogg (talk) 12:34, 24 May 2010 (UTC)

-- EdJogg (talk) 12:58, 19 January 2011 (UTC)
 * Bus jump (1952)
 * Useful ref: Time magazine coverage from Jan 12 1953: Foreign News - The Jumping Bus
 * Date seems to be unclear (Time article looks to be a week or more out -- no date is specified)
 * Time article claims that there were injuries to 12 passengers, plus the conductor (who brooke his leg)
 * Most accurate coverage was in an article on the London Transport Museum website, but that link is now dead
 * Confirmation of surname as 'Gunter' (from his grandson!) http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/F47997?thread=6416316&latest=1
 * BBC H2G2 (existing reference): source of other details is unknown
 * Also claims that Gunter later appeared on What's My Line?, but no reliable online confirmation found of this fact

2008-2010 Facelift Announced
Found this while seeing if I could find a picture of the painting of the Hawker Hunter incident...


 * Breaking News! (7th Apr)
 * BBC News: Tower Bridge to get £4m facelift
 * Fox News: London's Tower Bridge Is Geting a Facelift (sic!)
 * Just Google for  "tower bridge" facelift  and you'll get plenty of hits...but none, apparently, from the Official Site or the Trust.

(NB - Official Site history page has some notes about previous bridge paint colours, which can be incorporated here...)

EdJogg (talk) 16:07, 8 April 2008 (UTC)


 * Section added using BBC reference. EdJogg (talk) 17:31, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

footnote 22 messed up
There's something wrong with footnote 22.--76.167.77.165 (talk) 02:55, 25 September 2008 (UTC)
 * Thanks for spotting that - fixed it now! --RedHillian | Talk 03:44, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

Sir John Wolfe Barry
Might it be better to say that Horace Jones recommended that the Corporation commission Sir John Wolfe Barry to work with him? ... rather than "Jones' engineer", which implies that he was working for Jones. JWB was by this time an eminent and independent consultant, and in fact much of the nitty gritty was done by his colleague Henry Marc Brunel, Isambard's son. In asking that he should be able to work with Barry, Jones managed to upset the Corporation's own leading engineer, Colonel William Haywood, a man he had been unable to get on with in the past, and who certainly felt himself passed over for a role that should have been his. The bascule idea was Jones' - Barry & Brunel came up with the operating or opening system. It may be a little misleading to say that Stevenson took over the project after Jones' death. He had been Jones's assistant in the Architect's Office, and certainly produced the drawings and designs that give the bridge the appearance that we recognise today, but by then it was Wolfe who was in control, directing the works. It was he who reported to, and was held responsible by, the various Corporation committees. Angeladunster (talk) 23:46, 2 November 2008 (UTC)