Oberhausen Lock (Rhein-Herne Canal)

It is always a wonderful experience to see such a large ship enter the lock. Sometimes there is so little space on the left and right that it is surprising that it fits at all.

The Oberhausen lock belongs - from the Rhine - to the second of the five channel stages of the Rhine-Herne Canal. It is located in Oberhausener district Lirich at the channel kilometer 5.68.
Today's lock group bridges a height difference of 4.10 m and has two locks. The southern lock was built between 1977 and 1979 and has a usable length of 190 m and a usable width of 11.99 m. The northern lock was completed on 28 July 1984 after two years of construction and has a usable length of 190 meters and a usable width of 11.88 m.
This lock has at each chamber a safety device for the sub-gate against damage by when entering from the upper water ago not stopped in time ships. For this purpose, a thick steel cable is stretched in front of the gate with a hydraulically operated arm, which can catch ships traveling too far. In the picture you can see the rope held high for the exit of the ships. This is necessary here because unladen ships, or those with higher structures could not pass under the tensioned rope. On locks with a higher lift height, the same purpose is served by a hydraulically damped locking device, which does not have to be removed to remove the ships as they can extend underneath.
The channel level also includes a pumping station for dewatering in the Rhine-Herne Canal.

The lock group Oberhausen is part of the route of the industrial culture.

Oberhausen lock here you can see how the ships are being lowered or pushed up.