Drawbridge at the fort of Ponta da Bandeira; Lagos, Portugal

A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle, but the term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (960x1280, 408 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Lagos, Portugal Drawbridge Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (960x1280, 408 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Lagos, Portugal Drawbridge Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used... A movable bridge is a bridge that can changed in shape or position in order to allow large traffic to pass through it. ... Caernarfon Castle, Wales. ... Salmon Bay Bridge, Seattle, USA; a single leaf through truss with an above-deck counterweight A bascule bridge is a drawbridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or leaf, throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic. ... A lift bridge over the Erie Canal at Lockport. ...

Drawbridges may be used to withdraw passage across (rather than allow passage beneath), as is found in military fortifications, and this is the most common use of the term. Simple drawbridges may be found in short canal crossings, where the lifting mechanism is a pair of overhead beams with counterweights that are not a part of the bridge's load bearing structure.

The most common type of drawbridge consists of a wooden platform with one fixed side (normally with a hinge), and the other side attached to the wall from a floor higher than the drawbridge. Trunks A tree trunk as found at the Veluwe, The Netherlands Wood is derived from woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs. ... The word platform is used in several different contexts including various topics: In rail transport, a railway platform is an area at a train station to alight from/embark on trains or trams. ... A hinge is a mechanical device that connects two solid objects, allowing rotation between them. ...

In the Middle Ages, drawbridges were often used to allow or deny access across a moat or ditch. They could be let down to allow people across, or pulled up to deny entry into the castle. The moated manor house of Baddesley Clinton in Warwickshire, England Moats (also known as a Fosse) were deep and wide water-filled trenches, excavated to provide a barrier against attack upon castle ramparts or other fortifications. ...

Now, with cars and trains in need of crossing small waterways without blocking boats from passing, drawbridges have a more peaceful reason for their existence.

In Queensland, diamond crossings between narrow gauge cane tramways and main lines are being replaced by drawbridges, so that the rails of the main line are completely unbroken by gaps or weak spots. This also allows the main line speeds to be raised. Emblems: Faunal - Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus); Floral - Cooktown orchid (Dendrobium bigibbum); Bird - Brolga (Grus rubicunda); Aquatic - Barrier Reef Anemonefish (Amphiprion akindynos); Gem - Sapphire; Colour - Maroon Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Const. ... In U.S. railroad practice, a level junction (or in the United Kingdom a flat junction) is a railway junction that has a track configuration in which merging or crossing railroad lines provide track connections with each other that require trains to cross over in front of opposing traffic at...

Another rail use of drawbridges was on the Listowel and Ballybunion railway in Ireland. This was a sort of monorail, where trains hung on either side of a fence-like track. Road crossings were either a gate-like Stuart section of track or twin drawbridges, that allowed crossing at rail level. The Lartigue Monorail system was invented by the French engineer Charles Lartigue (1834-1907). ...

See also

• Movable bridge for a list of other movable bridge types

A movable bridge is a bridge that can changed in shape or position in order to allow large traffic to pass through it. ...

Gallery

Drawbridge crossing fortification ditches at Fort Ticonderoga Image File history File links Download high resolution version (4653x2668, 2416 KB) Fort Ticonderoga, Fort Ticonderoga, Essex County, NY. Drawbridge to demilune. ... Fort Ticonderoga Fort Ticonderoga is a large 18th century fort built at a strategically important narrows in Lake Champlain where a short traverse gives access to the north end of Lake George in the state of New York, USA. The fort controlled both commonly used trade routes between the English...	The famous Magere Brug (a double drawbridge) in Amsterdam Image File history File links Magerebrug. ... Magere Brug The Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge) is a bridge over the river Amstel in the city centre of Amsterdam. ... Amsterdam Location Flag Country Netherlands Province North Holland Population 741,329 (1 August 2006) Demonym Amsterdammer Coordinates Website www. ...	Another drawbridge in Amsterdam Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (600x800, 136 KB)drawbridge in amsterdam - Mike Chapman - public domain I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Amsterdam Location Flag Country Netherlands Province North Holland Population 741,329 (1 August 2006) Demonym Amsterdammer Coordinates Website www. ...	USS Lake Erie, a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, passes under a drawbridge on the Willamette River Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2100x1500, 435 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Drawbridge USS Lake Erie (CG-70) Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... USS Lake Erie (CG-70) is a Ticonderoga-class cruiser in the United States Navy. ... Ticonderoga class cruiser is a class of warships in the US Navy, first ordered and authorized in FY 1978. ... The USS Port Royal (CG-73), a Ticonderoga class cruiser. ... The Willamette River (pronounced wil-LAM-met) is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 240 mi (386 km) long, in northwestern Oregon in the United States. ...
Drawbridge, painted by Vincent van Gogh Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x986, 130 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Drawbridge ... Vincent van Gogh (; Dutch: ) (March 30, 1853 in Zundert – July 29, 1890 in Auvers-sur-Oise) was a Dutch draughtsman and painter, classified as a Post-Impressionist. ...	Drawbridge at Castle Dornenburg Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 339 KB) Kasteel Doornenburg 8 Augustus 2006 Gemaakt door wikipedia vrijwilliger gijsevers File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Drawbridge Metadata This file contains additional information, probably...