Steadying the storm over the river Nete
The 'Trammetje' can be found in the parc of castle de Merode in Westerlo. Built at the end of the 19th century, it was the successor of an older lock and was used to regulate the water level of the castle pond and to irrigate surrounding fields. The 'Trammetje,' totalling at about 18 metres long, was pulled over the water using a cable and winch. The actual damming of the river was accomplished by sliding wooden planks through the 'Trammetje' all the way to a slit in the river bottom.
Through years of withstanding the elements and lush greenery, the steel structure of the lock system had suffered some damages. In particular the bottom was heavily damaged, with local gaps due to corrosion. The ballast box at the end, which was originally filled with scrap metal, had been emptied by looters and thieves. The surrounding stone edges were broken and had collapsed in some areas.
The structure was removed with our crane and transported to the workshop. The front end of the 'Trammetje' could not be saved. After the compostion of a 3D model thanks to scanning methods, the steel frameworks could be reconstructed. Just like the originally used methods, the reconstruction was joined using rivets.
The stone borders and iron tracks were repaired and the masonry foundations on which the winch stands were reinforced. The 'Trammetje' was installed using a crane. The ultimate test came after filling the ballast box; ferrying the front end to the other shore!
