Manmart News
| Manmart have recently been involved in
a prestigious Millennium project at Somerset House, London. Back In the 16th century, when
Somerset House was home to the Commissioner of London, the Commissioner used to commute
via the river on his personal barge. As the roads improved the barge ceased to be used,
and is now the property of the National Maritime Museum. Since the relocation of records from Somerset House it has
now been handed to the nation as the venue to house the Gilbert Collection of Fine Arts,
as part of this it was decided to return the barge to its original mooring position at
Somerset House.
At the turn of the century construction of a new
main sewer and the District underground line resulted in the Embankment being built which
has cut Somerset House off from the river. To return the barge too Somerset House required
the need for a special bogie to support it during transport, cranage and to maintain it
safely while at Somerset House.
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The barge is stored in a purpose made
glass tunnel fully air-conditioned which maintains the correct humidity. As the only way
to clean the inside of the windows is to move the barge, the bogie is powered with manual
controls to allow it to be moved forward and back to give access to the windows. |
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