On June 30, 1894, the Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII) came to officially open the bridge. But here’s the secret: the bridge was already working for months by then—engineers had been testing the hydraulics since April. The prince basically got to cut a ribbon for a bridge that was already old news. Classic royal photo op.
Oh, and those cool walkways for pedestrians? They were added specifically so people could cross even when the bridge was raised. But within a decade, they became infested with prostitutes and thieves—so much for Victorian innovation. The walkways got shut to the public in 1910 and didn’t reopen until the 1980s. “Sorry folks, too many pickpockets!”
The Engine Room: Where the Real Magic Lives
Now, here’s my favorite part. The bridge’s original lifting mechanism wasn’t powered by electricity—it used steam. Six giant steam boilers pumped water into hydraulic accumulators, which then pushed the bascules (the lifting leaves) up. Steam-powered drawbridge—say that five times fast.
Incredible Tower Bridge pictures shows the iconic landmark being built
That engine room is still there, by the way, and you can visit it. It smells like old iron and condescension. The boilers were replaced with electric motors in 1976, but the same hydraulic rams still do the heavy lifting. Talk about a machine that deserves a pension.
