g.u wideboat progress

[chris collins]

Hi, I have recently started work on the restoration of "Progress", in the interest of constructional accuracy any photographs,drawings anecdotes would be valued enormously.Obviously over the years it has deteriorated somewhat so any clues are going to help. many thanks, Chris

[Speedwheel]

Please keep us updated with progress (sorry!) and pics. Best of luck with it.

[Laurence Hogg]

Hi, I have recently started work on the restoration of "Progress", in the interest of constructional accuracy any photographs,drawings anecdotes would be valued enormously.Obviously over the years it has deteriorated somewhat so any clues are going to help. many thanks, Chris

BW have all the original drawings for the boat in the archive. I also know they have a coloured drawing showing the paint scheme. There are numerous press shots too.

[IanM]

Good luck with the restoration. I've always wondered what happened to it and it's great to know it has survived

[Laurence Hogg]

Here are two pictures from my collection showing her as new.

These are contact prints taken directly from the original glass negatives. I believe Milner took the photos.

 

 

Edited September 22, 2011 by Laurence Hogg

[Speedwheel]

What engine did/does it have and what engine will it have once restored?

[alan_fincher]

What engine did/does it have and what engine will it have once restored?

My understanding is that it originally had a Junkers diesel, but more than that I don't know.

 

IIRC, one of those slender volumes shows a picture of Progress, (unloaded, I think), passing a loaded pair on Tring summit.

 

Just that one picture makes it abundantly clear why a plan to move away from narrow noats to 12' 6" wide boats would have been fraught with problems, unless a fortune was going to be spent widening the many narrower bits.

 

I can firmly remember Progress making regular forrays up the GU in it's houseboat days in the early 1970s. I guess that was with Tam, although I didn't know that at the time!

[Laurence Hogg]

It was fitted with a Junkers engine as built. There is a exceptionally detailed model of the boat in Stoke Bruerne museum (or there was havent been for years) which was a GUCCo commission.

[Derek R.]

It had a Ships Bell!! Doubtless announcing Tea Time? Or for the rolling fog of the tidal Thames?

Wonder where that went. Along with the coaming round the stern bits and the wheel steering.

Edited September 22, 2011 by Derek R.

[David Mack]

It had a Ships Bell!!

 

And a funnel!

[Paul H]

Subsequent to Tam and Di the owners painted the name on the cabin in such a way that the flap-down engine room doors obscure the letters P and R announcing to all and sundry that the boat was called Ogress. Which in view of her relative bulk was rather appropriate.

 

Is it proposed to restore the wheel steering?

 

Paul

[David Mack]

Subsequent to Tam and Di the owners painted the name on the cabin in such a way that the flap-down engine room doors obscure the letters P and R announcing to all and sundry that the boat was called Ogress. Which in view of her relative bulk was rather appropriate.

 

We have that problem too.

 

 

David

[carlt]

We have that problem too.

 

Umbriel has (had?) the "UMB" painted on the inside of the engine room doors (and "IEL" on the other side), so the whole name was readable, closed or open.

[Speedwheel]

Umbriel has (had?) the "UMB" painted on the inside of the engine room doors (and "IEL" on the other side), so the whole name was readable, closed or open.

 

I always thought this was standard practice.

[David Mack]

I always thought this was standard practice.

 

Some of the Fulbourne crew tell me this was not done on the GU wartime livery, and so we haven't done it. I'm minded to print out copies of the missing letters on fridge magnet paper so I can make removable ones.

 

I note that on Sculptor and some other boats in this livery, the whole name is written beyond the open position of the doors to avoid the issue.

 

David

[Chertsey]

I was told that it wasn't on GU boats and it was the luck of the draw whether your name was short enough not to be obscured by the hatch. I suppose there must be photos to confirm or disprove this. Chertsey is short enough not to worry about it, which saved me the dilemma.

 

Cross posted with David. It was probably BW policy I was thinking of anyway, not GU.

[David Mack]

Subsequent to Tam and Di the owners painted the name on the cabin in such a way that the flap-down engine room doors obscure the letters P and R announcing to all and sundry that the boat was called Ogress.

 

And "Progre" on the other side??

 

David

[alan_fincher]

I always thought this was standard practice.

 

Some of the Fulbourne crew tell me this was not done on the GU wartime livery, and so we haven't done it.

Well you live and learn!

 

I had always assumed that it was "normal" to paint the obscured letters on the back of the doors too, (as I am fairly certain was done on paint schemes that followed the GUCCCo).

 

But looking through a few old pictures, at least for the wartime years, it seems that generally it was not.

 

I'm currently looking at a picture of "PERION, for instance.

 

So it seems "LBOURNE"/"FULBOUR" is probably correct to prototype.

[Paul H]

Well you live and learn!

 

I had always assumed that it was "normal" to paint the obscured letters on the back of the doors too, (as I am fairly certain was done on paint schemes that followed the GUCCCo).

 

But looking through a few old pictures, at least for the wartime years, it seems that generally it was not.

 

I'm currently looking at a picture of "PERION, for instance.

 

 

Better than looking at SICK' though.

 

Paul

[mykaskin]

Victoria's name panel seems to be designed to miss the doors, the name even slopes downwards to shorten it!

 

Mike

[chris collins]

Hi Laurence,many thanks for the photo's,I've never seen these before, certainly intriguing from a boatbuilding perspective. I'll try writing to B.W about the drawings,I presume the archives are at Gloucester now. Thanks Chris.

[Yellowback]

I presume the archives are at Gloucester now. Thanks Chris.

 

Clicky

Edited September 22, 2011 by Yellowback

[Laurence Hogg]

Hi Laurence,many thanks for the photo's,I've never seen these before, certainly intriguing from a boatbuilding perspective. I'll try writing to B.W about the drawings,I presume the archives are at Gloucester now. Thanks Chris.

TRIED TO PM YOU BUT WOULDNT WORK:

Chris,

If you send me your email address, I will send full size files.

The model at Stoke Bruerne is worth looking at too.

My email is LHPVIDEO@YAHOO.CO.UK

[Hairy-Neil]

It was fitted with a Junkers engine as built. There is a exceptionally detailed model of the boat in Stoke Bruerne museum (or there was havent been for years) which was a GUCCo commission.

 

Was probably dumped to make room for a cafe.....

[pete harrison]

TRIED TO PM YOU BUT WOULDNT WORK:

 

I have had a problem with this facility in the past. It appears that the person you are 'PM'ing has to have made about 5 posts before it will work. This is a common problem with other Forum's I am a member of as well (Car related).