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archie57

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Everything posted by archie57

  1. archie57
    I've met "Sir Nigel Gresley", close to the Great Central bridge at Wolfhamcote - Bill Hoole wasn't steering it though.......
  2. archie57
    They were taken by my father about 1961. I don't think I've got any more I'm afraid. Many canalside cottages have disappeared, mainly because of no road access, as here at Atherstone
  3. archie57
    I remember late 70s/early 80s BW had a concerted effort to get them all back in to use, and they were all usable for a while - until they changed their minds, as they do..........
  4. archie57
    These houses were second and fourth from the bottom. You can still see (- or could last time I was there!) the brick paving to them from the lockside
  5. archie57
    Little Woolwich motors, probably others as well, had a 3-way valve mounted on the bulkhead below the floor plates plumbed in to the National bilge pump so the three areas David referred to could be pumped out
  6. archie57
    I tend to think this is the top lock at Calcutt (Wigrams) because of the direction the balance is/was pointing and the double handrails on the bottom gates behind the boats - where a public footpath crosses. This may have crossed the canal by the nearby drawbridge pre-widening. The captions on many of these CRT archive pictures aren't always spot-on.......
  7. archie57
    Alan was a great character! I often tried to talk to him about his career on the railway but he didn't really want to know - he would be quite happy to talk for hours on canals and boats however!
  8. archie57
    As you know, the centre paddles on the top gates at Marple aren't as originally fitted, there then being two off-centre. Those single new ones are I feel are not ideal and rather vulnerable and exposed to boat fore-ends, although some canals did have paddles like that, eg T&M (with long spindles under the balance beam)
  9. archie57
    looks like a Lister part number....
  10. archie57
    3' 6" - only if there's 6" of water running weir! Trouble is, they seem unable/unwilling to maintain the levels.......... It reminds me of a certain Mr Smith from Hillmorton yard - the first sign of a cloud in the sky and up would go the flood paddles - shame they weren't so prompt at dropping them!
  11. archie57
    ISTR they "Temporarily" reduced the canal draught at the Minworth Embankment repairs some years ago, they might have subsequently tinkered with it ( many thanks due to Nicknorman for spotting this) although I'm sure they wouldn't have bothered if they weren't caught out......
  12. archie57
    I was referring to the northernmost one - both these bridges are the same width.....
  13. archie57
    I don't agree with this at all - this is a blind bridge, to be approached at caution, but wide enough for two boats to pass easily , something I've had to do many times over the years. Any restriction in width would cause chaos!
  14. archie57
    I was referring to the main picture - the spindles have been removed.....
  15. archie57
    - but it has been modernised (in this picture) - centre paddles removed........
  16. archie57
    I know the copyright holders would not want to see it shared without their permission.....
  17. archie57
    AFAIK the "Chester Chronicle"
  18. archie57
    from newspaper dated 23/12/1938
  19. archie57
    "The Boat People" is a very good film, if a little romanticised! It features real boaters, even if their names are changed! It would be good to see this restored and made available to all.
  20. archie57
    I don't know who is responsible for maintaining this section, but the nicely cut towpath hedge puts those of many "navigable" canals to shame, CRT seems to have given up hedge cutting. (and seemingly most vegetation work......)
  21. archie57
    Defo Kinver - tug "Usworth" I rather think, with "Jupiter" and "Byfield" beyond.....
  22. archie57
    Takes me back, shame it's not in Smellyvision!
  23. archie57
    Does anyone know what happened to the Coventry canal's Oldbury Reservoir? I can answer my own question (first paragraph) BW did that quietly! - Purley-Chase-manganese-mine-final-2.pdf (aditnow.co.uk)
  24. archie57
    B W and it's successors seem quite happy to reduce the size of our waterways, I could give numerous examples where towpaths have been widened, bridges reduced in width - and tunnels(Edgbaston). I have said before that we must be the only country in Europe to do this!
  25. archie57
    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/c1936-Grand-Union-Canal-Crane-Barge-Crew-Shrewley-Warwick-Area-Vintage-Photo/333757607699?hash=item4db580ef13:g:CvoAAOSwQ~Vfia3c
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