archie57
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Posts posted by archie57
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I've met "Sir Nigel Gresley", close to the Great Central bridge at Wolfhamcote - Bill Hoole wasn't steering it though.......
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2 hours ago, Stuart E said:
Such a shame these cottages are now gone. Any idea when these photos were taken and are there any more of the Atherstone flight?
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
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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..........
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5 hours ago, burrayboy said:
Hi could you say which No locks these were on please
thanks Tim.
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
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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
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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.......
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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!
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24 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:
Attached two pictures of paddle gear at Marple. When boating as a kid and as a teenager this was "standard" paddle gear and other types were "different", some obviously so (Leeds and Liverpool, Hatton) others more subtly so. Over the decades since I've realised that it's largely confined to Cheshire and the North West and that it isn't really traditional. Overall though it seems to be very satisfactory, unlike the other "innovation" of the period, hydraulic paddle gear.
Where did it come from and why?
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)
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20 minutes ago, Richard Carter said:
Have just found this thread - the photo is of course a con-rod which has been "hydraulicked". It is in the window display at UCC in Braunston, if memory serves right it was a Perkins 3HD46 from the hire fleet, mid 90s, but I'm sure Jona will still know if anyone wants to check ...
looks like a Lister part number....
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7 minutes ago, Allan(nb Albert) said:
They reduced the draught of the Ashby to 3' in 2020. It's now back to 3' 6" ...
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!
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47 minutes ago, Allan(nb Albert) said:
I'm not sure that the explanation given to Patrick sits well with proposed change F3.
Why would temporarily reducing dimensions (where works or structural issues make this necessary) need a change to maximum craft dimensions published on CRT's website? Surely, as has always been the practice, a stoppage notice is the place to document a temporary restriction.
As mentioned above, under the 1968 Transport Act, CRT has to make many of its waterways generally available to boats not exceeding certain dimensions (the so called statutory dimensions). These dimensions can only be altered by the relevant minister.
However, for many years, CRT (and BW before it) have been altering statutory dimensions and it would appear that, until now, nobody has noticed or objected.
I would suggest that CRT decided to override the 1968 Act by replacing it with own Terms and Conditions which would give the appearance of making changes to statutory dimensions 'legal'.
Unfortunately, the cat is out of the bag and the Information Commissioner has undertaken a criminal investigation after CRT falsely claimed that they had not changed statutory dimensions.
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......
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I was referring to the northernmost one - both these bridges are the same width.....
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44 minutes ago, David Mack said:
What is needed now is a movable width restriction at the A45 bridge just north of Braunston Junction, which is only unlocked when a wide boat passage is scheduled.
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!
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2 minutes ago, Philip said:
Can't see the picture? I did the Grand Union mainline for the first time last year, and the vast majority of the locks between Brentford and Braunston had two centre paddles on each top gate, like in the top pic. Looking at GU lock photos from 10 or more years ago, it looks like many have been re-fitted in recent years.
I was referring to the main picture - the spindles have been removed.....
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- but it has been modernised (in this picture) - centre paddles removed........
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5 minutes ago, Jubbly said:
I have a good digital copy of The Boat People. I don't live in the UK but not sure of legality of sharing - or how that could be done.
I know the copyright holders would not want to see it shared without their permission.....
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2 hours ago, jam said:
Do you know which paper this was ?
AFAIK the "Chester Chronicle"
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On 22/01/2021 at 16:32, John Liley said:
Thomas Clayton tar boats iced in at Chester. 1940s?
from newspaper dated 23/12/1938
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"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.
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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......)
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Defo Kinver - tug "Usworth" I rather think, with "Jupiter" and "Byfield" beyond.....
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5 hours ago, captain birdseye said:
Thanks Tim, it was great to see Dirty Weekend, I haven't seen it since the seventies. There are lots of familiar (to me) faces on it, lots of whom I still see, and takes me back to how working parties used to be.
Takes me back, shame it's not in Smellyvision!
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Does anyone know what happened to the Coventry canal's Oldbury Reservoir?
I can answer my own question (first paragraph) BW did that quietly! -
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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!
Old cine film of boats
in History & Heritage
Posted
It starts at Avonmouth, they just pass through Sharpness