Muddy Waters

Indeed.

Or just errors.

Or a Harvey trap as I was told these "errors" are called and are there to deter or detect copying.

At the time of nationalisation would not Prince be in the livery of the GUC maintenance fleet?

Oil on Canvas - well that was confusing as I thought it was an album by Japan. I did wonder what a thread about a band from the 70s/80s was doing here. Hay Ho.

So would I.

Quite right.

Yes, agree but the motors were devoid of any swags just a modest stripe. And as you all so say long before H & S got involved.

Now that is the best idea yet - I could go for that.

Oops, silly me. Any way - the point I was trying to make, poorly as it goes, is that counter bands in a tunnel are not really that visible. I just think they look good on the back of a motor - I like mine any how.

The earliest pictures of boats with counter bands were of the FMC steamers. These boats often boated fly and indeed if they were towing a train of boats you would not be able to see the bands. Lot of people call these bands tunnel bands and believe they are there as a safety feature in tunnels and some call them navigation bands. Your point about electric lights in the back cabin - FMC use paraffin to the end and if you are towing a butty you might not see much from the cabin lights. And as Roland said You can’t see someone’s counter bands in the tunnels they are too low . If the boat was empty the deck board and cratch would still be up. In close to 60 tears of boating I don't thing I have ever seen a wholly white rams head on a motor. As too fetid dingo's kidneys, first it is a Douglas N Adams quote and better than saying a load of old bollocks.

Indeed.

I've been reading about these , counter bands, on the friendly narrowboat do dah on that FB thing and I thought what a load of fetid dingo's kidneys. As for making your self more visible in tunnels really. Steamers had counter bands and I would have thought that, 1) all the smoke would be a clue that there might be a boat ahead of me and 2) I would be unable to see the boat ahead of me because of all the smoke etc. 3) and as diesels motors took over from 'orse boats and steamers they often boated with a butty so you still would not be able to see the counter bands. 4) I don't think that the old paraffin lamps would be able to shed more than a modest glow lighting up the tunnel walls either side of your stem so it seems unlikely that they pick up the counter bands of a boat in front unless you were right up to their tipcat. And lastly I would have to be so close to the boat in front of me in a tunnel to see the counter bands that I would be able to see the boat anyway. If they were really there as some sort of safety feature why did not the 'orse boats/butty boats have bright flashes on their arses. Just asking that's all.

Good point,well made. Built in the middle of 1936 I see.

Is not Aber a big boat?