zenataomm Posted September 16, 2019 Report Share Posted September 16, 2019 Who remembers the splendid fun and danger we had in the 80s with the above? How much must that have cost? What did they do with them all? To this day is there an old hangar full of them stashed away, or were they weighed in, or sold to a developing country wanting to regulate its irrigation in the field? For my part I wrote to Waterways (for there was no other way of contacting them then) and asked them if it was their intention to inflict all of the inland waterway network with Granny Gear because I hadn't seen any on The Ashby yet. I requested they spare it the indignity of its history being tampered with. They wrote back enthusiastically extolling the virtues of 30 odd winds without being able to drop them immediately in an emergency while dripping hydraulic oil around a lock side. They also confirmed all canals would receive them including The Ashby! And the photo I've posted? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterboat Posted September 16, 2019 Report Share Posted September 16, 2019 2 hours ago, zenataomm said: Who remembers the splendid fun and danger we had in the 80s with the above? How much must that have cost? What did they do with them all? To this day is there an old hangar full of them stashed away, or were they weighed in, or sold to a developing country wanting to regulate its irrigation in the field? For my part I wrote to Waterways (for there was no other way of contacting them then) and asked them if it was their intention to inflict all of the inland waterway network with Granny Gear because I hadn't seen any on The Ashby yet. I requested they spare it the indignity of its history being tampered with. They wrote back enthusiastically extolling the virtues of 30 odd winds without being able to drop them immediately in an emergency while dripping hydraulic oil around a lock side. They also confirmed all canals would receive them including The Ashby! And the photo I've posted? We still have them on the S&SY in some cases they are a joy in comparison to normal lock winding gear, I have stripped a few engines with con rods like that, cars trying to drive through deep water is a no no Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pearley Posted September 17, 2019 Report Share Posted September 17, 2019 Plenty of them on the Huddersfield Narrow and the Ashton and a few on the Calder & Hebble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billh Posted September 17, 2019 Report Share Posted September 17, 2019 Hydraulic gear is still in the majority on our canal. Out of 72 paddle sets, only 6 gate paddles have reverted to "proper" type. Some new gates have had the old hydraulics re-fitted even though 40+ years old. About 75% of the gears are faulty in some way, i.e., they leak oil , drop on their own or just don't work. They are an abomination with no redeeming features. Very expensive to maintain as they have to be removed and sent to a specialist hydraulics repair shop, spares are difficult ( I think they were originally of Italian manufacture) . I have heard it said that they cannot be replaced by conventional because some locks are listed structures and the hydraulics were in place at the time of the listing. That might be just an excuse? The original paddle gear consisted of two ground paddles and two co-acting gate paddles at the head of the lock with no reduction gear and two gate paddles of large area with reduction gear on the tail gates . This on a narrow canal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jrtm Posted September 17, 2019 Report Share Posted September 17, 2019 There are a few still on lift bridges about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boater Sam Posted September 17, 2019 Report Share Posted September 17, 2019 Have they all gone on the Marple flight then? Years since we have been that way........................Oh, of course its been closed for years too, on and off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mayalld Posted September 17, 2019 Report Share Posted September 17, 2019 4 minutes ago, Boater Sam said: Have they all gone on the Marple flight then? Years since we have been that way........................Oh, of course its been closed for years too, on and off. They have! There are now two left on the Peak Forest Canal. One on the Lift Bridge near Portland basin, and one on one of the lift bridge on the Upper PF (the other LB has been electrified) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dor Posted September 17, 2019 Report Share Posted September 17, 2019 Fortunately very few on the Shroppie or Llangollen. There is a lift bridge on the Montgomery that needs over 80 turns ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetman Posted September 17, 2019 Report Share Posted September 17, 2019 (edited) Still a pair of granny gears on the tail gates on one of the Hanwell locks GU. Not sure why as all the others are normal rack and pinion type. Never tried it but I reckon a decent cordless drill with correct size socket would be the thing for these. Edited September 17, 2019 by magnetman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Pegg Posted September 18, 2019 Report Share Posted September 18, 2019 There’s a pair of hydraulic gate paddles on the tail of lock 57 at Tardebigge of which the near side one won’t hold in the raised position and hasn’t done so for at least 4 years. There’s also a pair of hydraulic ground paddles at the head of lock 15 on the Lapworth flight. They are OK when reduced to novelty status such as these pairs but I would hate for both of those flights to have been totally afflicted with them. I don’t know how many locks at these locations once had them. JP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Carter Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 On 16/09/2019 at 22:41, zenataomm said: And the photo I've posted? 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 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archie57 Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 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.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Carter Posted February 13, 2021 Report Share Posted February 13, 2021 11 hours ago, archie57 said: looks like a Lister part number.... You may very well be right, it's too long ago and too far away. There were still a couple of Listers in the fleet then, and if I'm wrong about it being a hireboat engine then anything goes ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bee Posted February 13, 2021 Report Share Posted February 13, 2021 Huh. Soon hammer that straight (ish) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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