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Tonic required. Send in your photos of what is nice on the waterways now.


DandV

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I'll get in the loft this weekend and see if I can find those old photos to post for you Peter, last time  I visited Drungewick lock was still derelict and there was no bridge or aqueduct the lock hopefully will be back in use this year.

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5 hours ago, PeterScott said:

OOh, I can do an IndigoDream one along those lines: Thames Barrier, River Thames 2009 return from Excel organised by SPCC

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Fulbourne did that trip on 15 January 2007.

Close encounter with the Woolwich Ferry.

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6 hours ago, PeterScott said:

L1494_20090120_0220.JPG.44c21056bf58c683d471f87f52d2a0e5.JPG... Thames Barrier, River Thames 2009 return from Excel organised by SPCC

 

52 minutes ago, David Mack said:

pic060.jpg

Fulbourne did that trip on 15 January 2007.

Close encounter with the Woolwich Ferry.

Yes, the 2009 Woolwich Ferry experience fortunately had greater social distancing although the steerer is still not all that happy ...

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and here is a picture of Fulbourne from IndigoDream

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On this day in 2001

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Standedge Tunnel Marsden portal Huddersfield Narrow Canal

 

L0869_20010516_0004.JPG.67750f8912fed10732a6fb6e50f56be5.JPGThem's-with-t'frilly-'at has just stepped aboard (at 1416) and them's-with-miner's-'at has done the four hours in the tunnel. The other picture is the electric-tug assembling the towing device at the front of the train of boats (earlier at 0919) at the Diggle end. Crews had to walk/bus across as the passenger pod was not at that point ready. FredCarter (#410) was steering and taking it slowly. There were two BW-crew on the tug and one on each boat to fend off the cabins from too many impacts with the tunnel sides. There was a trip-boat operation working in the first few hundred yards of the Marsden end, and a bit of radio communication to avoid the boats interfering. Fred could see the light of the trip boat ahead but his radio unaccountably didn't convey the 'please wait' message, so the trip boat had to beat a retreat. Fred was clear that four hours underground was enough. The Odyssey cabin was just about as high and wide as they allowed, hence the slow progress on this trip. More.

Edited by PeterScott
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These are not my photos. The southern entrance to the summit tunnel on the Burgundy canal. Very low and narrow tunnel by French standards. 3.1m at top only 2.2m at sides and about 6m wide so presents a steering challenge. Full width boats if they can get the air draft down wedge logs in between their bollards and let them rub down the sides. Originally barges were towed through by an electricity powered tug which picked up a chain and which has been preserved by well meaning idiots in a dry dock filled with concrete!

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.. as follow up to Dav and Pen, this is us as part of the train of loaded and empty péniches assembled for towage by similar electric tug at the 5670m Riqueval tunnel on the St Quentin canal in N. France, and then Di at the fore end ready to cast off the 30m tow line from the empty boat at the exit.

 

Tam

 

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  • Greenie 1
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More on the tunnel at Pouilly on the Canal de Bourgogne. 3.5 km long, it is a good deal higher at each end than it is in the middle. Taking the Luciole through once under our own power, and using logs to keep the boat central, we got stuck for some time in the narrower bit in the middle.

 

The tug, when it was working, pulled itself along on a chain and picked up 600-plus volts DC from overhead wiring. Martin, the man who ran it in its later days, wore a stetson hat while inside as an early-warning system against the wires. As such he was known to all and sundry as The Cowboy.

 

A pal took a high yet heavily ballasted hotel barge through once, pushed by a diesel tug (the wires had been taken down by then). Because the water level had been lowered for the purpose they kept hitting stuff on the bottom and were in there eight hours. All food on board had been removed, it being the end of the operating season. They did, however, find a case of Premier Cru Chablis, which eased the discomfort considerably.

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On this day 2016 at Pouilly en Auxois having come through the tunnel. This is a big basin with all services. Across the road is a supermarket with filling station and builders merchants one of which supplies gas oil. The tunnel is controlled by the lock keepers at each end and you are given a portable vhf radio in case of emergency and they check your searchlight and see life jackets before giving you a permission to proceed document. There are lights fixed to the center of the arch all through the tunnel but often some parts are out. I steer by keeping the flagstaff at the bows lined up with the lights and have usually got through without touching.

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Edited by Dav and Pen
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  • Happy 1
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The Pouilly tug in 1995 after being taken out of service. The second photo shows what was a sort of floating drydock which I was told could be used to take boats with high airdraft through the tunnel. Anyone have the full story?

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1995 Canal de Bourgogne 365.jpg

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This tank had sluices at each end and could be used to lower an empty peniche by around 8 inches only but it must have worked. The dry dock is now where the tug is preserved and there is an exhibition and museum in a building alongside.

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