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Sculptor at Work again


Heartland

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The heritage working boat Sculptor was recently used in an inspection for Blisworth tunnel as was explained by the CRT website:

 

Sculptor, which is ordinarily moored outside the Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne, was called into action by us after a suspected sinkhole was reported near one of the tunnel’s construction shafts.

Our engineers needed a boat to inspect the tunnel from the inside and Sculptor, moored just along the towpath, seemed an ideal option for a quick response. Being part of the our museum collection and on the historic ships register special permission was granted to use her.

The inspection

The inspection, which was carried out in accordance with social distancing guidelines, found a small amount of displacement in the tunnel’s concrete lining but nothing to cause the Trust’s specialist engineers immediate concern or require a closure of the tunnel. Further investigations will take place once the coronavirus restrictions ease but the inspection allowed the Trust to ensure that the tunnel is safe.

Sculptor

Built in 1935, Sculptor is one of a small number of working boats that still lives on the canal. Originally owned by the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company, she was used to carry a variety of cargo such as cotton and coal from London to the Midlands. During WWII Sculptor was called into action to help with firefighting duties in London, helping to pump water from the city’s canals to extinguish fires caused by bombing.

After the war she was used as a canal maintenance boat at Northwich before being taken out of service in 1985. Today Sculptor is an important exhibit at the museum and is lovingly cared for, on behalf of the Trust, by volunteers, including a number from the Friends of the Canal Museum.

 
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5 minutes ago, Athy said:

Thanks for that report - but didn't you post something very similar about a week ago? The story seems familiar.

I think it was in the boaters update along with some photos.

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15 hours ago, Heartland said:

 

 

Built in 1935, Sculptor is one of a small number of working boats that still lives on the canal. Originally owned by the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company, she was used to carry a variety of cargo such as cotton and coal from London to the Midlands.

 

 

"Small number of woirking boats that still live on the canals"?   There are several hundred surviving, not that small a number, surely?

 

As for "carrying coal from London to the Midlands", wasn't that a bit counter-productive, as the norm was the reverse of that? ?

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Yes, it's badly written. I suppose that the "small number" comment was meant to refer to those boats which still do commercial work (as this tunnel inspection job doubtless was). I also suppose that it would be common for cotton to leave London docks and go to the Midlands but that, as you say, the reverse was more normal for loads of coal. The writer of the piece should have differentiated between the two traffics.

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Perhaps more worryingly "a small displacement in the tunnlel's  concrete lining" wiuld imply that the feature being investigated is in the pert of the tunnel fully rebuilt in the 1980s.  That doesn't sound totally impressive - hopefully it will not materialise into anything worse.

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3 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Perhaps more worryingly "a small displacement in the tunnlel's  concrete lining" wiuld imply that the feature being investigated is in the pert of the tunnel fully rebuilt in the 1980s.  That doesn't sound totally impressive - hopefully it will not materialise into anything worse.

Indeed. Thank goodness that it has been detected at a time when no one (well, hardly anyone) is using the tunnel, so repairs may take place with little or no disruption to traffic.

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6 hours ago, zenataomm said:

...... is it still under warranty, it was only done in nineteen hundred and fast asleep?

Whoever did the work obviously expected some repair work would eventually be necessary - they left a spare near the entrance!

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2 hours ago, Mike Tee said:

Whoever did the work obviously expected some repair work would eventually be necessary - they left a spare near the entrance!

I seem to remember it was Civil Engineers Mowlem.

I'd have thought they'd have done a better job, they've had a bit of practice ......

Major projects undertaken by or involving Mowlem included:

Mowlem was also the owner and developer of London City Airport completed in 1986.[26]

(Wikipedia)

Perhaps somebody should pop down to Westminster Abbey and check if their altar is leaking?

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12 hours ago, zenataomm said:

I seem to remember it was Civil Engineers Mowlem.

I'd have thought they'd have done a better job, they've had a bit of practice ......

Major projects undertaken by or involving Mowlem included:

Mowlem was also the owner and developer of London City Airport completed in 1986.[26]

(Wikipedia)

Perhaps somebody should pop down to Westminster Abbey and check if their altar is leaking?

 

I worked for Mowlem's in he 1980's mainly on commercial developments in Central London, some of which have since been demolished ? (For commercial reasons I might add)

 

Mowlems were an experienced tunnelling contractor but they closed the division down after a bad experience on the Carsington Aqueduct (Tunnel)

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