Team NB Styxl - Virtual BCN Challenge 2020 Cruise Log

[cheshire~rose]

37 minutes ago, Ian Mac said:

Whilst my mate was down in the stables, I popped in to get fill the can, with water. Bloody Cold out, however it will some warm up a bit and then hopefully the sun will come out.
Wonder why my neck was getting cold and I had two scarfs on!

You could have knitted another scarf with those cobwebs

[Ian Mac]

Richard, whom is the horse lad, didn't realise to start with, that he was going to have to walk through the tunnel, he thought he was going to get it easy for all three, and wrapped up well warm.

 

[Ian Mac]

Discovered a new problem!

Having legged through Gosty Hill whilst Richard walked the hos' over the top, we decided to engaged the  "Automat Sehnsucht" a bit early before we got to Hanwe Basin, Bloody hell there are a lot of boats about all of a sudden! Fortunately because we had a part load on the empties coming back  from the basin had to drop their lines.

 

image stolen from http://www.workingboats.com/bcn.htm

Edited May 4, 2020 by Ian Mac
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[Ian Mac]

So whats the problem you ask, we we carried on to Lapal Dropped Richard off with the Hos' and prepared to enter the tunnel. All of a sudden Richard yells back that he has reaach the limit of the "Automat Sehnsucht"  time warping field and what should he do, we agree the "Automat Sehnsucht"  has to stay with the boat, and Richard has to revert to modern times a take some route over the top. We set off into the tunnel with Gods grace the level is up the correct way and the water flow is helping, but its a long leg to the other end.
When we arrive we take a couple of scoops in the California Inn conveniently situated above the Eastern Portal. However No Richard, and more to the point no Hos' i dawns on us of cause Richard and the Hos' can not discover us as we are in a different time period and we can't turn of the "Automat Sehnsucht" because we will be stuck high and dry or maybe under the soil!!! So we have to bow haul the boat to the Worcester & Brum where once round the juction we can turn the "Automat Sehnsucht" off and discover Richard.

As Richard is not behind the door, when he still see green fields he carries on walking along the best route getting over the mM5 he said was fun! When arrives at the W&B, we have turned off the dreaded machine, we are knackered, but we have the horse now, so we off to Old Wharfe, to start getting points again.

 

Credits

image 1  https://www.closedpubs.co.uk/warwickshire/birmingham_b29_california.html

look at their interactive map
image 2 Lapal Canal Trust FB page

Edited May 4, 2020 by Ian Mac
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[Ian Mac]

Further info about our passage of Lapal
It cost us an extra 3 bob, which having planned ahead we had a load of proper money, but we thought it would just be for beer. Off to the antique shops in Brum this afternoon to get more!
The 3 Shillings was to pay for the extra leggers which we had to have as we were part loaded. We had set the "Automat Sehnsucht" to 1843 so we could take advantage of the newly installed pumping system which speeds up the passage through the tunnel. Even so it still took nearly 3hrs to do the 3470m of Tunnel. Lots of "Interesting" brickwork as we came through!
really quite a slow day this day what with Gosty Hill and Lapal, and having to leg through both, not that it made much difference to the time taken through Gosty Hill!

[TheBiscuits]

 

It's a good job you are using Narrowboat Styxl for that trip.

 

You would never have made it in Stixall Wide.

 

 

 

 

[Ian Mac]

Good run through to Gas Street, turned the "" to 1840 on and stuck our nose through the bridge into Old wharfe just to have a looksee - flipping Heck its all full of coal boats.
shafted back  out of the bridge and turned the magic machine off, through the line to Richard and set off for Farmers Bridge Junction.
This is not where the silly roundabout island is that is actually Deep Cuttings Junction, and its not Old Turn which is a little further back along the mainline towards Hampton where the Ozzell St Wharf Loop Line goes off.
Farmers Bridge Junction is at the top of the lock flight, where Cambrian Wharf and what is now the boarded up Flapper pub is/was The old Longboat Pub with its Bolinder in for those old enough to remember.
Cambrian Wharf is the start of the Newhall Branch, a branch built by law. The Birmingham Canal Co was about to build what is called Old Wharfe then called Birmingham Wharf on land at Brickkiln Place, but the owner of the land where the Newhall Branch was due to go on New Hall Ring was upset that the BCC where not proposing to build the branch onto his land, so he went to parliament and got an act to force then to do so. His name William Colmore.
We turn the "Automat Sehnsucht" on set to 1890 and proceeded all the way along the Newhall Branch shafting in and out past col boats galore, on the way back we ventured unannounce up the Gibson branch and through the lock, got into trouble for wasting water but a silver sixpence  sorted that out. Several  arms up here so we took the longest one and bungled down to the end and back. Then it was back down the lock and back to the hos' at Cambrian Wharf.
Whilst we were there we quickly set the "" to 1998 and met one of our sister boats although they were not loaded

Credits

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk

 

Edited May 4, 2020 by Ian Mac

[Ian Mac]

6 hours ago, cheshire~rose said:

You could have knitted another scarf with those cobwebs

Flipping stables, not the same as the use to be!

 

[David Mack]

3 hours ago, Ian Mac said:

We had set the "Automat Sehnsucht" to 1843 so we could take advantage of the newly installed pumping system which speeds up the passage through the tunnel. Even so it still took nearly 3hrs to do the 3470m of Tunnel.

Did they really measure the tunnel length in metres in 1843?

 

1 hour ago, Ian Mac said:

 

Julie Lloyd and Jane Marshall?

[Ian Mac]

Leaving the top of Farmer Bridge Locks and Farmers Bridge Junction behind, we head of for Deep Cuttings Junction, passing the roundabout to the right. This repositioned Roundabout was installed for the second World War and allowed stanks to be installed at night to stop the possibility of bombs dropping onto the cut and piercing the railway tunnels leading to New St station. When the canal was drained in the mid 19080's to allow the bed to be examined especially over the tunnels, the opportunity was taken to reposition the island in a more boater friendly position, very few people notice this.
We let go of the line and head for the Oozell St wharf Loop, which we shaft along, we getting a dab hand at this and having a full deck makes it a lot easier.
Picking the Hos' up again we are running a bit late so we head straight to Atlas Works  on the Soho loop, where using the magic of the "Automat Sehnsucht" we are able to off-load our load of Gas Water, and more to the point get paid. Unfortunately it might just buy the first round, so we may have to use the magic machine again tonight.
Having spent over an hour at the works we are off again, to Winston Green Junction where we will spend the night.

[Ian Mac]

Winson Green Junction, taken just before we leave for the pub having started to activated started to the "Automat Sehnsucht" so you can't see the boat! We are retiring to either the Old Smithy or the Acorn Inn, in having set the magic gizmo set to 1957.

 

Credit - Wikimedia

Edited May 4, 2020 by Ian Mac

[Captain Pegg]

44 minutes ago, Ian Mac said:

Winston Green Junction, taken just before we leave for the pub having started to activated started to the "Automat Sehnsucht" so you can't see the boat! We are retiring to either the Old Smithy or the Acorn Inn, in having set the magic gizmo set to 1957.

 

Point of order and it’s a common mistake but Winston was a Prime Minister not a Green. There’s no ‘t’ - Winson Green.

[Ian Mac]

24 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

Point of order and it’s a common mistake but Winston was a Prime Minister not a Green. There’s no ‘t’ - Winson Green.

Fixed

[Captain Pegg]

13 minutes ago, Ian Mac said:

Fixed

I think we might pass you later in the week. Depends on a minor time adjustment. Keep your eyes peeled.

 

[captain birdseye]

Heres a swan I made sat nicely on the cabin stool

[Keeping Up]

That's better than my first attempt, which turned out to be just a Toilet Duck

[captain birdseye]

2 minutes ago, Keeping Up said:

That's better than my first attempt, which turned out to be just a Toilet Duck

Thanks, It took some remembering

[Ian Mac]

Winson Green Junction 09:00am Tuesday 5th May
A good night out at the pub, having set the "Automat Sehnsucht" to 1957.   So we are off to the home yard today, may dial the time back when we get there and have a chat with Charles and John, may have to do a quick bit of research to work out the best date.
First thing though is to head for for the Cape Arm. This is yet another arm where we can not get the horse in, so we will have to shaft up, and back
You enter the arm through a silly little tunnel under an old railway embankment. Although called the Cape arm now this was originally the main Brindley route and it came out at Winson Green Junction near enough. the original Cape Arm left about have way along. The far end was closed off with the coming of the railway and Telfords New Main Line, making it into an arm with a forked end.

 

[Scholar Gypsy]

1 minute ago, Ian Mac said:

Winson Green Junction 09:00am Tuesday 5th May
A good night out at the pub, having set the "Automat Sehnsucht" to 1957.   So we are off to the home yard today, may dial the time back when we get there and have a chat with Charles and John, may have to do a quick bit of research to work out the best date.
First thing though is to head for for the Cape Arm. This is yet another arm where we can not get the horse in, so we will have to shaft up, and back
You enter the arm through a silly little tunnel under an old railway embankment. Although called the Cape arm now this was originally the main Brindley route and it came out at Winson Green Junction near enough. the original Cape Arm left about have way along. The far end was closed off with the coming of the railway and Telfords New Main Line, making it into an arm with a forked end.

 

Here's a photo I took of the Cape Arm a year or two ago. A bonus point if anyone can work out why ?  You can see the canal in the background...


 

[David Mack]

49 minutes ago, Ian Mac said:

You enter the arm through a silly little tunnel under an old railway embankment. Although called the Cape arm now this was originally the main Brindley route

Tis not a railway embankment. It carries a feeder channel which runs between Rotten Park Reservoir and the end of the Engine Branch. More than 40 years ago I scrambled up th embankment to take a look. Back then the feeder was an open brick-lined channel, half full of rubbish. Goodness knows what state it is in now.

 

Edited to add: Found a photo on Granny Buttons blog

Edited May 5, 2020 by David Mack

[Ian Mac]

Having set the "Automat Sehnsucht" to 1848 off up the cape arm we go, first pass London Works manufactures of Ironwork for roofs, they tell us they made the roof  for New St Station, we then pass the newly built Birmingham Screw Co St Georges Works, a fine industrial building designed by Thomas Plevins. Later to suffer a hostile take over and become part of GKN. We carry on down the line of the old canal to its end and then return to the original Cape arm which head of at right angles in a south westerly direction, we bag this as well, just managing to wind into the arm. This bit has been lost to modern development but the old main line is still in water if not accessible.

[Captain Pegg]

32 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Tis not a railway embankment. It carries a feeder channel which runs between Rotten Park Reservoir and the end of the Engine Branch. More than 40 years ago I scrambled up th embankment to take a look. Back then the feeder was an open brick-lined channel, half full of rubbish. Goodness knows what state it is in now.

 

Edited to add: Found a photo on Granny Buttons blog

I knew there was a feeder between those locations but didn’t know it was up there.

[Ian Mac]

On returning to the mainline we pass Smethwick Corporation, Gas Works on the North side of the canal. Well not being a group to  miss an opportunity, we pick up another load of Gas water, 17 tons this time. The "Automat Sehnsucht" fades off and we are back in the present, so its up Smethwick locks,  these were originally a paired flight the other set of lock being on the off line side now.  We did consider leaving the "" on however there are no extra points for using this lost part of the flight. The second set of locks were slowly being filled in in the late 60's, early Seventies. Some of the paddle gear from the in-filled locks made its way to the Upper Avon Trust.

 

credit - https://museumofthinobjects.com/blog/2014/05/23/iron-boat-dock-2/

[john6767]

14 minutes ago, Ian Mac said:

On returning to the mainline we pass Smethwick Corporation, Gas Works on the North side of the canal. Well not being a group to  miss an opportunity, we pick up another load of Gas water, 17 tons this time. The "Automat Sehnsucht" fades off and we are back in the present, so its up Smethwick locks,  these were originally a paired flight the other set of lock being on the off line side now.  We did consider leaving the "" on however there are no extra points for using this lost part of the flight. The second set of locks were slowly being filled in in the late 60's, early Seventies. Some of the paddle gear from the in-filled locks made its way to the Upper Avon Trust.

 

credit - https://museumofthinobjects.com/blog/2014/05/23/iron-boat-dock-2/

That is one of my favourite old photos

[Ian Mac]

We pass the old engine Arm at the top of the locks and head off towards Oldbury and the Crow. then under the new Telford Way tunnel, which hides the once great views of Galton Bridge.

 

credit - https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-galton-bridge-smethwick-built-in-1829-and-once-the-biggest-canal-span-84341147.html