The Daft Questions Thread

[system 4-50]

As I cruise about the system, questions occur to me that may be silly but they still haunt me.  For example:  Where a lock has a bowed (inwards) wall, why can't it be pushed back using hydraulic pistons, using suitable backing plates to prevent punching a hole in the opposite wall?  Maybe with a bit of grouting pumped in to prevent the water flow that caused the movement? Obviously not suitable for every case.

[BEngo]

Once you took the pressure away the wall would soon  bow inwards again.

 

Applying the pressure evenly is a bit of a mare, and it is quite likely that both wall will move  giving you a banana shaped lock, or you may just cause an outward collapse of the 'good'  wall.

 

Pushing the wall back does not address whatever was the cause of the bow.  Grout, foam etc are not structural  they just fill holes.

 

N

 

 

[Guest]

33 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

As I cruise about the system, questions occur to me that may be silly but they still haunt me.  For example:  Where a lock has a bowed (inwards) wall, why can't it be pushed back using hydraulic pistons, using suitable backing plates to prevent punching a hole in the opposite wall?  Maybe with a bit of grouting pumped in to prevent the water flow that caused the movement? Obviously not suitable for every case.

You would have to address the cause of the bulge before you could hope it to stay back in place. In fact it may be just about impossible to push it back if it has been caused by pressure form the land behind.

 

If it was just the lock wall that has separated from the ground behind it may be possible to re-align it but almost certainly it would just fall back once any external support was removed. That is why (as I understand it) some of the iron locks have large steel hoops over the top so that the form a complete loop. Other wise the sides would just push back in again.

[Athy]

1 hour ago, BEngo said:

 

 

Applying the pressure evenly is a bit of a mare,

 

 

A what? Perhaps a diurnal version of a nightmare?

[Tracy D'arth]

37 minutes ago, Athy said:

A what? Perhaps a diurnal version of a nightmare?

Bigger than a bitch.

TD'

[Mad Harold]

I too have a daft question.

looking through my Nicholsons Guide at the Chesterfield canal (not that I am planning on going there) I notice that from the Norwood Tunnel, the canal is marked out in dashed blue lines. Have looked for a legend in vain.

Do these dashed lines mean that the canal is un navigable?

[George and Dragon]

2 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

I too have a daft question.

looking through my Nicholsons Guide at the Chesterfield canal (not that I am planning on going there) I notice that from the Norwood Tunnel, the canal is marked out in dashed blue lines. Have looked for a legend in vain.

Do these dashed lines mean that the canal is un navigable?

Maybe you have to portage between the blue bits 

[robtheplod]

why do boats go on the right and cars on the left?

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

why do boats go on the right and cars on the left?

So they don't run into each other.

[Alan de Enfield]

19 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

why do boats go on the right and cars on the left?

Boats pass Port-to-Port (left side to left side)  so 'drive on the 'right'.

The reason being that ships steering was a big rudder on the side (not at the rear) this was called the "steerboard", (steering oar) later known as 'starboard', if boat were to pass starboard to starboard their steering could be compromised (not enough room) or the steerboards could touch, fare easier to pass Port to Port and have full control.

 

'Port side' was so called because that is the side they came into port and moored up on, (because the steerboard was in the way on the other side).

 

It goes back centuries :

 

Edited July 24, 2020 by Alan de Enfield

[Mike Todd]

3 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:

You would have to address the cause of the bulge before you could hope it to stay back in place. In fact it may be just about impossible to push it back if it has been caused by pressure form the land behind.

 

If it was just the lock wall that has separated from the ground behind it may be possible to re-align it but almost certainly it would just fall back once any external support was removed. That is why (as I understand it) some of the iron locks have large steel hoops over the top so that the form a complete loop. Other wise the sides would just push back in again.

There is a lot more unseen behind the lock wall - as can sometimes be seen when a major repair is made or something new built - see the restoration of the Droitwich especially the staircase.

1 hour ago, George and Dragon said:

Maybe you have to portage between the blue bits 

A dashed line in Nicholsons indicates the line of a former but currently unnavigable canal. Mainly used where there is hop of restoration. The tunnel and the flight of locks beyond is the main challenge for completing the Chesterfield although quite a bit has been done from the terminable basin back to the tunnel. There is quite a bit of info online.

[Up-Side-Down]

1 hour ago, Mad Harold said:

I too have a daft question.

looking through my Nicholsons Guide at the Chesterfield canal (not that I am planning on going there) I notice that from the Norwood Tunnel, the canal is marked out in dashed blue lines. Have looked for a legend in vain.

Do these dashed lines mean that the canal is un navigable?

Correct!

[Sir Nibble]

My favourite stupid question "what would happen if you opened the gates at both ends at once?" My favourite answer "dunno, try it and see".

[system 4-50]

Ok, here's another one.  Why is one side of the canals a neat edge while the other one is an unprepared edge specially designed to drop earth into the water and silt it up?  It seems daft.

[Alan de Enfield]

21 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

Ok, here's another one.  Why is one side of the canals a neat edge while the other one is an unprepared edge specially designed to drop earth into the water and silt it up?  It seems daft.

One side is designed to stop the cyclists falling in, whilst the other side is low and broken down so the horse can easily get out of the canal after a hard day pulling the barge

[magpie patrick]

2 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Boats pass Port-to-Port (left side to left side)  so 'drive on the 'right'.

But not always, The Worcester and Birmingham, pre-nationalisation, had a rule of "Keep Left"

 

I think the canal was at that time under control of the Sharpness New Docks company, but whether this was their rule or one they inherited I don't know

[nebulae]

The Bridgewater had the rule of keeping left many years ago,(From memory)

[Scholar Gypsy]

52 minutes ago, nebulae said:

The Bridgewater had the rule of keeping left many years ago,(From memory)

And on the Skegness canal last year I was told to drive on the left. 

 

1 hour ago, Sir Nibble said:

My favourite stupid question "what would happen if you opened the gates at both ends at once?" My favourite answer "dunno, try it and see".

There are still a few locks on the Nene, with manual guillotines, where you could try this out ....

[Guest]

25 minutes ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

There are still a few locks on the Nene, with manual guillotines, where you could try this out ....

Or wait for the river to flood and EA will do it for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 24, 2020 by Rumsky

[Sir Nibble]

1 hour ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

And on the Skegness canal last year I was told to drive on the left. 

 

There are still a few locks on the Nene, with manual guillotines, where you could try this out ....

I recall being taught to drive a traction engine. Two levers, both out for neutral, one in for low wheel, the other for high wheel. There was the most ingenious lockout system to prevent engaging both gears at once, if you try it it crushes your thumb between the levers!?

[Rambling Boater]

 

13 hours ago, robtheplod said:

why do boats go on the right and cars on the left?

The 'steerboard' was deployed on the right hand side as most sailors were right handed.  As Alan said, the steerboards would clash if boats passed on the left.

 

We drive on the left as most soldiers were right handed and needed that hand free whist riding a horse to use a sword. Goes back to roman times.

[Rambling Boater]

What was there before the Big Bang?

 

Did time exist before consciousness existed?

 

When will Eastenders return?

[matty40s]

15 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

 

A dashed line in Nicholsons indicates the line of a former but currently unnavigable canal. Mainly used where there is hop of restoration.

I suppose you can hop the blue dashes.

[George and Dragon]

3 hours ago, Rambling Boater said:

We drive on the left as most soldiers were right handed and needed that hand free whist riding a horse to use a sword. Goes back to roman times.

That's an interesting theory; one that I've not come across before. But if Roman soldiers were mostly right handed why have the Italians and French not also opted to drive on the left?

[Alan de Enfield]

3 hours ago, Rambling Boater said:

 

The 'steerboard' was deployed on the right hand side as most sailors were right handed.  As Alan said, the steerboards would clash if boats passed on the left.

 

We drive on the left as most soldiers were right handed and needed that hand free whist riding a horse to use a sword. Goes back to roman times.

The version I have always believed was that it was due to the 'footpads' on the highways, the gentry riding his horse needed room to pull out his sword and dispose of them.

 

I'm not sure that many Romans soldiers rode, I though they marched everywhere.