Steam Narrowboat

[morrisminor]

I love narrowboats and I love steam engines so is there such a thing as a { you guessed it } steam narrowboat, if so is it still active and can I have a go pleeeaaase.

 

Andy

[AMModels]

Lol, yes there are a few still about you could join Friends of President and have a go with the sole surviving steam powered Josher alternatively there are people on the site who have steam narrowboats.........

 

 

Wasnt there a steam powered hire boat in the not too distant past.

[carlt]

Adamant is often looking for volunteer crew.

 

Dan (Dhutch), a moderator on the forum has Emily Anne, a modern 'dutch-barge style' steam nb. I'm sure he has a price....

[Keeping Up]

Wasnt there a steam powered hire boat in the not too distant past.

Yes it ran from Foxton but was converted to a conventional diesel engine several years ago

[morrisminor]

Wasnt there a steam powered hire boat in the not too distant past.

 

Yes it ran from Foxton but was converted to a conventional diesel engine several years ago

 

Thats sacrilage, like turning a 49 morris minor lowlight into a hotrod

 

Dan (Dhutch), a moderator on the forum has Emily Anne, a modern 'dutch-barge style' steam nb. I'm sure he has a price....

 

I`ll suspend my childrens pocket money immediately.

 

Andy

[Webchem]

President is nearly always looking for crew!

 

You get to play with a steam narrowboat and butty!

 

http://www.nb-president.org.uk/index.php

[carlt]

Thats sacrilage, like turning a 49 morris minor lowlight into a hotrod

 

Andy

There are a number of ex-steamers out there. Most converted whilst still carrying.

[morrisminor]

Just had a look at the President website

 

I think I`ve found Nirvana looks like I`ll be moving to Dudley

 

Andy

[dacaB]

Treat yourself luvly

[morrisminor]

Treat yourself luvly

 

 

Which vital organs can I do without again, thats awesome.

[carlt]

Very nice but no bowthruster?

[DHutch]

Hi, looks like I've got here a day too late!!
- Indeed there are a number of steam narrowboat on the system, in fact there is a past thread or too about them and sightings of.

Historically there where never really very many steam narrowboats actually, with a horse on the towpath being basically the best you could do until diesels came along, due to if nothing else, the amount of cargo space a steam plant took up.
- Although both Fellows Morton Clayton (FMC) and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Co. had a fleets of around 30 steamers each built around 1880, which on the FMC side included President, Monarch, The King, Baron, Marquis, etc. Many of which are still around today although all the original engines where scraped with no real trace at all.
- President (assuming it is infact the right hull) is as it stands the only one with a steam plant in her, if not the original, something which vaguely the right external dimensions. Monarch had an oil fired steam plant inside her until it was fairly recently removed.

- There where various other steamers as well, including the Bridgewater tunnel tugs and the like.

But yeah there's about 10 steam narrowboats on the system at the moment, although I not seen or heard of a few of them for some time I try to keep in touch with as many as I can.


Adamant is loosely a replica Bridgewater tug, made from the back end of two buttys riveted up together with a steel counter added, engine is a vintage Cocraine two cylinder compound, condensing, with a modern VFT boiler, coal burning.
- Owned and run by Philip Martino, whos a nice enough bloke and as mentioned is occasionally in need of crew. Based in the midlands.


Laplander is a converted BCN icebreaker, oil fired, with a steam atomising burner and a very long and thin funnel.
- Owned and ran by Sean Neil based on the Coventry canal.


President is as mentioned an old FMC steamer, currently fitted with a large single cylinder sissons, scotch boiler similar to the original, paired with Kildare, an fmc Braithwaite butty, coal burning.
- Owned by the BlackCountryMusium in Dudley, and ran by volunteers, aka 'the red neckerchief brigade' due to the dress code set by the museum.


Emilyanne is our boat, built in 1991 as a dutch-barge-style hulled boat, with a Leak compound engine and vertical fire tube boiler both build for the boat, coal burning.
- Owned within our family, and run frequently around the system, based in the the northwest and currently wintering in Anderton. Crewed by various family and friends under the watchful(usually) eye of myself or my grandad. Visitors always welcome, crew sometimes required!


Tixal, the boat currently for sale, was built in 1986 around a Stoke Boats hull, also with a Beaver built Leak compound the same as ours, originally with a water-tube boiler, which she still held i beleve last time she was sold, about 2 years ago.
- Now lying on the Caldon canal, again for sale I think, although i have not spoke to her current owner other than briefly when he had just bought the boat on the towpath at Nantwich.


Whistling down the Wind, build just two years ago based on a Leeds Liverpool shell, again with a simular sized (new) VFT boiler to our own, and another Leak compound (build around 1980, by all accounts). Completed its first proper season this year after a few initial runs towards the end of the last year.
- Owned by Geoff Laycock and based in the Clitheroe area.

There also Swallow, who attends Ricky most years, and is based at Harefield Marina.
- Never seen the boat myself (despite passing Harefield last year in EmilyAnne and looking for her) and her entry from the register was removed before my copy was printed. However shes definitely about and mobile, all be it apparently fairly scruffy in appearance.

Monach had a modern triple in her for a long time, owned by Roger Murrey for many years, and then sold on.
- The steam plant was removed about 3 years, with the engine still currently being available for a new project. Currently owned by Viv Scraggy, a member of the forum.

There's also 'Energy' 'PussyWillow' 'Sidney' and 'Benson' who all feature in the 2000 steamboat register, but I've not heard or seen anything about them other than that.



But yeah, there are a few about.
- I try and keep in touch with what most of them are doing, and have briefly spent crewing both Adamant and Geoff Laycocks boat, as well as having Geoff and Sean on Emilyanne for a short time each. And bumping into President a few times, last at the Preston Brook IWA national.
- As soon as I have this bundle load of free time I keep wishing for I might try and get on President for a bit, and would love to spend some more time on adamant and whistling in the wind, as well as a day or so with Sean or whatever.

And if you see us (EmilyAnne) around your welcome for to make yourself known and have a nosey (as is anyone else) and a cup of tea.
- And if your really really keen, or last movement of the season is this weekend coming, from Lymm to Anderton. But that's proberbly a way from Poole!


Note: The photos above are just whats come to hand quickly, and they where not all taken by myself, so credit should go to members of this forum where appreciated (the pic of Adament, and the latter President photo) as well as various other sources, such as the President website, Sean for the Laplander photo, etc.

 

 

Daniel

[DHutch]

Very nice but no bowthruster?

Indeed, what an amateur mistake... Lol.

[tony collins]

Wasnt there a steam powered hire boat in the not too distant past.

 

 

A guy called Keith Jones built "Firefly" around 1990 and hired her out. I think he ran up to about three of them. - all steam powered , oil or gas fired. Last time I saw Firefly she was on the bank at North Kilworth after she had been converted to conventional diesel. It wasn't sacrilege as someone said as the boats were new builds, so no heritage was lost. There just wasn't enough of a market to sustain the business.

[carlt]

A guy called Keith Jones built "Firefly" around 1990 and hired her out. I think he ran up to about three of them. - all steam powered , oil or gas fired. Last time I saw Firefly she was on the bank at North Kilworth after she had been converted to conventional diesel. It wasn't sacrilege as someone said as the boats were new builds, so no heritage was lost. There just wasn't enough of a market to sustain the business.

 

In thirty three years time they'll be eligible for listing on NRHV and someone will be hunting down original steam plant to put in them.

Edited October 14, 2007 by carlt

[Supermalc]

Thats sacrilage, like turning a 49 morris minor lowlight into a hotrod

 

How else can you improve them.....unless you take them to a classic banger meeting

 

I'm joking of course

 

Andy - You might be pleased ( and astounded) to know a Morris 1000 traveller had to honour of becoming the first small diesel engined car, with a smallish high revving diesel.......30 odd years before the manufacturers made such a said vehicle.

 

My good friend and mentor Carl ( who died in the US in 1993) made such a vehicle, not his only first by a long chalk.

 

Over to you Neil

Edited October 14, 2007 by Supermalc

[morrisminor]

Thanks for all the info dhutch, very interesting, originals are a pretty rare thing by the sound of it.

I took a look at your website, so that`s a dutch barge, very good, although I couldn`t find any pictures of the engine/interior, would like to see some if I`m not being too nosey.

 

Owned by the BlackCountryMusium in dudley, and ran by volentiers, aka 'the red neckacheff brigade' due to the dress code set by the musium

 

I think I may be an aspiring member of said brigade, they seem to be looked upon with pity by the rest of the community but I think like me they were just born in the wrong century, now where can I buy a red neckercheif.

 

How else can you improve them.....unless you take them to a classic banger meeting

 

How many Austin Cambridges / Wolsleys and many others have been lost due to this disgusting barbaric pastime, floggings too good for em I say....... Don`t get me started.

 

Andy - You might be pleased ( and astounded) to know a Morris 1000 traveller had to honour of becoming the first small diesel engined car, with a smallish high revving diesel.......30 odd years before the manufacturers made such a said vehicle

 

Quite a good conversion I should imagine and one I wouldn`t mind trying myself if my A series ever blows up.

[Alastair]

I took a look at your website, so that`s a dutch barge, very good, although I couldn`t find any pictures of the engine/interior, would like to see some if

Just before you get confused, Emily Anne isn't a dutch barge. She is a narrowboat whose style has been influenced by Dutch Luxmotors. Very nice, she is too.

[carlt]

Just before you get confused, Emily Anne isn't a dutch barge. She is a narrowboat whose style has been influenced by Dutch Luxmotors. Very nice, she is too.

As a matter of interest, Alastair, do you know if there are there any, genuine, DB's about, running steam plant?

[DHutch]

It wasn't sacrilege as someone said as the boats new builds and...

Yeah, its like monach.

- From my vantage point, its a bit sad that there one less steamer, and a little sad that i never actaully go to see the install.

- But it wasnt her origanal plant or anything, it wasnt lost of destroyed, and neather was she. Could even be put back again.

- And anyway, far more of her working life was under diesal anyway!! Far worse that someone too 10ft of the hull out, in many ways.

 

The boilers gone to make a new narrowboat, the engine could make another, and a-another new steam narrowboat has been made as well.

 

Just before you get confused, Emily Anne isn't a dutch barge. She is a narrowboat whose style has been influenced by Dutch Luxmotors. Very nice, she is too.

Indeed, as alastair says, she is very much just an diffrently shaped narrowboat, rather than anything with dutch history.

- However, she is fairly typical of a dutch-barge-stlye-narrowboat, with the key features being the vertical stem (front end), and the shorter, vertical cabin sides, and the shape of of the stern, and the gentle curve from front to back, which are all loosly nicked/basedon the shape of a luxmotor. Although obvously all dutch-style narrowboats differ, some being more pleasing to the eye than others! (Where a luxmotor, is a type of barge, used in the land of dutchnessableness)!!

 

Photoswise, there are a few small interia/engine shots down the left of the second page (first link on the homepage) and there are a few more randomly in the 'galleys' section, the shambles that is.

- But yeah, there website would benifit from some work one day, and might get a page or too down this winter even.

 

A decent number of the presdent bridage are really decent blokes, just having a laugh with what they enjoy.

- And i wouldnt they there 'looked down on' that much really. Its just a bit of harmless banter in the main i would say.

- Although there are some that are really far less knowlagable than they would like to make out, and who try and 'lord it around' a little more than is proberbly really fair. But with waterways and histroic things, there are always a handfull of 'pomous arses' as they can be known. But thats just all in with the fun too.

 

My freind joe regually recounts a time when he was really stuggling, bow hauling ilford up a shallow flight on his own, and some random gent bounced up to him and pronouced that "im a freind of the working boats", followed by a string of rediculas questions and comments, such as "so which one is this then" when its painted up ont eh side in big letters" and the infamous "Is she converted then, what engine does she have" when shes only got half her cloths on, and joes clearly bow hauling her.

- You can but chuckle!

- You'd be amazed the comments foke do come out with tho!! Is she really steam...?

 

 

Daniel

 

Daniel

[Hairy-Neil]

Yeah, its like monach.

 

........ its wasnt lost of destroyed, and neather was she.

 

That's a matter for conjecture......

 

Some would say she was destroyed when she was shortened, narrowed and the draught reduced, making her a go anywhere twee look alike of a historic Josher.

[DHutch]

Some would say she was destroyed when she was shortened, narrowed and the draught reduced...

Well indeed you could, although that was well before roger murry, the removal of her steam plant, or our current owners.

 

 

Daniel

[bristol & argo]

There also Swallow, who attends ricky most years, and is based at Harefield Marina.

- Never seen the boat myself (despight passing harefield last year in emilyanne and looking for her) and her entry from the registar was removed before my copy was printed. However shes deffonatly about and mobile, all be it apprently fiarly scuffy in apprence.

 

Daniel

 

I've just uploaded some pictures of Swallow in the Rikki tug of war - last year, in the members gallery.

,

 

 

Anyway, she lost on the water to Olive - an unpowered butty.

Following a stewards enquiry, Olive was disqualified on account of having too many crew on board...

 

 

Simon.

 

Edit to actually put picture in

Edited October 16, 2007 by bristol & argo

[Alastair]

As a matter of interest, Alastair, do you know if there are there any, genuine, DB's about, running steam plant?

Never heard of one.

 

Dutch barges were built for sail until diesels became available. Then the luxmotor type came about, specifically designed for diesel propulsion.

[DHutch]

I've just uploaded some pictures of Swallow in the Rikki tug of war - last year, in the members gallery.

Anyway, she lost on the water to Olive - an unpowered butty.

Following a stewards enquiry, Olive was disqualified on account of having too many crew on board...

Simon.

Excellent.

- I heard that story from about half a dosen people as we passed though the area a fortnight after the event (we where at brauston for there weekend) including the guy who owns olive and her motor, whos name now escapes me. Crikey, how does that make me sound!!

 

But yeah, most of seen of her yet anyway!

 

However on another note, i got a rather nice call from tixals owner today as well!

- Having left a photo of the two boats passing on the way up the caldon, with the guy next to his mooring, and then a note though the window on the way down.

 

He's planning to do one or two last days in a week or so and has loosly invited me along, as well as stated a deffonate interest in coming on the boat this weekend (our last move of the season) as well.

- The boiler was replaced because he found the orignal watertube boiler to be beond sensable repair of service, as well as being very heavy on the coal and with a tendany to set its clading on fire! So it is a brand spanking new vertical fire boiler which hs had built for her, with a set of longish 2" tubes, making it basicaly locomotive proportions in terms of lenght vs diameter as can be seen on the photos on abnb. And much of the fittout new as well.

 

Looks like we may have a run on the 'best kept steam narrowboat' award!!

 

 

Daniel