The Paddle Gear Thread (formerly Cheshire Paddle Gear)

[Philip]

4 hours ago, GilesMorris said:

I remember the gates at Park Gate lock on the Staffs & Worcs being replaced during the school summer holidays around 1964.

 

 

Do you remember if the old gate had top gate paddles?

[GilesMorris]

9 hours ago, Philip said:

 

Do you remember if the old gate had top gate paddles?

Best guess is yes, but memory.... I do remember that they were pretty flaky (literally).

[magpie patrick]

The only picture I know of showing a Neath Canal lock in its working days. This is the top lock at Glynneath taken from Ian Wright's book "Canals in Wales"

 

As far as I can see only one top ground paddle and no gate paddles

 

 

 

 

From the same book, some interesting gate paddle gear at Red Jacket lock, connecting the Tennant Canal to the river Neath via Red Jacket Pill

Edited April 24, 2021 by magpie patrick

[Tim Lewis]

BWB hydraulic gear on an Environment Agency lock!

[magpie patrick]

22 hours ago, Tim Lewis said:

BWB hydraulic gear on an Environment Agency lock!

 

Hydraulic ground paddles seem to have quite a variety of configurations - the ones at Bath deep lock are a bit taller... Magpie the Elder included for scale

[Pluto]

A contemporary French drawing of a Regent's Canal lock showing upper ground paddles and the water-saving paddle between chambers.

[magpie patrick]

And whilst I was examining Aberdulais Aqueduct (see other thread) I took a look at the gate paddles on the old lock. This lock drops from the aqueduct to a level that extends all the way to Swansea. 

 

Note the narrow rack with a single row of teeth. Probably hasn't been operated for 80 years... 

[magpie patrick]

And returning to where this thread started. New stealth paddle gear at Marple locks...

[David Mack]

3 hours ago, magpie patrick said:

And returning to where this thread started. New stealth paddle gear at Marple locks...

@PeterScott beat you to it.

"The new C&RT yellow bag will be the least good-value once we have to unwind them from the prop. Maybe useful to put all the other prop debris in."

 

Edited May 15, 2021 by David Mack

[2uluru]

Upper sluice exposed when removing the south lock wall of lock24 of the Wyrley and Essington canal being restored by the LHCRT.

[magpie patrick]

Exeter canal paddle gear

 

In order Turf lock top ground paddle, Topsham side lock, and double lock lower gate paddles

These ones at Turf look like Sheffield type gear, but are mechanised.

 

 

Topsham lock has been disused for many years. Elaborate reduction gearing on these top gate paddles. The gates are deep, 18 feet draught over the cill. 

 

Across the lock gate and ground paddles can be seen.

 

 

These gate paddles seem to be purpose built, as fas as I know they're hand operated, will confirm when we go through the lock in July. 

 

Edited June 3, 2021 by magpie patrick

[Pluto]

You probably need this as a bit of background reading, from the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers. The author always reminds me of my deceased friend, Jaques de la Garde, who was a French canal enthusiast and industrial historian, who operated the first 'bateau mouche' in Paris after the war. His unfinished book on canals can be downloaded from http://www.voiesdeaudeurope.eu/lecture/tome-6/partie-1/

1845 De La Garde, Exeter Canal.pdf

[Chris Lowe]

Long reach reach paddle gear on Welford reservoir central dam.

 

 

[ditchcrawler]

55 minutes ago, buccaneer66 said:

Long reach reach paddle gear on Welford reservoir central dam.

 

 

They went out of their way to make that one difficult, just think how much simpler a platform directly over the valve would have been

[Chris Lowe]

Great bit of Heath Robinson isn't it.

 

I walked past there at 6pm and the CRT workmwn where still onsite.

Edited June 23, 2021 by buccaneer66

[Iain_S]

52 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

They went out of their way to make that one difficult, just think how much simpler a platform directly over the valve would have been

 

... until the reservoir's got a bit more water in it!

[ditchcrawler]

12 hours ago, Iain_S said:

 

... until the reservoir's got a bit more water in it!

You put the platform at the same height as the present winding handle. Just need a bit longer legs. are all those joints still going to woor after they have been under water for a bit, or maybe they are deep enough so there is no oxygen and they wont corrode ?

[Iain_S]

4 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

You put the platform at the same height as the present winding handle. Just need a bit longer legs. are all those joints still going to woor after they have been under water for a bit, or maybe they are deep enough so there is no oxygen and they wont corrode ?

Would cost a bit more, though! 

[magpie patrick]

23 hours ago, buccaneer66 said:

Long reach reach paddle gear on Welford reservoir central dam.

 

 

Surely no-one actually designed that? There must have been a shed full of left over bits and a bored maintenance operative on a sunny afternoon

[Chris Lowe]

23 hours ago, buccaneer66 said:

Great bit of Heath Robinson isn't it.

 

I walked past there at 6pm and the RT workmwn where still onsite.

 

As this is fixed to concrete I wonder what the original as built arrangement was, the old pump house is in ruins in the trees.

[ditchcrawler]

We are on the S Stratford and I am wondering if it was the National Trust who replaced the paddle gear with steel stands in place of cast?

 

[magpie patrick]

25 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

We are on the S Stratford and I am wondering if it was the National Trust who replaced the paddle gear with steel stands in place of cast?

 

The "original" was one of a number liberated from the Montgomery Canal. The modern minimalist variant was probably David Hutchings doing

[ditchcrawler]

38 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

The "original" was one of a number liberated from the Montgomery Canal. The modern minimalist variant was probably David Hutchings doing

Ta

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

We are on the S Stratford and I am wondering if it was the National Trust who replaced the paddle gear with steel stands in place of cast?

 

I remember the fabricated ones being installed in the early/mid 70s, in National Trust days. I think they replaced wooden paddle gear which (presumably) dated from before the restoration and which Hutch left in place.

[Philip]

Not strictly related to the paddle gear, but I went through Gas No.1 lock on the Grand Union in Berkhamsted a couple of weeks ago and it had brand new top gates. The interesting thing was that no baffles had been fitted to the gate paddle sluices; the difference in water ferocity was noticeable compared to the others which had grilles over them and the lock filled up quicker.