Banbury Lift Bridge 164 Oxford Canal.

[Maffi]

Last year the Lift Bridge in Banbury started to be come stiff. CRT in their capacity as the 'Maintainers of the Holy Grail' engaged contractors to "fix the Bridge". So about six months ago the contractors came and changed most of the hydraulics (they didn't change the hand pump). When the said contractors finished the job the bridge was still a bit stiff. "Never mind," they said, "It will wear in". If you know anything about Hydraulics you will know this is B*ll*x. I worked in the aviation industry from 1971 until 2006, 35 years), and never has that been the case for Hydraulics!

 

It is getting progressively harder and harder to raise and lower.

 

I or Tooley's call or Tweet CRT every week to tell them that the bridge is b*gg*r*d. I ask those that struggle to operate the bridge to contact CRT and complain. So far the needed repair hasn't come to fruition. I am often told the local staff will be out to assess it. Well one of the local staff came to assess it and didn't even bring a windlass with him! So any report he made was bogus.

 

Ok I am 70 but reasonably fit! I can just about get the bridge up but cannot not wind the bridge down. Other people, of my age group (50-70), are leaving the bridge up a few inches because they have had enough. This makes it a trip hazard, especially for the old dears living in the block next to the bridge!

 

Can we please, whether or not you have been to Banbury, contact CRT and tell them the Bridge is b*gg*r*d. The more complaints we make the better the chance they will fix it. Thank you!

Edited April 20, 2021 by Lord Maffi of Oxford
Location clarity!

[GUMPY]

I would leave it up and then call and say it's broken, might get something done then. ?

[Nightwatch]

We have contacted CRT on numerous occasions. In addition the Elsan below the lock has been blocked for oven three months. A definite health hazard.

 

 

[magpie patrick]

8 hours ago, Lord Maffi of Oxford said:

Ok I am 70

 

Of all the details in this post I find this the most shocking! You're far too young to be 70!

 

1 hour ago, Loddon said:

I would leave it up and then call and say it's broken, might get something done then. ?

There are worse ways of getting something done about it! 

[frangar]

Wind it up....buy a cheap chain & padlock...lock it round the spindle with a BW aware notice...carry on boating....boats will be fine and no one else will bother looking at it ever. 

[Athy]

1 minute ago, frangar said:

Wind it up....buy a cheap chain & padlock...lock it round the spindle with a BW aware notice...carry on boating....boats will be fine and no one else will bother looking at it ever. 

Perhaps you don't know the bridge. It's a quite major pedestrian thoroughfare into the Castle Quays shopping centre, so I don't think your solution would please local people!

[frangar]

1 minute ago, Athy said:

Perhaps you don't know the bridge. It's a quite major pedestrian thoroughfare into the Castle Quays shopping centre, so I don't think your solution would please local people!

I know the bridge well......

[Alan de Enfield]

 

 

1 hour ago, Loddon said:

I would leave it up and then call and say it's broken, might get something done then. ?

 

 

A young chap called Julian was going up to bed when his wife told him that he’d left the light on in the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window. Julian opened the back door to go turn off the light but saw that there were people in the shed stealing stuff.

He phoned the police, who asked “Is someone in your house?” and he said no. Then they said that all patrols were busy, and that he should simply lock his door and an officer would be along when available.

Julian said “Okay,” hung up, counted to 30, and phoned the police again. “Hello. I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people in my shed. Well, you don’t have to worry about them now cause I’ve just shot them.” Then he hung up.

Within five minutes three police cars, an Armed Response unit, and an ambulance showed up at the Julians house. Of course, the police caught the burglars red-handed. One of the policemen said to George: “I thought you said that you’d shot them!”

George said, “I thought you said there was nobody available!”

[Midnight]

14 minutes ago, frangar said:

Wind it up....buy a cheap chain & padlock...lock it round the spindle with a BW aware notice...carry on boating....boats will be fine and no one else will bother looking at it ever. 

Only been through Banbury twice but isn't there another pedestrian bridge close by? If so frangar seems to have the best answer 

[Athy]

1 minute ago, Midnight said:

Only been through Banbury twice but isn't there another pedestrian bridge close by? If so frangar seems to have the best answer 

Yes, a much narrower one over the lock.

[Midnight]

1 minute ago, Athy said:

Yes, a much narrower one over the lock.

Then leave the bridge up and the wide people will complain

[Nightwatch]

There was a bridge from the car park to the shopping centre. That one has now gone. There’s a replacement one but is not open yet. People who haven’t been to Banbury in the last two or so years May see a difference

[mrsmelly]

2 hours ago, Nightwatch said:

We have contacted CRT on numerous occasions. In addition the Elsan below the lock has been blocked for oven three months. A definite health hazard.

 

 

If you are using that elsan point as an oven then its deffo a health hazard 

[Nightwatch]

6 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

If you are using that elsan point as an oven then its deffo a health hazard 

I agree.

[Theo]

10 hours ago, Lord Maffi of Oxford said:

Last year the Lift Bridge in Banbury started to be come stiff. CRT in their capacity as the 'Maintainers of the Holy Grail' engaged contractors to "fix the Bridge". So about six months ago the contractors came and changed most of the hydraulics (they didn't change the hand pump). When the said contractors finished the job the bridge was still a bit stiff. "Never mind," they said, "It will wear in". If you know anything about Hydraulics you will know this is B*ll*x. I worked in the aviation industry from 1971 until 2006, 35 years), and never has that been the case for Hydraulics!

 

It is getting progressively harder and harder to raise and lower.

 

I or Tooley's call or Tweet CRT every week to tell them that the bridge is b*gg*r*d. I ask those that struggle to operate the bridge to contact CRT and complain. So far the needed repair hasn't come to fruition. I am often told the local staff will be out to assess it. Well one of the local staff came to assess it and didn't even bring a windlass with him! So any report he made was bogus.

 

Ok I am 70 but reasonably fit! I can just about get the bridge up but cannot not wind the bridge down. Other people, of my age group (50-70), are leaving the bridge up a few inches because they have had enough. This makes it a trip hazard, especially for the old dears living in the block next to the bridge!

 

Can we please, whether or not you have been to Banbury, contact CRT and tell them the Bridge is b*gg*r*d. The more complaints we make the better the chance they will fix it. Thank you!

Message sent to CRT

[Maffi]

2 hours ago, Athy said:

Yes, a much narrower one over the lock.

Are you forgetting the 10ft wide one over the tail of the lock?

[Athy]

2 minutes ago, Lord Maffi of Oxford said:

Are you forgetting the 10ft wide one over the tail of the lock?

No.

[Maffi]

This is all I asked!

 

"Can we please, whether or not you have been to Banbury, contact CRT and tell them the Bridge is b*gg*r*d. The more complaints we make the better the chance they will fix it. Thank you!"

 

Not about elsans, police, or short term solutions. Just please call! Ta!

[Victor Vectis]

That bridge in Banbury is a doddle compared with Bridge 28 on the North Stratford.

 

(the one just after, or just before Lapworth Top Lock)

[Tony Brooks]

4 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

That bridge in Banbury is a doddle compared with Bridge 28 on the North Stratford.

 

(the one just after, or just before Lapworth Top Lock)

 

I agree. I am sure that one needs larger ram(s) even though it would need more turns to get the same opening. In my view the hydraulics are so badly designed once the bridge is up a couple of feet you can hear the PRV blowing. That means you are working against maximum pressure and having to produce more flow than the PRV can vent. Its been years since I went that w y and reported it so if its still bad its a disgrace.

[Maffi]

13 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

That bridge in Banbury is a doddle compared with Bridge 28 on the North Stratford.

 

(the one just after, or just before Lapworth Top Lock)

I would agree with that. Last time I went through it nigh on killed me!

[Rob-M]

I checked with the wife who operated the bridge in both directions and for another boat whilst we were filling with water and she doesn't recall it being difficult to open our close.

 

The elsan though was b@##£y disgusting, I did as far back as possible to use it as I didn't want to get too close.

[Allan(nb Albert)]

2 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

I agree. I am sure that one needs larger ram(s) even though it would need more turns to get the same opening. In my view the hydraulics are so badly designed once the bridge is up a couple of feet you can hear the PRV blowing. That means you are working against maximum pressure and having to produce more flow than the PRV can vent. Its been years since I went that w y and reported it so if its still bad its a disgrace.

Many years ago that bridge had a laminated notice which gave instructions to wind down seven turns every time the bridge appeared to stick. I now wonder if there was an engineering reason for this or it was to give the crew a rest or to stop people reporting it.

 

...  or some combination of the above.

[Maffi]

1 hour ago, Rob-M said:

I checked with the wife who operated the bridge in both directions and for another boat whilst we were filling with water and she doesn't recall it being difficult to open our close.

 

The elsan though was b@##£y disgusting, I did as far back as possible to use it as I didn't want to get too close.

Please come up again and try for yourself.

From my vantage point I can see everyone who opens it. Most struggle. It does have its moments, a13 year old girl today seemed to have no trouble, but she had some padding. The next several people who came along really struggled. One even said the bridged is wedged.

Its partly to do with the fact that the balance is wrong. Whilst the contractors were 'fixing' it, they were manually opening the bridge, the hydraulics having been removed, it took three grown men hanging on those beams to open it! The one at Thrupp which is probably bigger could be done with one hand on a dry day before it was mechanized. 

[Tracy D'arth]

Never have a problem with it. Take it slow and steady rather than furiously winding and it moves just fine. And I am a lot older than 70 and quite feeble some days.