Where I am

[Heartland]

The BCN abbreviation appears on various items. This seems to be a guard rail for the canal, but why it was placed there needs investigation.

 

The BCN owned several narrow gauge tramway, but such use would have removed the letters through use of the waggons passing over the rail. But they had iron guard rails at certain parts of the navigation. On some canals earlier plate rails, from the construction of Devizes Lock, can be seen still used in structures on the Kennet & Avon Canal. There was once a policy to reuse redundant material such as rails and stone blocks. The Great Western Railway took old broad gauge rails and  used them as fence posts.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Yes, it’s interesting spotting bits and pieces reappropriated. 
 

This BCN rail is above Lock 10 on the Aston flight. 
 

I recall the turf locks on the K&A are made from rails?

[BEngo]

1 hour ago, Heartland said:

The Great Western Railway took old broad gauge rails and  used them as fence posts.

And were still doing this when they built the Castle Cary cut off in 1906 ish.  Several  boundary markers of bridge rail are still in  place.

 

Goliath' s rail appears to me to have been rolled specially as a guard iron.  The embossed BCN appears to be on the running surface which would give a rough ride and not  be conducive to easy railway operations.  It would work as a check rail, but in that case why have BCN lettering when it was rolled?

 

 

 

 

Edited July 7, 2023 by BEngo

[Heartland]

There were quite a few wharves above lock 10 including this one. But which side of the canal was the image taken?

 

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Photo was taken towpath side 

The rail coming from what was the entrance to the basin to the lock. 
 

There are no mooring bollards and I was able to use the rail as a tread against the basin bridge. Which is why I noticed the BCN and the odd profile. 
 

I’ll take a better photo next time

Edited July 7, 2023 by Goliath

[David Mack]

What is the cross section of the 'rail' you photographed? Indeed what makes you think it is (was) a railway rail?

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

48 minutes ago, David Mack said:

What is the cross section of the 'rail' you photographed? Indeed what makes you think it is (was) a railway rail?

I don’t know if it were ever a rail for the railway. It don’t look like it would have been. 
 

But it is being used as a guard rail, keeping the boat off the bricks. 
Which is odd because it has an edge rather than any rounded, curved or flat surface. 
 

I should look again properly but I thought it looked (and assumed) it to be a ‘T’ on its side. So the ‘T’ at a Right angle to the brick work. 

 

My fault for not providing the detail, but when you’re locking on your own the photos are a quick secondary thing that’s going on. 
I thought someone else would have seen them for sure. 
 

Edited July 7, 2023 by Goliath

[Heartland]

The view from the entrance to the basin was:

 

 

[Heartland]

Now another location where might this be?

 

 

[John Brightley]

7 hours ago, Heartland said:

Now another location where might this be?

 

 

My guess is that it's the BCN house at Goscote, Walsall, which was torched within a few hours of it becoming vacant in the 1980's.

[Heartland]

It is a BCN canal cottage, but not at Goscote.

Many years ago I took a party of RCHS members along this waterway and the cottage was then lived in. After that resident left, I gather, the local troglodytes got their boxes of matches out.

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

We’re back out by Tipton 👍

At the Ryland Aquaduct. 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

While we wait for Heartland to come back on the above, here’s somewhere to keep going with:

by the sounds of it, there we quite a few road accidents here before the road was straightened and the bridge replaced. 
Not BCN, but not far away either. 

[Heartland]

Yes I was about to suggest the clue young dog needs experience. but cottage near the aqueduct on the New Main Line is the right answer.

 

I will let others work out this bridge with what looks like a former GWR weight limit sign.

 

 

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

So PuppyGreen is more accurate?

 

 

[Heartland]

Cottage 124 near the Aqueduct and of course the bridge plate in your picture was used on the Oxford Canal as well which may help some perhaps.

 

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Cov Canal next door

Edited July 12, 2023 by Goliath

[Heartland]

Oh are you sure ?

 

see attached image and where is it?

 

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Am I sure ?

No I’m never sure!! 

 

 

 

[John Brightley]

3 hours ago, Goliath said:

While we wait for Heartland to come back on the above, here’s somewhere to keep going with:

by the sounds of it, there we quite a few road accidents here before the road was straightened and the bridge replaced. 
Not BCN, but not far away either. 

If it's Cov canal, is it Griff Lane Bridge No17 ?

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

But I will stick with it for now

1 minute ago, John Brightley said:

If it's Cov canal, is it Griff Lane Bridge No17 ?

Not far off

[Rob-M]

9 minutes ago, Goliath said:

But I will stick with it for now

Not far off

Gipsy Lane bridge.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Yeah 

Gipsy Lane Bridge

 

 

Is 

21 minutes ago, John Brightley said:

If it's Cov canal, is it Griff Lane Bridge No17 ?

is Griff Lane Bridge also Gipsy Lane Bridge?

 

8 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Yeah 

Gipsy Lane Bridge

 

 

Is 

is Griff Lane Bridge also Gipsy Lane Bridge?

 

I’m now thinking they are the same

[John Brightley]

11 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Yeah 

Gipsy Lane Bridge

 

 

Is 

is Griff Lane Bridge also Gipsy Lane Bridge?

 

I’m now thinking they are the same

Yes, it's the same bridge. I remember it being rebuilt in the early 1970's !! It's a very busy little lane that's a cut-through on the south side of Nuneaton. In fact the road is so busy they had to build the new bridge alongside the old one to avoid closing the road, and a short section of the old road still survives.

Edited July 12, 2023 by John Brightley

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

15 minutes ago, John Brightley said:

Yes, it's the same bridge. I remember it being rebuilt in the early 1970's !! It's a very busy little lane that's a cut-through on the south side of Nuneaton. In fact the road is so busy they had to build the new bridge alongside the old one to avoid closing the road, and a short section of the old road still survives.

It looks like there’s a lot of building to go on in that area. 
Gipsy Lane is going to be shut for awhile, they’ll be building access to a new estate. 
 

..time roles on. 

Edited July 12, 2023 by Goliath