Where I am

[Francis Herne]

On 24/03/2024 at 08:10, Stroudwater1 said:

Interesting to see the pumping station not being present on the map at Bratch. 
 

An easy one, though not many will have navigated here. Well worth a visit on foot for those who haven’t been.

There are some other interesting things to see around there too. For bonus points, where are these (canal-related) levers?

Edited March 25 by Francis Herne

[Tony Brooks]

I think the second photo shows a fireless steam loco, so possibly from the armaments' factory by the River Lea or I have an idea that Huntley and Palmer used one in their Reading factory on the Kennet.

[Francis Herne]

9 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

I think the second photo shows a fireless steam loco, so possibly from the armaments' factory by the River Lea or I have an idea that Huntley and Palmer used one in their Reading factory on the Kennet.

We're still at Sharpness! 😉

The loco is from Castle Meads Power Station at Gloucester, and was in the waterways museum there for a while before being given to the Vale of Berkeley Railway group. https://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=4224

 

(for the levers I was fishing for a more precise answer, not sure if that's unfair)

Edited March 25 by Francis Herne

[ditchcrawler]

46 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

I think the second photo shows a fireless steam loco, so possibly from the armaments' factory by the River Lea or I have an idea that Huntley and Palmer used one in their Reading factory on the Kennet.

They were also used in refineries, Shell had some

[Stroudwater1]

3 hours ago, davidwheeler said:

What brilliant photos. And a ship canal as well. Wherever it is I would have liked to have been there. And to have taken such photos.

Thank you David, you have been there many years ago, possibly before this side was built. Well done to  Francis - it’s Sharpness Docks. You can watch much of the action from a car. This image below was taken from our car before I realised you can get out 😂 The ship then sailed straight into the lock next to us. 

 

There are websites advising  when ships are expected and match these up with anticipated high tides and you will see them. 
 

Like West Stockwith lock on a huge scale in reverse these ships come up with the tide swing and turn round just upstream of the lock  and then edge against the tide and swing in. Ships exiting the lock set off at a significant speed and watching them swept sideways as they turn is an incredible sight. 
 

The pilots are picked up at Barry apparently. It must be exhilarating  doing this in such large vessels. It’s not beyond getting it wrong. Two weeks ago one ship ended up beached on a sandbank until the next tide of height came in a few days later. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-68479684.amp

 

 

 

The lock isn’t long enough for many ships (many around 100metres long) as the whole of the outer lock needs draining which must waste a moderate amount of water pumped in with mud at Gloucester. I suspect there’s reasons for this apart from financial but I don’t know. 
 

and shortly after the first photo 

 

 

I’m not sure what the lever Francis has pictured is for. The old paddles on the original dock are strange ones and I can’t see they are related to the lever but that’s all I can think of. It looks more to do with the dock or locomotive related though 

 

 

Edited March 25 by Stroudwater1

[David Mack]

3 hours ago, Francis Herne said:

For bonus points, where are these (canal-related) levers?

 

Is that for manually winding open the swing bridge?

[Francis Herne]

25 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Is that for manually winding open the swing bridge?

 

Yes, beside the roadway of the high-level swing bridge near the pivot. I presume the signal-style levers are to lock the span in position.

Edited March 25 by Francis Herne

[Heartland]

Fireless Locomotives were once a common sight at some industrial locations, made by firms such as Andrew Barclay and others. 

[Pluto]

The fireless remains of some engine boilers, at Central Wagon Works, Wigan, in the 1960s.

[ditchcrawler]

 There is a nice piece of video here (2) Video | Facebook It appared on Google so you may be able to view it 

[Heartland]

Another for the little grey cells

 

 

[billh]

On 27/03/2024 at 08:21, Heartland said:

Fireless Locomotives were once a common sight at some industrial locations, made by firms such as Andrew Barclay and others. 

The Clayton Aniline Company , next to the Ashton Canal had a fireless loco, using steam from their own large boiler house. There was  a quite extensive railway system within the works with , eventually, two  independant mainline railway connections (LMS and LNER). By the 1970s the Company were drawing a million gallons a day from the canal which was not returned .A good earner for British Waterways at the time. All gone now, part of the Etihad football enterprise.😞

[davidg]

3 hours ago, Heartland said:

Another for the little grey cells

 

 

 

Getting strong clues from the buildings visible in this one😁

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, davidg said:

Getting strong clues from the buildings visible in this one😁

Ah, but do you need proof?

 

Looks much the same today.

[Captain Pegg]

That’s the Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House.

 

Gives its name to both a canal and railway junction.

 

(And I didn’t need that subtle clue from David.)

Edited April 3 by Captain Pegg

[Heartland]

Obviously the proof is in the answer. 

 

both have gunned down to the correct answer   ...

[Heartland]

Now somewhere up norf where there was gas and gaiters

 

and people left water to run into the sink ?

 

 

[Rob-M]

Sounds like someone left the Tapton.

[Heartland]

Yup Tapton Lock, Chesterfield Canal, at least that is what the Waterways Archive states

.

[Pluto]

A narrow canal a long way from home.

[magpie patrick]

1 minute ago, Pluto said:

A narrow canal a long way from home.

 Austria - Wiener Nuestadt Canal (You have taught me well!) 

On 11/04/2024 at 12:42, Heartland said:

Now somewhere up norf where there was gas and gaiters

 

and people left water to run into the sink ?

 

 

 

On 12/04/2024 at 12:55, Heartland said:

Yup Tapton Lock, Chesterfield Canal, at least that is what the Waterways Archive states

.

 Historically known as Ford or Lockoford Lane Lock - Lockoford Lane goes over the bridge at the tail - I think Bradshaws gives both names

[Heartland]

Canal restoration might be a phase of modern times, but there was a previous attempt to repair and restore a canal at the start of the twentieth century. In this view a narrow gauge railway is used to bring puddle clay to canal side, but where was it ?

 

 

[IanM]

19 minutes ago, Heartland said:

Canal restoration might be a phase of modern times, but there was a previous attempt to repair and restore a canal at the start of the twentieth century. In this view a narrow gauge railway is used to bring puddle clay to canal side, but where was it ?

 

 

Thames & Severn Canal at Bluehouse. 

[Heartland]

That is very specific. A Braithwaite were the contractors for the Thames & Severn work. They used a Manning Wardle loco on the contract. Ever come across an image of that loco?

 

 

[IanM]

47 minutes ago, Heartland said:

That is very specific. A Braithwaite were the contractors for the Thames & Severn work. They used a Manning Wardle loco on the contract. Ever come across an image of that loco?

 

 

 

I've not seen any image of any loco that I can recall and I'm trying to think of anywhere else it could have been used.

 

The other pictures taken at the same location as yours just show one or two small trucks the same as in your photo.

 

The location in your picture is marked quarry in this map.  The GWR Cirencester Branch is in the top left.

 

 

And the location today.

 

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.692671,-1.9762233,355m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu