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Harecastle jobsworths.


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Harecastle apart, I cannot see that any horn would be of much benefit in a tunnel.

 

 No other tunnel is manned IIRC, so your horn is not going to summon a CRT volley type to call the emergency services.  Nor is it likely to produce assistance from a boater.  Many (and especially new hire)  boaters like to have a tootle on their horn in tunnels, so sounding one is not likely  to be recognised as a distress signal.  

 

N

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I went through Harecastle just over a month ago. Had to make a booking for a boat that wasn’t mine at relatively short notice and the volunteers at the southern portal were excellent. I arrived 50 minutes early and due to no southbound bookings I was allowed through as soon as all the prep and briefings were complete. Was met by what looked to me like staff rather volunteers at the north end.

 

Like most volunteers I encounter they are generally polite and helpful but there is the odd one who doesn’t properly fulfil the function they are there to do. Not much different from any other group of people.

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34 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Do trombonists like to do the same?

We get told not to! About twenty years ago I went through with a guy in the boat behind playing a very nice trumpet solo. I mentioned this a year or two back to one of the old time tunnel blokes, and that I had a trombone on board and fancied the acoustics, and he said it shouldn't be played as it could be interpreted as a cry for help (which, in fact, my trombone playing has occasionally been in other circumstances). I don't think there was any advice about horn blowing twenty years ago, now that there is, trumpeting is probably unwise.

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4 hours ago, howardang said:

 

Sound signals 12. (1) Every power-driven vessel navigating on any canal shall be
furnished with an efficient whistle.

 

 

I thought it said whistle, I wonder how many canal boats other than steam have them? 🙂

2 hours ago, BEngo said:

Harecastle apart, I cannot see that any horn would be of much benefit in a tunnel.

 

 No other tunnel is manned IIRC, so your horn is not going to summon a CRT volley type to call the emergency services.  Nor is it likely to produce assistance from a boater.  Many (and especially new hire)  boaters like to have a tootle on their horn in tunnels, so sounding one is not likely  to be recognised as a distress signal.  

 

N

CRT have erected notices at the entrance of every tunnel telling you to sound your horn

4 hours ago, Lady C said:

IIRC there used to be a BSS requirement for a horn on a boat used for private pleasure but this no longer exists.  Harecastle safety guidelines are that, if you break down and have to stop in the tunnel, you hoot your horn.

Passed a boat called Lady C this morning

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Despite the fans in the tunnel, presumably there is a concern that methane gas might accumulate in pockets and those rules are decided by the inspectorates that have that concern, presumably. As to horns, I suggest Hudsons Whistle of Birmingham might help. But why there is concern as to the noise a horn might make, is there a reason for when workers are in the tunnel engaged in maintenance, if that is allowed, and again a policy dictated by an inspectorate.

 

 

Taylors, Landlord, Taylors,Landlord

 

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3 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

We get told not to! About twenty years ago I went through with a guy in the boat behind playing a very nice trumpet solo. I mentioned this a year or two back to one of the old time tunnel blokes, and that I had a trombone on board and fancied the acoustics, and he said it shouldn't be played as it could be interpreted as a cry for help (which, in fact, my trombone playing has occasionally been in other circumstances). I don't think there was any advice about horn blowing twenty years ago, now that there is, trumpeting is probably unwise.

I did similar with me on squeezebox and a cornet player on the boat behind, got told off by jobsworth becasue it might have made it difficult to hear a distress horn -- though we were the last two boats going through...

 

Difficult playing though given a reverberation time of several seconds... 😞

Edited by IanD
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2 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

I thought it said whistle, I wonder how many canal boats other than steam have them? 🙂

CRT have erected notices at the entrance of every tunnel telling you to sound your horn

Passed a boat called Lady C this morning

I understand that  the canal rules follow as closely as possible with the Steering and Sailing Rules followed at sea - often knows as the Rules of the Road -  where the definition of a whistle is as follows:-

 

(a) The word “whistle” means any sound signalling appliance capable of producing the prescribed blasts and which complies with the specifications in Annex III to these Regulations.

 

 

Howard

 

 

Edited by howardang
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4 hours ago, David Mack said:

Do trombonists like to do the same?

 

Cornet players certainly do.

 

No 1 son does battle with Blisworth tunnel.

 

It's not however an ideal venue - as I understand it this type of brass instrument plays better when warm - the cold conditions underground certainly make life harder for the player...

 

 

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2 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

And that is?

 

Sorry, but i have more interesting things to do than cutting and pasting so I’m not playing that game,  I’ll leave that to others. All I was hoping to clarify is that what makes a horn is effectively a whistle and I am sure I’ m sure you get the point. 
 

Howard

 

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5 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

I thought it said whistle, I wonder how many canal boats other than steam have them? 🙂

 

Emily Anne has a nice sounding steam whistle.  Problem is, I didn't recognise it as a boat signal so carried on round the bend and very nearly literally bumped into @DHutch ...

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9 minutes ago, howardang said:

Sorry, but i have more interesting things to do than cutting and pasting so I’m not playing that game,  I’ll leave that to others. All I was hoping to clarify is that what makes a horn is effectively a whistle and I am sure I’ m sure you get the point. 
 

Howard

 

 

And you're correct (as you know). Exactly the same applies on the railway. To this day the use of the horn is mandated by a whistle board, which is a large black W on a white circular white board with a grey border.

 

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3 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Does the short tunnel at Tuel Lane count?

 

I think it probably does. I know by my vast knowledge from never having been there that you can't enter until instructed by CRT staff.

 

Cue debate as to whether it's a tunnel...

 

 

Edited by Captain Pegg
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16 minutes ago, howardang said:

Sorry, but i have more interesting things to do than cutting and pasting so I’m not playing that game,  I’ll leave that to others. All I was hoping to clarify is that what makes a horn is effectively a whistle and I am sure I’ m sure you get the point. 
 

Howard

 

 

You can never win - if you make a comment than you get told to provide documentary proof, if you the give written evidence you get criticised for posting Pdfs and / or cutting and pasting. 

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Just now, Captain Pegg said:

 

I think it probably does. I know by my vast knowledge from never having been there that you can't enter until instructed by CRT staff.

 

Cue debate as to whether it's a tunnel...

 

Oh it's definitely a tunnel, it's just that the deepest lock on the system comes through the roof at one end!

 

It was cut under the buildings when the restoration took place, and although it's not very long you really wouldn't want to be in it when the lock gets emptied.

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

You can never win - if you make a comment than you get told to provide documentary proof, if you the give written evidence you get criticised for posting Pdfs and / or cutting and pasting. 

 

You could always just post the link and a short summary ...

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27 minutes ago, howardang said:

Sorry, but i have more interesting things to do than cutting and pasting so I’m not playing that game,  I’ll leave that to others. All I was hoping to clarify is that what makes a horn is effectively a whistle and I am sure I’ m sure you get the point. 
 

Howard

 

I wondered if there was a specification on how loud it should be as you had the regs at hand?

 

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48 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

It was cut under the buildings when the restoration took place

Not so. It runs directly under Tuel Lane and then crosses beneath Wharf Street, and does not pass under any buildings. The tunnel is on the original line of the canal and the tunnel walls incorporate the lower parts of the walls of the original lock 3. While the canal was closed Tuel Lane was extended over the canal line to a new junction with Wharf Street where the original Wharf Street Bridge was. Tuel Lane used to connect to Tower Hill further west.

Edited by David Mack
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5 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Not so. It runs directly under Tuel Lane and then crosses beneath Wharf Street, and does not pass under any buildings. The tunnel is on the original line of the canal. While the canal was closed Tuel Lane was extended over the canal line to a new junction with Wharf Street where the original Wharf Street Bridge was. Tuel Lane used to connect to Tower Hill further west.

 

Ah, ok.  I'll pay more attention from the top next time I'm over in Sowerby Bridge.

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55 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I wondered if there was a specification on how loud it should be as you had the regs at hand?

 

 

If I encounter the same volunteer as @Arthur Marshall did when I take Vulpes through in a couple of months time he's going to love my hand klaxon. I shall be ready to enquire as to how many decibels and at what distance from the instrument is required.

 

I will also take my emergency aerosol horn that I keep in my boat moving kit.

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