Fixed windlasses and lock keepers

[magpie patrick]

Following the drift of conversation on the Regents Canal Locks thread I did a bit of digging - below is a picture of a ground paddle on the Glasson Branch with a permanent windlass attached (taken from Burton & Pratt "Canal" 1980). It appears to be fastened to a round spindle with a pin through the windlass.  One initial observation is that it  was very easy to lock a paddle which had a windlass fixed permamently. There is a chain with a handcuff lock and on the ground is, I think an earlier mechanism for locking the windlass. 

 

I also seem to recall, although I'd have been quite a young child, one or two paddles on the L&L with round spindles but no windlass - presumably they had the same system but the windlass had been removed.

 

In the other thread was a bit of consideration as to whether or not it made sense to fix the windlass to the paddle or whether it should come off - closely related is whether the windlass belongs at the lock or on the boat. At Glasson, the six locks lead up to a 42 mile pound, which historically ended at a flight of 8 locks at Tewitfield which led to another pound 14 miles long. If you include the Glasson Branch then 60 miles of canal with only two locations where a windlass was needed and a lot of traffic that would never pass through a lock - I suspect many barges would go months at a time without using a lock and thus keeping the windlass at the locks made sense. 

 

The link to lock keepers is that all the Regents Locks were  keeper operated - if all the locks a boat will go through are keeper operated it makes sense for the keeper to have the handle that works them. 

 

But a bit of research suggests the Regents and the Lee were the exceptions. Tom Rolt, in Narrow Boat, seems generally to have worked the locks himself (or more usually got Angela to do it) - Lock keepers were there to tend the locks and do various jobs but actually operating the lock wasn't one of them. If locks are user operated and frequent to the extent that every cargo carried would go through a lock it might make more sense for the windlass to travel with the boat? 

 

So, how common was keeper operation on the canal system? And how common was it to have the windlass fastened to the paddle? I doubt there is a definitive answer but I'm sure  there are lots of thoughts on the subject!  

[David Mack]

14 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

below is a picture of a ground paddle on the Glasson Branch with a permanent windlass attached (taken from Burton & Pratt "Canal" 1980).

...

There is a chain with a handcuff lock and on the ground is, I think an earlier mechanism for locking the windlass.  travel with the boat? 

That handcuff lock looks very much like those introduced by BW in the 1970s, initially I think on the Leeds and Liverpool, and still to be seen in a few places today. 

The mechanism on the ground looks like better evidence for the chaining up of paddles with fixed windlasses in working days. But it would require a separate padlock, with presumably limited keyholders.

Perhaps the new handcuff lock was provided to allow boater operation yet still provide some protection against vandalism.

[Ray T]

Not sure where this is, possibly the Wigan Flight? or where I found the photos.

 

Plus a colour photo of the one in the first post.

 

 

Edited November 10, 2023 by Ray T

[Pluto]

Fixed windlasses were almost certainly used on wide canals where the load on the paddle was much greater than on narrow canals. Many paddles, particularly those with scissor-type operation, could be opened by three and a half turns of the windlass. I did have one of the larger double-headed windlasses provided for the L&LC by BW, and their introduction would suggest that square drives and removable windlasses were used when permanent lock keepers were withdrawn or their role altered on nationalisation. The weight of the original windlasses made them something you would not want to carry round routinely. The handcuff lock was used across the L&LC, and chain fixings and sliding staples for locking paddles were an early feature of the paddle gear. The handcuffs would be removed by the lock keeper hen he came on duty and replaced at the end of his day. The more heavily used flights had multiple lock keepers on shifts, so that one was always on duty.

[magpie patrick]

@Pluto - I think there is a danger of conflating "wide" with "Leeds & Liverpool". The Leeds & Liverpool seems to have developed its technology independently from the other wide waterways, especially those in the south where paddles were not necessarily particularly large. The Grand Junction and the Kennet & Avon are examples of this.

 

That said, I get the point that bigger paddles need bigger windlasses that are less portable. 

[Snakey]

17 hours ago, Ray T said:

Not sure where this is, possibly the Wigan Flight? or where I found the photos.

That's also the Glasson flight...

 

[pearley]

The 2nd photo is at the bottom of the Glasson Arm rather than L & L. 

 

Blackburn Locks used to have paddles with fixed windlass' similar to the first picture. Got a photo somewhere that I'll try and find. And one at least of the staircase locks dropping down to Leeds still has it but pinned to the balance beam so cannot be used. Not sure it had a fixed windlass when it was usable but probably. 

[fanshaft]

16 minutes ago, pearley said:

The 2nd photo is at the bottom of the Glasson Arm rather than L & L. 

 

Blackburn Locks used to have paddles with fixed windlass' similar to the first picture. Got a photo somewhere that I'll try and find. And one at least of the staircase locks dropping down to Leeds still has it but pinned to the balance beam so cannot be used. Not sure it had a fixed windlass when it was usable but probably. 

I recall in the 1960s  BW removed the windlasses/ handles between Shipley and Leeds because vandals just broke off the hand cuff locks. So you needed an extra long windlass for some of the paddles although some could be lifted with a standard windlass. Then chains and later style handcuffs were fitted but in the case of the dreadful Fenner gearing (45 turns) could easily be broken off  

Just now, fanshaft said:

I recall in the 1960s  BW removed the windlasses/ handles between Shipley and Leeds because vandals just broke off the hand cuff locks. So you needed an extra long windlass for some of the paddles although some could be lifted with a standard windlass. Then chains and later style handcuffs were fitted but in the case of the dreadful Fenner gearing (45 turns) could easily be broken off  

As Mike says the lock keeper at (for example Dowley Gap to Five Rise) would unlock the cuff locks in the morning and re lock when finished for the day. Boat crews could work.the locks themselves any time of day and night until at least the 1980s and one lock.keeper looked after all 11 locks Hirst Wood to Five Rise. Another looked after Newlay to Leeds. That left Field and Dobson locks which someone from the Apperley Bridge yard would check daily. 

[Pluto]

4 hours ago, magpie patrick said:

@Pluto - I think there is a danger of conflating "wide" with "Leeds & Liverpool". The Leeds & Liverpool seems to have developed its technology independently from the other wide waterways, especially those in the south where paddles were not necessarily particularly large. The Grand Junction and the Kennet & Avon are examples of this.

 

That said, I get the point that bigger paddles need bigger windlasses that are less portable. 

Most northern waterways seem to have used fixed windlasses, possibly because of larger paddles. However, the Rochdale had mainly removable ones, though the one on the gate at summit west was fixed, possibly because it was also used for water supply to the western section of the canal. Many of the paddle gears were replaced in the early 1900s to a system with an integrated brake which prevented the paddles from being dropped and damaged. These were much slower to operate than most other paddles.

[Ray T]

Another, not sure where or what.

[ditchcrawler]

I don't know if its been mentioned but the narrow lock on Ducks Cut has a windlass attached, or it had last time I went through

[pearley]

And the one at Cranfleet Cut. 

[Split Pin]

Prior to its restoration the Stourbridge Canal had some fixed windlasses on (lock 9) the upper double lock which is next to what was a canal company house, so probably housed a lock keeper. They were single start paddle gear so were  fairly heavy in comparison to modern reduction gearing.