Rubbing posts/strips on the Shroppie Bridges

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Some of them don’t ‘look’ right,

they’re false/fake ain’t they?

 

if they are,

what else has been put out there to make us believe ‘stuff’?

Edited December 5, 2023 by beerbeerbeerbeerbeer

[ditchcrawler]

I don't have a clue what you are referring to

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Just now, ditchcrawler said:

I don't have a clue what you are referring to

Thanks,

I’ll alter the title,

 

[David Mack]

And give us some pictures of what you think are fake ones.

[Captain Pegg]

33 minutes ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

Some of them don’t ‘look’ right,

they’re false/fake ain’t they?

 

if they are,

what else has been put out there to make us believe ‘stuff’?

There is a school of thought that some are replacements that were cast with the wear pattern in them.

 

I’ve studied them in passing a number of times and I don’t see it.

 

But there’s nothing here trying to make us believe anything even if it is true.

 

The damage caused by ropes containing grit is evident on metal and stone all over the canal system.

 

Edited December 5, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Got no photos,

but something I’ve been meaning to ask for awhile,

 

theres something that just don’t ring right about them,

 

I’m on about the ones from perhaps Audlem down the junction. 

too neat and regular,

they bug me,

none broken,

none missing. 
perhaps it’s simply the daft idea of painting them that gives them the dodgy make believe look,

 

 

 

1 minute ago, Captain Pegg said:

some are replacements that were cast with the wear pattern in them.

yes, that’s what I’m saying,

and I always pass trying to find the common pattern 

 

2 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

The damage caused by ropes containing grit are evident on metal and stone all over the canal system.

 

I see that of course,

but these look a bit …🤷‍♀️

too regular 

 

5 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

There is a school of thought that some are replacements that were cast with the wear pattern in them.

Sorry should have quoted you in full there, 

[junior]

Having circumnavigated the Four Counties Ring every couple of weeks for a few years, I've looked at these plenty of times myself and often thought some of them look fake. So you're not alone.

[magnetman]

I think BW cast a load of them at some stage and they all came out the same obviously. 

 

 

I think BW cast a load of them at some stage and they all came out the same obviously. 

 

 

[junior]

You can say that again.

[Stroudwater1]

Best picture I can do, near Autherley, Pendleford by the looks of the surrounding signage 

 

Edited December 5, 2023 by Stroudwater1

[IanD]

I've always thought they looked a bit artificial too, but it's hard to tell from only looking at one.

 

The way to be sure would be to compare photos of several different ones -- if they've all got the same grooves, they're a BW reproduction...

[magnetman]

14 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

Best picture I can do, near Autherley, Pendleford by the looks of the surrounding signage 

 

They look the same

3 minutes ago, IanD said:

I've always thought they looked a bit artificial too, but it's hard to tell from only looking at one.

 

The way to be sure would be to compare photos of several different ones -- if they've all got the same grooves, they're a BW reproduction...

The one pictured above has a very distinct pattern right at the top end. That would be an interesting area to compare. 

Easier than trying to compare the whole thing as the brain would tend to get overloaded. 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

yes, I’ve had the same thought when passing by them,

Easier still, would be to compare old photos. 

I’ll have google about
 

 

[magnetman]

This one is the same shape but appears to have no marks on the tapered part at the top.

 

 

Also the manner of fixing to the bridge would be interesting. This one has a square headed fastener. 

[Tacet]

I'm not convinced by this conspiracy theory.  When would BWB(?) have undertaken the dodgy replacement scheme?  Presumably in relatively recent years when the heritage factor carried some sway - and yet no one recalls it.  The sacrificial items were only of real purpose in horse drawn days and as that largely ceased 100 years back, it feels a bit odd that after a 50 year interval they were replaced or reinstated in false tribute.

 

The mournful aspect is that they would have been brightly polished through use - and we are unlikely to see that again.

[magnetman]

4 minutes ago, Tacet said:

I'm not convinced by this conspiracy theory.  When would BWB(?) have undertaken the dodgy replacement scheme?  Presumably in relatively recent years when the heritage factor carried some sway - and yet no one recalls it.  The sacrificial items were only of real purpose in horse drawn days and as that largely ceased 100 years back, it feels a bit odd that after a 50 year interval they were replaced or reinstated in false tribute.

 

The mournful aspect is that they would have been brightly polished through use - and we are unlikely to see that again.

 

BW definitely did cast a load of new mile markers at some point. They obviously had a foundry or access to one.

 

 

[Captain Pegg]

11 minutes ago, magnetman said:

 

BW definitely did cast a load of new mile markers at some point. They obviously had a foundry or access to one.

 

 

I’d always thought that replacement mileposts were provided by canal societies.

[magnetman]

3 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

I’d always thought that replacement mileposts were provided by canal societies.

 

i think they were sponsored by canal societies but BW made them. 

 

Just my theory.

 

 

[ditchcrawler]

47 minutes ago, magnetman said:

 

i think they were sponsored by canal societies but BW made them. 

 

Just my theory.

 

 

CRT have just loaned the wooden patterns of mile posts to the people restoring the Caldon through to Burslem to have some posts cast. They have said they wont loan them out again.  Its a pity they didn't make fibreglass copies of them when they had them

[Stroudwater1]

1 hour ago, magnetman said:

They look the same

The one pictured above has a very distinct pattern right at the top end. That would be an interesting area to compare. 

Easier than trying to compare the whole thing as the brain would tend to get overloaded. 

Oops sorry both images are from the same bridge, one looking backwards 😄

[Tonka]

Have they not just bolted a rough cast paddle rack to the bridge

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

So, true to form, I’ll ask the daft question and risk myself looking the idiot again;

 

why would these iron guards be so deeply grooved in comparison with anything else I can recall seeing anywhere else?

 

Yes I know it’d have been busy, and with the fly boats and so on, but all the same..how come?

 

the only thing I can come up with is: the bridge holes are off set from the towpath a little further than elsewhere, thus putting more strain on the ropes/lines. Hence the need for these big heavy set iron guards of a design which I think is only to be seen on the Shroppie ?

 

 

[magnetman]

Maybe the towpaths had more harder stone up there. 

(harder not more harder)

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

2 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Maybe the towpaths had more harder stone up there. 

(harder not more harder)

as in hard grit on the ropes?

[magnetman]

Yes. Its grit on the ropes which will cause this. 

 

Irs not impossible that it is all made up for show. After all I think by now everyone has realised the dinosaurs never existed. They were invented for films. 

 

Go to a museum and closely look at the bones. They are very obviously made of a resin of some sort.