Audlem closed, again!

[Arthur Marshall]

From Facebook  so accuracy not guaranteed:

"Audlem update on lock 10 - engineers came yesterday (Wednesday) to measure and assess and calculate. Due to return Friday morning to start on the repair, once they hire lifting gear and get it into place. There is good access across the adjacent field. One person was told the repair would take 3 hrs, but online they say a couple days. 🤷 Black Prince have evacuated the stranded hirers yesterday, and put them on another boat to continue with their holiday. There's no damage to the boat, but the gates are precarious and held with various ropes.

 

Some people object to CRT's use of the word 'vandalism'. The only other appropriate word I can think of is 'sabotage', though no clue why. Nothing has broken, there's no issue with lack of maintenance. The two collars could not be dismantled simultaneously by a boat hitting the gates - the task required tools and knowledge. Both collars were unpinned, after cutting the retaining rings. The gates fell in when the lock emptied, and the water ceased to hold them in place." 

[IanD]

1 hour ago, Arthur Marshall said:

From Facebook  so accuracy not guaranteed:

"Audlem update on lock 10 - engineers came yesterday (Wednesday) to measure and assess and calculate. Due to return Friday morning to start on the repair, once they hire lifting gear and get it into place. There is good access across the adjacent field. One person was told the repair would take 3 hrs, but online they say a couple days. 🤷 Black Prince have evacuated the stranded hirers yesterday, and put them on another boat to continue with their holiday. There's no damage to the boat, but the gates are precarious and held with various ropes.

 

Some people object to CRT's use of the word 'vandalism'. The only other appropriate word I can think of is 'sabotage', though no clue why. Nothing has broken, there's no issue with lack of maintenance. The two collars could not be dismantled simultaneously by a boat hitting the gates - the task required tools and knowledge. Both collars were unpinned, after cutting the retaining rings. The gates fell in when the lock emptied, and the water ceased to hold them in place." 

 

So much for the suggestions from the forum anti-CART-ers that this was a maintenance problem or they weren't secured or fell out or were accidentally removed or it was all a jolly jape or this happened when a boat hit the gates too hard...

 

For once, vandalism is exactly the correct term -- as is sabotage, though that suggests some kind of intelligent intent... 😞 

 

As to why anyone would do it, the same question is always asked when vandals do stupid things like this for no apparent reason -- see Sycamore Gap, for example, or smashing up bus shelters or entire towns (Stock Southport?) -- and the usual answer is "because they wanted to, and they could, and they like breaking things and watching how much trouble it causes". No logical reason is needed... 😞 

Edited August 1, 2024 by IanD
Southport not Stockport!

[Quatre_Bougies]

It’s lucky no one was hurt, or worse. How scary for the boaters.

[hider]

51 minutes ago, IanD said:

 

So much for the suggestions from the forum anti-CART-ers that this was a maintenance problem or they weren't secured or fell out or were accidentally removed or it was all a jolly jape or this happened when a boat hit the gates too hard...

 

For once, vandalism is exactly the correct term -- as is sabotage, though that suggests some kind of intelligent intent... 😞 

 

As to why anyone would do it, the same question is always asked when vandals do stupid things like this for no apparent reason -- see Sycamore Gap, for example, or smashing up bus shelters or entire towns (Stockport?) -- and the usual answer is "because they wanted to, and they could, and they like breaking things and watching how much trouble it causes". No logical reason is needed... 😞 

What has happened in Stockport?  Its peaceful town, the blessed Angela comes from there. Owns, or did, several houses from all accounts.

[MtB]

4 minutes ago, hider said:

What has happened in Stockport?  Its peaceful town, the blessed Angela comes from there. Owns, or did, several houses from all accounts.

 

It hasn't been peaceful recently. Multiple stabbings and deaths followed by rioting by those nice English Defence League chappies.

[IanD]

6 minutes ago, hider said:

What has happened in Stockport?  Its peaceful town, the blessed Angela comes from there. Owns, or did, several houses from all accounts.

Typo, Southport obviously... 😉 

[hider]

1 minute ago, IanD said:

Typo, Southport obviously... 😉 

Scaremonger!

[MtB]

1 minute ago, IanD said:

Typo, Southport obviously... 😉 

 

Oh yeah, I missed that!! 

 

As your were. Stockport still nice and peaceful. 

 

 

[IanD]

38 minutes ago, hider said:

Scaremonger!

Another typo, perhaps -- do you mean "fishmonger"? 😉 

[David Mack]

4 hours ago, Ian Mac said:

PS The new lock 53 on the Rochdale was one of the locks which had its beams saw off.  I still do not understand the farmers dispute, as they ended up with a far better access route.

My understanding is that the new route between the farmer's land on either side of the M62 was longer than the previous route using the underpass which became the canal route, and also involved taking his agricultural machinery on the public road.

[ditchcrawler]

[Hudds Lad]

1 hour ago, IanD said:

or smashing up bus shelters

Never understood this one either, assume it's a macho youth thing for the inebriated.

The one on our road gets the occasional punch in the small hours on a weekend, usually coincides with hoiking out time at the Liberal Club if they've hired out the function room for some sort of family do or après wedding bunfight. Always the budding pugilist that comes away with the damage though, the shelter itself has suffered more abuse from buses (wiped out three times in the space of a couple of years) and each time they move it further down the road  Must work as the current one has been standing for a while now.

[Mike Tee]

Most recent update - 'a bit more complicated than we thought'  - so next attempt will be Saturday 

[Arthur Marshall]

27 minutes ago, Mike Tee said:

Most recent update - 'a bit more complicated than we thought'  - so next attempt will be Saturday 

Following inspections carried out by our engineers yesterday, the works to secure the gates are more complicated due to one of the gates being wedged against the other one, this has prevented us from using our normal methods of installing gates and now required to be lifted by a crane. The specialist crane required to lift the lock gates back into place is unavailable until Saturday morning, 3 August. Once the crane is on site our team will then lift the gates back into position and secure them

Edited August 1, 2024 by Arthur Marshall
Corrected CRTs spelling.

[Alway Swilby]

5 hours ago, dogless said:

 

Deleted due to me duplicating stuff that has already been said!

Edited August 1, 2024 by Alway Swilby

[IanD]

3 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Following inspections carried out by our engineers yesterday, the works to secure the gates are more complicated due to one of the gates being wedged against the other one, this has prevented us from using our normal methods of installing gates and now required to be lifted by a crane. The specialist crane required to lift the lock gates back into place is unavailable until Saturday morning, 3 August. Once the crane is on site our team will then lift the gates back into position and secure them

 

Will that be this crane, perhaps?

 

Edited August 1, 2024 by IanD

[Ex Brummie]

I recall some 20 odd years ago that at Wightwick Mill lock in Wolverhampton, a similar act was carried out, with all the bits nicely laid out in order for replacement. 

[ditchcrawler]

12 minutes ago, Ex Brummie said:

I recall some 20 odd years ago that at Wightwick Mill lock in Wolverhampton, a similar act was carried out, with all the bits nicely laid out in order for replacement. 

Perhaps they were going to ring CRT and tell them before any damaged was caused but enough to cause an unset, then couldn't get through on the phone

[YM2413]

Hi! I happened to be driving the boat when the gates fell off. From the other end of the boat nothing looked amiss, the collars were left in place. I don't think the gates hit the boat at all when they fell off, they were pretty damn close though. one of them might have knocked, but I didn't feel or hear anything.
We were initially told we could wait on the boat while the CRT assessed the situation, so we got to spend the night in the lock! It was pretty miserable down there, we were told we had to leave the boat around 10am the next day.

We had a dog on board, but luckily she wasn't too hard to get out.

 

Pretty miserable situation, but at least no one was hurt.

[ditchcrawler]

19 minutes ago, YM2413 said:

Hi! I happened to be driving the boat when the gates fell off. From the other end of the boat nothing looked amiss, the collars were left in place. I don't think the gates hit the boat at all when they fell off, they were pretty damn close though. one of them might have knocked, but I didn't feel or hear anything.
We were initially told we could wait on the boat while the CRT assessed the situation, so we got to spend the night in the lock! It was pretty miserable down there, we were told we had to leave the boat around 10am the next day.

We had a dog on board, but luckily she wasn't too hard to get out.

 

Pretty miserable situation, but at least no one was hurt.

Sorry it buggered your holiday

[Arthur Marshall]

46 minutes ago, YM2413 said:

Hi! I happened to be driving the boat when the gates fell off. From the other end of the boat nothing looked amiss, the collars were left in place. I don't think the gates hit the boat at all when they fell off, they were pretty damn close though. one of them might have knocked, but I didn't feel or hear anything.
We were initially told we could wait on the boat while the CRT assessed the situation, so we got to spend the night in the lock! It was pretty miserable down there, we were told we had to leave the boat around 10am the next day.

We had a dog on board, but luckily she wasn't too hard to get out.

 

Pretty miserable situation, but at least no one was hurt.

I'm glad you got treated ok by Black Prince. Enjoy the rest of the trip - this doesn't always happen, honest...

[Arthur Marshall]

I suppose one interesting thing learnt is that CRT no longer own a crane that can lift lock gates.

[IanM]

3 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I suppose one interesting thing learnt is that CRT no longer own a crane that can lift lock gates.

 

They normally use Rothens for that sort of thing now.

[magpie patrick]

37 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I suppose one interesting thing learnt is that CRT no longer own a crane that can lift lock gates.

 This statement...

 

19 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

 this has prevented us from using our normal methods of installing gates  

 

Suggests they don't normally need one

[johnmck]

I hope my confidence in CRT is rewarded!

Just turned onto the Shroppy at Autherley junction. We shall soon see! 

Bimbling slowly awaiting updates.