Audlem closed, again!

[agg221]

9 minutes ago, johnmck said:

I hope my confidence in CRT is rewarded!

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

Bimbling slowly awaiting updates.

Enjoy the unusual view of our boat as you pass Industry (just over the A5 aqueduct past Brewood).

 

Alec

[Stroudwater1]

2 hours ago, magpie patrick said:

 This statement...

 

 

Suggests they don't normally need one

They usually use a winch type approach attached to a structure over the lock 

 

 

 

Edited August 2 by Stroudwater1

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Stroudwater1 said:

They usually use a winch type approach attached to a structure over the lock 

 

 

 

I have seen them use a Hiab when the access has been suitable, Barton Turns Lock

[Arthur Marshall]

4 hours ago, magpie patrick said:

 This statement...

 

 

Suggests they don't normally need one

They don't instal, repair or replace gates on a regular basis? Actually, judging by the failure rate, no, they don't.

I know they use an outside firm for almost everything. That's why  if anything goes wrong, it can turn into a major problem from a minor one because equipment and workforce are never available.

[hider]

Gate weighs what, a ton and a half?

Gantry with chain hoist will do it easily.  Even shear legs.

How much is a Saturday mobile crane hire going to cost?

They seem to have no idea of working economically.

I still recon a Tirfor winch would pull the gate back as its still in the pot. Other one just wants standing in the quoin.

[magpie patrick]

2 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

They don't instal, repair or replace gates on a regular basis? Actually, judging by the failure rate, no, they don't.

I know they use an outside firm for almost everything. That's why  if anything goes wrong, it can turn into a major problem from a minor one because equipment and workforce are never available.

 They replace about 4% of the gates each year - that's around 60 locks worth or 120-240 gates, so they do quite a lot but they don't usually use a crane. 

 

I think the problem here with one gate wedged against the other is that they may need to lift both at once, and sheerlegs probably aren't up to that.

[David Mack]

3 hours ago, hider said:

I still recon a Tirfor winch would pull the gate back as its still in the pot. Other one just wants standing in the quoin.

I thought that when I first saw the pictures.

1 hour ago, magpie patrick said:

I think the problem here with one gate wedged against the other is that they may need to lift both at once, and sheerlegs probably aren't up to that.

Tirfors on both gates, and winch slowly until they are separated then just pull each back into place and resecure the collars.

[agg221]

32 minutes ago, David Mack said:

I thought that when I first saw the pictures.

Tirfors on both gates, and winch slowly until they are separated then just pull each back into place and resecure the collars.

I know why this won't be done (inability to control it if things go wrong and no confidence in the strength of the balance beam) but given that it is a pivoting action where there is also a turning moment by pushing downwards, I wonder whether if you could rustle up say ten people and put five down each side of the balance beam to pull backwards and lean downwards it might move it back into place? I suspect that is the type of approach which would have been applied in the past.

 

Alec

[IanD]

17 minutes ago, agg221 said:

I know why this won't be done (inability to control it if things go wrong and no confidence in the strength of the balance beam) but given that it is a pivoting action where there is also a turning moment by pushing downwards, I wonder whether if you could rustle up say ten people and put five down each side of the balance beam to pull backwards and lean downwards it might move it back into place? I suspect that is the type of approach which would have been applied in the past.

 

Alec

...before elf'n'safety stopped people buggering their backs up at work doing things like this, or getting squashed... 😉 

[Arthur Marshall]

Possibly they don't want to risk a gate falling on to the boat? At the moment they're wedged against each other.

I think there's going to be  Le Mans sprint for the lock mooring as soon as we get the all clear. I'm nearest... 

[dogless]

Expected to be open by 9.30am ... pretty good work in all the circumstances.

 

Rog

 

 

[nicknorman]

35 minutes ago, dogless said:

Expected to be open by 9.30am ... pretty good work in all the circumstances.

 

Rog

 

Well, bearing in mind it can only have taken an hour or so to do the actual job, and it been closed for what … nearly a week? whilst they thought about it, I’m not sure too much praise is justified.

 

Edit: ok just 4 days but even so…

Edited August 3 by nicknorman

[haggis]

25 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Well, bearing in mind it can only have taken an hour or so to do the actual job, and it been closed for what … nearly a week? whilst they thought about it, I’m not sure too much praise is justified.

 

Edit: ok just 4 days but even so…

A bit harsh, Nick. or do you think C&RT should have suitable lifting gear near enough all locks so that repairs can be done quicker? 

[nicknorman]

12 minutes ago, haggis said:

A bit harsh, Nick. or do you think C&RT should have suitable lifting gear near enough all locks so that repairs can be done quicker? 

No but they could have suitable lifting gear (full stop). Suitable lifting gear could be transported by road to pretty much any location on the system in a few hours, certainly less than a day. As I understand it the issue was that CRT don’t have suitable lifting gear (they sold it off in the early days of CRT) and when they asked their contractors to supply it, were told it wasn’t available until today.

Edited August 3 by nicknorman

[ditchcrawler]

I would imagine their suitable lifting gear would be the portable overhead beam with chain blocks. I would suspect its in use doing routine maintenance somewhere. How many times in the past 5 years have they needed something like this at short notice?

[haggis]

1 minute ago, nicknorman said:

No but they could have suitable lifting gear (full stop). Suitable lifting gear could be transported by road to pretty much any location on the system in a few hours, certainly less than a day. As I understand it the issue was that CRT don’t have suitable lifting gear and when they asked their contractors to supply it, were told it wasn’t available until today.

Not saying whether it is right or wrong but I understand that a lot of Companies (like C&RT) don't keep and maintain equipment for all eventualities. I can understand it in a way as even if sitting idle, machinery still needs storage and maintenance and transporting to the site and I suppose it is considered more cost effective to hire equipment when they need it. 

When caught behind a stoppage I can understand the view that everything needed for the repair should be within a short distance and in a perfect world that would be the case but sadly we don't live in a perfect world. 

[dogless]

10pm Tuesday 30 July to 9.30am Saturday 3 August ... not so bad , in the first few hours it had the look of a long term job.

 

I think selling off all their equipment and losing the knowledge and skills that went with it was a mistake, but this is where we are and in light of that, credit where it's due  👍🏻

 

Rog

[David Mack]

14 minutes ago, haggis said:

Not saying whether it is right or wrong but I understand that a lot of Companies (like C&RT) don't keep and maintain equipment for all eventualities. I can understand it in a way as even if sitting idle, machinery still needs storage and maintenance and transporting to the site and I suppose it is considered more cost effective to hire equipment when they need it. 

And unlike most organisations, CRT does not incur a cost or lost income if a facility is out of use, so it is not incentivised to have the equipment for a quick repair available.

[Midnight]

15 minutes ago, David Mack said:

And unlike most organisations, CRT does not incur a cost or lost income if a facility is out of use, so it is not incentivised to have the equipment for a quick repair available.

How would storing an A-frame in an already in-use depot incurr costs and lost income? 

 

I still believe a couple of competent staffers with a tirfor would have had that fixed in a day. 

Edited August 3 by Midnight

[dogless]

It is an odd business model don't you think, to have responsibility for maintenance  and repair of the system yet dispose of virtually all equipment and the know-how that went with it.

 

Rog

[ditchcrawler]

8 minutes ago, dogless said:

It is an odd business model don't you think, to have responsibility for maintenance  and repair of the system yet dispose of virtually all equipment and the know-how that went with it.

 

Rog

No its a common business model for lots of companies now. Why have equipment in a shed not being used that requires testing and maintenance when you can hire it in when needed. The same with staff.

[David Mack]

22 minutes ago, Midnight said:

How would storing an A-frame in an already in-use depot incurr costs and lost income? 

That's not what I said. Having the lock out of use does not result in a direct cost or loss of income to CRT, whereas for most organisations having operational facilities unusable does.

24 minutes ago, Midnight said:

I still believe a couple of competent staffers with a tirfor would have had that fixed in a day. 

I said as much in an earlier post.

[Midnight]

1 hour ago, David Mack said:

That's not what I said. Having the lock out of use does not result in a direct cost or loss of income to CRT, whereas for most organisations having operational facilities unusable does.

 

Ooops apologies I misunderstood. However not good that C&RT don't give a fig about the costs and inconvenience suffered by their paying customers. 

[dogless]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

No its a common business model for lots of companies now. Why have equipment in a shed not being used that requires testing and maintenance when you can hire it in when needed. The same with staff.

The fact it's common doesn't make it good.

 

Rog

[Arthur Marshall]

45 minutes ago, dogless said:

The fact it's common doesn't make it good.

 

Rog

It's the same business model the factory I worked in had , which meant us workers spent days twiddling our thumbs because the company could no longer sharpen their own saws, nor could anyone else in the UK, so we had to wait for new cutters from France, pretending to be busy so the directors didn't get cross.

It's great for the shareholders and terrible for the customers,  which is why businesses love monopolies.

I noticed the workforce gathering at 6am, and we were on our way by 9, maybe a bit earlier, after pulling the Black Prince boat out. Interestingly, with six of us in the pound by lock 11,  three hire boats and me more or less ready to go, a "working boat" came up lock 12 and swanned straight past everyone towards the lock. I admit, for the first time ever, I was rude enough to untie and pull out in front of him. Apparently, he'd told someone he was in a hurry.