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GU Lock 33


Ray

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We took a short trip on the Southern GU last weekend and passed through lock 33 (top Ivinghoe) which has just had new top gates fitted.

 

Two striking things about this.

 

First, this is the first time that I can recall that a pair of gates have been replaced in just five working days. I don't know whether this is because top gates are easier to do than bottom gates, although I'm sure top gates have been replaced on some local locks within the last few years and all took at least two weeks.

 

More annoying/worrying is the fact that the new gates are devoid of gate paddles. T'was my understanding that BW were trying to encourage more people to use the GU and one way of doing this was to fit gate paddles to help to reduce the time it takes to work through the locks. Although not a gate officianado, both a colleague and I seem to think that there is no provision on the new gates for retro fit of gate paddles.

 

Is this an isolated instance or are we now beginning to see the impact of the recent funding problems?

 

Let's hope they just had an old set of gates that they wanted to use up.

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I am sure that back in the 1960's it only took a few days to replace top gates on the GU. and they didn't have crane, they used a tripod made of three long poles and a very big running block, plus lots of hard work.

 

Any longer to do the job and the carriers would have lost trade. Of course there was no need to spend two weeks undertaking a Health and Safety risk assesment on every aspect of the job in those days!!

 

Somewhere I should have a photo of them changing the top gates on Uxbridge lock in the late 1960's.

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This is very disappointing news, as most recent replacements seem to have had gate paddles, albeit the small shuttered variety that are not half as effective as originals. But a lot better than nowt.

 

I believe every set of gates is tailor made for it's target location, so if these have no paddles, I'm sure it's a recent build, and a change of direction.

 

I don't think any gates get made with the option of a future retrofit, but I could be wrong.

 

So we get the f***ing useless bollards, but no gate paddles. Great thinking BW!

 

How sad too that these gates now have to be transported many miles from "up North", when previously they would have been made at Bulbourne, and were often taken to the site by boat.

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I think these gates did go by boat for the last part of their journey. Not sure if they'd tranship them at Marsworth, Cooks Wharf or, dare I suggest it, Bulbourne! They were, however, reported as being on a moored boat near Cooks Wharf a few days before the stoppage.

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This is very disappointing news, as most recent replacements seem to have had gate paddles, albeit the small shuttered variety that are not half as effective as originals. But a lot better than nowt.

 

I believe every set of gates is tailor made for it's target location, so if these have no paddles, I'm sure it's a recent build, and a change of direction.

 

I don't think any gates get made with the option of a future retrofit, but I could be wrong.

 

So we get the f***ing useless bollards, but no gate paddles. Great thinking BW!

 

How sad too that these gates now have to be transported many miles from "up North", when previously they would have been made at Bulbourne, and were often taken to the site by boat.

 

By Billy Brown and Dolly Dakin on Aynho and Ayr in my days, al;though most of the time they were carrying Piling. Scruffiest pair of boats on the canal.

Edited by David Schweizer
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