Dudley Tunnel.

[Max Sinclair]

Sorry for delay...I have only been dropping in here every so often.

The way things are on ukrw, I could be here a lot more from now on.

 

I would not say that the DCT were obstructive...but "their" guage at the Tipton end is! ;-)

Once we fitted through the guage they were extremely helpful...in fact they just wanted us out of the way as quick as possible, so as to not affect the trip boats.

We had two hours and a tow from the DCT tug. We were allowed 25 mins of "legging", where the tug dropped the tow and trickled ahead of us.

At the time, if you fitted the guage, the trip was free, we obviously had a whip round for the DCT.

I believe the DCT now adhere to the "must not be ballasted especially for the trip" rule.

ISTR that a TNC member did do an approximate calculation for extra weight carried and it did run into tons. At Oldbury Boat Services we loaded up 4 pallets (1m x 1m x 1m) of heavy pavoirs and water ballast was in the hip bath, gas locker, front well deck and 4 dustbins.

We had so much headroom in the tunnel that for the most part I was standing upright on the rear deck (providing most of the poling power during our pathetic legging section)

When we came out at the Park Head end Earnest's handrail went UNDER the outer part of the fixed guage.

Of all the stuff we have ever done, this was the most hassle!

I have just had a good rummage and found and scanned the old BW Dudley Tunnel guaging sheet.

I have added a link on the relevant TNC page, but here is the individual urls:

http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/T00_Imag/Dudtun1.jpg

http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/T00_Imag/Dudtun2.jpg

I made up a gauge out of three bits of 2 x 1 inch wood and a shout cardboard "arch".

Its remarkable how many people spell Gauge Guage.It crops up on railways as well as canals, is it Black Country Anglo Saxon. Luv to youw all.

[Neil TNC]

Its remarkable how many people spell Gauge Guage.It crops up on railways as well as canals, is it Black Country Anglo Saxon. Luv to youw all.

 

It is word I have always spelt wrong...so, hard to get out of it now.

It is amazing how many people spell aerial (as in a radio aerial)wrong.