old barge with tug river mersey

[gaggle]

a pic from bootle site s by RIVERMERSEY poster , shows the tug AGILE and barge MINNOW .

Can anyone shed light on what cargo the barge would carry , i seem to remember such barges at huge suckers so maybe grain or such type of cargo .

They have just come of the mersey into seaforth "gladstone dock.

pic in a mo.

 

Edited September 1, 2009 by gaggle

[howardang]

a pic from bootle site s by RIVERMERSEY poster , shows the tug AGILE and barge MINNOW .

Can anyone shed light on what cargo the barge would carry , i seem to remember such barges at huge suckers so maybe grain or such type of cargo .

They have just come of the mersey into seaforth "gladstone dock.

pic in a mo.

 

With wide hatches and good access to the hold these barges are suitable for a wide range of cargoes - bagged and bulk grain, coal, sugar, sand and gravel, barrels and drums, chemicals and anything else apart from bulk liquids.

 

Howard

Edited September 1, 2009 by howardang

[carlt]

Opposite side of the country but here is the crew od Dovecliffe unloading her load of grain:

[Timleech]

a pic from bootle site s by RIVERMERSEY poster , shows the tug AGILE and barge MINNOW .

Can anyone shed light on what cargo the barge would carry , i seem to remember such barges at huge suckers so maybe grain or such type of cargo .

 

I know someone who will know for sure, pretty certain he's mentioned the AGILE in the past, but he went home half an hour ago

I'll try to remember to ask him next time I see him.

Grain almost certainly.

 

DOVECLIFFE was one of a fleet of '....Cliffe' boats built specifically for grain, no doubt they did carry other cargoes at times.

 

Tim

Edited September 1, 2009 by Timleech

[carlt]

DOVECLIFFE was one of a fleet of '....Cliffe' boats built specifically for grain, no doubt they did carry other cargoes at times.

I had a look at "Conisborough" at the weekend which has only ever carried grain, is in very good condition and is about to be cut up

[CanalWalker]

I would guess it was corn. Boats brought corn across the Mersey and then up to the canal and on to Burscough Mill around the time this photo would be taken. If it was coal etc it wouldnt need a cover.

[gaggle]

Been doing a bit of family tree research and it seems one of me granddads brothers threw himself to his death from top of the suckers used to unload the grain barges , told his wife was dead he could not face life without her.

So found that out and next thing you know the "grain barge" pic comes up.

[Timleech]

I had a look at "Conisborough" at the weekend which has only ever carried grain, is in very good condition and is about to be cut up

 

Why?

 

Tim

[carlt]

Why?

 

Tim

Have you met Stephen Waddington?

 

"If it's not carrying, it's no use!"

 

If nobody wants them they get skipped.

 

Most of the boats are available, for around the scrap value, I believe, though the Sheffield size are pretty much all gone.

[Timleech]

Have you met Stephen Waddington?

 

I met him when he was 18, being a bit of a rebel spending lunchtimes in the pub to the disapproval of his teetotal and rather autocratic father

 

What size is Conisborough then? Presume bigger than Sheffield size?

 

Tim

[carlt]

I met him when he was 18, being a bit of a rebel spending lunchtimes in the pub to the disapproval of his teetotal and rather autocratic father

 

What size is Conisborough then? Presume bigger than Sheffield size?

 

Tim

Well he's 52 now and not changed much.

 

I can't remember exactly how long Conisbrough is (it was a brief visit) but I can find out (Upper Trent rings a bell but there were a lot of facts and figures flying about).

[Dalesman]

I would guess it was corn. Boats brought corn across the Mersey and then up to the canal and on to Burscough Mill around the time this photo would be taken. If it was coal etc it wouldnt need a cover.

This barge never worked on the L & L canal, she is far to big, however she was one of the many barges owned by Rea Ltd used for carrying all kinds of cargo around Merseyside, but also to Manchester via the MSC. One of the many cargos carried was tea in large tea chests, the tug crews never had to buy any..!! Another good cargo was tins of fruit, which we enjoyed too.. A loaded two barge tow with each bage carrying about 300 tons from Liverpool docks to Manchester would take us about 12 hours, returning next day back to Liverpool docks with another two light barges. Rea Ltd had 4 barge tugs, however there were about another 6 or so other barge tugs working on the Mersey at the time, now all gone along with the barges too.

[Timleech]

Well he's 52 now....

 

That's frightening

Must be right though, we had the BEECLIFFE on their dry dock in 1974 or 1975 prior to taking it across the North Sea, 2009 minus 1975 = 34, 34 + 18 = 52.

 

Doesn't time fly when you're having fun

 

Tim

Edited September 2, 2009 by Timleech

[CanalWalker]

I worked with some people who had worked on barges and boats in the docks, they said what ever cargo came in they all had a bit. If towels came in they all had new towels, even stuff they had no use for they took.

[Albatross]

I worked with some people who had worked on barges and boats in the docks, they said what ever cargo came in they all had a bit. If towels came in they all had new towels, even stuff they had no use for they took.

What about the docker with the wheelbarrow?

Edited September 2, 2009 by Albatross

[gaggle]

I worked with some people who had worked on barges and boats in the docks, they said what ever cargo came in they all had a bit. If towels came in they all had new towels, even stuff they had no use for they took.

 

 

One docker nicknamed deisel ,

 

every cargo he worked , deisel do for me tart , deisel do for the kids.