Taurus

[Chris-B]

VERY early New Year!

 

It must be what was with Baron when it worked past us southwards at Seabrooke at about one hour before 2010 commenced !

 

Full moonlight and breaking the light ice that was in the process of forming - quite a sight, and not the first pair to work past that evening either!

 

We couldn't see a name on it, so thanks for identifying it!

 

Not a problem Alan

Peter was on a charge ... fly run from Denham to Braunston and Back

We saw him at Red Lion lock @ 2 am on way up and Bottom lock Cassio @ 21.45 on way back

C

[Hyperion 53]

Taurus

Has just been brought by Peter Wakeham to work alongside BARON on the coal run on the South GU

He brought it down from Braunston early New Year

 

Chris

 

 

WRONG TAURUS!!!! That's the middle Northwich, the Midlands and Coast/FMC Taurus is still tied in Grub Street cutting.

 

Regards,

[Timleech]

A little Taurus useless anecdote.

When acquired by Peter Froud from British Waterways it was an empty shell, just as in the pic at the bottom of the lift I linked to. Of course there was a fair bit of hull work needed, then the whole conversion thing, plus an helm (rudder) was required.

It so happened that the cut from Preston Brook tunnel to Lodge Lane bridge, or maybe further, was drained that winter. Of course when the cut is drained everyone is interested to see what is revealed lying in the mud, and on this occasion one interesting item, just 1/4 mile away, was a butty's helm. I can't remember the details, it may even be that the cut was drained two successive winters, but eventually this helm was salvaged and turned out to be a perfect fit on the Taurus!

No-one could offer a definitive story as to which boat it might have fallen from, and it wasn't the sort of place you'd expect such things to be lost (reasonable depth, smooth bottom etc) so no real idea how long it might have lain there.

After drying out, cleaning & decorating it lasted two or three seasons of Hotel Boating before it started to fall apart, and a new one was built using that one as a pattern.

 

Tim

[Keeping Up]

WRONG TAURUS!!!! That's the middle Northwich, the Midlands and Coast/FMC Taurus is still tied in Grub Street cutting.

You mean the information was just a load of old bull?

[Speedwheel]

Taurus

Has just been brought by Peter Wakeham

 

hmmm that's rather interesting sonsidering his current 'situation'.

[alan_fincher]

WRONG TAURUS!!!! That's the middle Northwich, the Midlands and Coast/FMC Taurus is still tied in Grub Street cutting.

 

Regards,

I'm completely confused now!

 

I must admit when we saw Baron pass us an hour before midnight on New Year's Eve, I wasn't exactly expecting a pair to go past, so didn't spend too much time trying to identify the butty.

 

I'd not have had what I saw down as a GUCCCo boat, but I had had a drink or two by that point, so it sounds like my powers of observation were impaired!

[pete harrison]

Does it have to be Taurus, or will photos of any ex Midlands and Coast Butty do. Someone I know lives on one, and I could easily take a couple of photos if required. It is even turned out in the correct livery.

 

W.J. Yarwood & Sons, Northwich built four horse boats for Midlands & Coast Canal Carriers Ltd.. These were NORTH (completed 24/12/1925), MERCURY (completed 26/02/1926), LEO (completed 16/06/1927) and TAURUS (completed 09/07/1927). Although 'Yarwoods' built these four boats they were built under only two Yard Numbers (NORTH / MERCURY then LEO / TAURUS - some dispute as to the correct completion dates for the latter two i.e. which is which).

 

All of the other iron Midlands & Coast Canal Carriers Ltd. horse boats were built by John Crichton & Co. Ltd., Saltney Shipyard, Near Chester. These were DIAMOND (1928), SPADE (1929), APOLLO (1929) and STAR (1929).

 

'Crichton' had previously built four "new type" steel narrow boats for Midlands & Coast Canal Carriers Ltd., all of which were health registered at Wolverhampton in 1922 and 1923. These bore the simple names M.C.C. 1, M.C.C. 2, M.C.C. 3 and M.C.C. 4.

 

All of the Midlands & Coast Canal Carriers Ltd. iron horse boats, exluding M.C.C. 1, M.C.C. 2, M.C.C. 3 and M.C.C. 4, still exist in some form. I think that one of the experimental boats built by 'Crichton' may exist as an exhibit at The Black Country Living Museum.

[dave moore]

Hi all

Late again - if this is the Taurus I think it is - ex Snipe and Taurus, hotel boats then I believe it to be in Grub St cutting, about 20 mins north of Norbury, on the Shroppie, and (I think) the home of Trevor Counsell, fellow signwriter and boat decorator. It was certainly there in March 09 when I passed.

Cheers

Dave

[Graham_Robinson]

 

There we are and freshly turned out.

Slightly off post I know.

Just been watching one of your vids Laurence. Do you have a copy of the pic of the 'Electra' in utility livery? I noticed it had some decoration on the cabin doors unfortunately when I freeze frame my old vcr makes the still go haywire. I'm interested to know what decoration if any was added to GU boats carrying the utilty livery, I have seen a pic of the 'Hercules' with flowers on the back doors.

Edited January 21, 2010 by Graham_Robinson

[Chris-B]

WRONG TAURUS!!!! That's the middle Northwich, the Midlands and Coast/FMC Taurus is still tied in Grub Street cutting.

 

Regards,

 

My apologies, not having seen it in "daylight" all I knew was Pete had brought Taurus

 

C

 

 

 

 

hmmm that's rather interesting sonsidering his current 'situation'.

 

No comment

Chris

 

 

( But apparently the butty is licensed ! )

[mykaskin]

WRONG TAURUS!!!! That's the middle Northwich, the Midlands and Coast/FMC Taurus is still tied in Grub Street cutting.

 

Regards,

 

That would make sense, since when I saw it I thought it was a GU boat - it certainly didn't look like a FMC boat. However the butty was on the other side of Baron from me.

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

[Paul H]

That would make sense, since when I saw it I thought it was a GU boat - it certainly didn't look like a FMC boat. However the butty was on the other side of Baron from me.

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

I would have thought the most discernable difference, even in the dark, is that the M&C/FMC boat is converted (I assume still with its hotel boat cabin) whilst the middle Northwich boat is in an unconverted working boat. In fact it is little more than a roughish steel shell, with an unfitted cabin and no running gear or gunnels.

 

Paul H

[carlt]

I would have thought the most discernable difference, even in the dark, is that the M&C/FMC boat is converted (I assume still with its hotel boat cabin) whilst the middle Northwich boat is in an unconverted working boat. In fact it is little more than a roughish steel shell, with an unfitted cabin and no running gear or gunnels.

 

Paul H

So which is the "Taurus" that is still paired with Snipe?

[Paul H]

So which is the "Taurus" that is still paired with Snipe?

 

 

That boat (as stated earlier in the thread) is the small Woolwich butty Crater renamed which replace the M&C/FMC boat in the hotel pair.

 

In fact its a very small Woolwich as the bottom 12 inches or so of hull were cut off when it was rebottomed to save refooting it.

 

Paul H

[carlt]

That boat (as stated earlier in the thread) is the small Woolwich butty Crater renamed which replace the M&C/FMC boat in the hotel pair.

 

In fact its a very small Woolwich as the bottom 12 inches or so of hull were cut off when it was rebottomed to save refooting it.

 

Paul H

OK, sorry I was starting to get a headache.

 

So Turtle has now been deconverted and is no longer on the Shroppie, as a liveaboard?

[Liam]

Carl,

 

The Midlands & Coast Taurus was called Taurus originally, then renamed to Turtle by BW and then back to it's original name of Taurus when it was a camped... now still with the name of Taurus and on the Shroppie converted...

 

The replacement butty for the trip pair was the Small Woolwich Crater that was renamed to Taurus.. to keep the names Snipe and Taurus.

 

The 'other' Taurus on the GU is the Middle Northwich Butty.

[carlt]

Carl,

 

The Midlands & Coast Taurus was called Taurus originally, then renamed to Turtle by BW and then back to it's original name of Taurus when it was a camped... now still with the name of Taurus and on the Shroppie converted...

 

The replacement butty for the trip pair was the Small Woolwich Crater that was renamed to Taurus.. to keep the names Snipe and Taurus.

 

The 'other' Taurus on the GU is the Middle Northwich Butty.

My head hurts!

 

So there are three Tauruses (Tauri??)?

 

I didn't know about the Middle Northwich one.

 

Wooden boats are so much less complicated!

[m589]

My head hurts!

 

So there are three Tauruses (Tauri??)?

 

I didn't know about the Middle Northwich one.

 

Wooden boats are so much less complicated!

Yes and no, the Midlands and coast taurus is still in grub street cutting as david says, the butty paired with snipe was originally called crater and re-named as taurus to replace the m and c one when went out of service as hotel boat, the middle northwich taurus is now owned by peter wakeham and paired with the josher baron, if i get over that way i'll take a pic and post it

[Liam]

Well, originally there were only two.. one for M&C and one for the GU.

 

The third is just taking it's name from the second, as it took over its original job. Prehaps the M&C Taurus should have been renamed to Crater, to really confuse the whole situation!

[carlt]

Wooden boats are so much less complicated!

Then again I might sit down and write a Forget-me-not saga, one day.

[Timleech]

Carl,

 

The Midlands & Coast Taurus was called Taurus originally, then renamed to Turtle by BW and then back to it's original name of Taurus when it was a camped... now still with the name of Taurus and on the Shroppie converted...

 

The replacement butty for the trip pair was the Small Woolwich Crater that was renamed to Taurus.. to keep the names Snipe and Taurus.

 

The 'other' Taurus on the GU is the Middle Northwich Butty.

 

'a camped'??? Presume a typo for camper? It was never that Hotel boats in the '70s might have been a bit basic by todays standards but nothing like a camper!!

 

BTW the original Snipe, of Snipe & Taurus, was replaced by a new purpose built boat, also called Snipe while the original ( ex-Cowburn & Cowpar) Snipe still kept its name. And Turtle/Taurus also bore the name Urmston at one stage.......

 

And I doubt that Crater had as much as 12" removed from the footings, though I can't recall just how much side ther was left.

 

Tim

[pete harrison]

Well, originally there were only two.. one for M&C and one for the GU.

 

The third is just taking it's name from the second, as it took over its original job. Prehaps the M&C Taurus should have been renamed to Crater, to really confuse the whole situation!

 

So are you discounting Canal Transport Ltd.'s TAURUS ? (registered as Liverpool 1672 on 29/06/1939 - new - wide motor)

 

Then again I might sit down and write a Forget-me-not saga, one day.

 

Well for starters I have 28 health registrations for boats named FORGET ME NOT (although most of these are easily traceable).

 

But FORGET ME NOT would be easy to sought out compared to the name PERSEVERANCE, for which I have 157 seperate health registrations !

Edited January 21, 2010 by pete harrison

[Liam]

'a camped'??? Presume a typo for camper? It was never that Hotel boats in the '70s might have been a bit basic by todays standards but nothing like a camper!!

 

 

And that was before a drink !

[Speedwheel]

It is even turned out in the correct livery.

 

Out of interest what do people consider to be correct? Generally it seems to be thought that the panel was blue, though from what I understand this was from a black and white photo.

 

Colours of the cut shows blue, though I do not know the provenance for this.

 

When Malcolm painted Jubilee he did the panels black as he had been told this was the correct colour by Charlie Atkins and there are one or two pictures he has (black and white again) where the panels look far to dark to be blue.

 

Has anyone got any further evidence to support either?

[Laurence Hogg]