BCN restrictions

[churchward]

Folks, does anyone have a view and experience of the lock restrictions etc (for water conservancy) due to the Chasewater reservoir closer and draining.

 

I am planning a two week trip from the Northern Oxford (clockwise to go through Warwick and Hatton before getting to Bordsley jcn) to take in an enlarged Warwick ring going through the BCN mainline and going round most of the Staffordshire ring to great Heywood and the down the Coventry to Hawkesbury and beyond to get back to home base.

 

We will be starting out in a couple of weeks so interested in peoples experience of the lock closure causing and hold-ups queues or other issues.

[Smelly]

Folks, does anyone have a view and experience of the lock restrictions etc (for water conservancy) due to the Chasewater reservoir closer and draining.

 

I am planning a two week trip from the Northern Oxford (clockwise to go through Warwick and Hatton before getting to Bordsley jcn) to take in an enlarged Warwick ring going through the BCN mainline and going round most of the Staffordshire ring to great Heywood and the down the Coventry to Hawkesbury and beyond to get back to home base.

 

We will be starting out in a couple of weeks so interested in peoples experience of the lock closure causing and hold-ups queues or other issues.

 

I've been keeping a close ear on this and there's been little in the way of queuing so I'm told. There's been a few tales of cheeky boaters ringing up and asking to get through 5 or 10 mins after closing, only to turn up 20 minutes later to find locked paddles, or ringing to ask whether, if they're in a flight they'll get through; yes if you are but if you're on the blag and haven't made it yet it's a no.

 

They're not messing around as the two teams responsible for locking things have some miles to cover to close everything... Don't expect a sympathetic ear if you're running late, although they've been trying and open bits early where they know boats are waiting. If people keep ringing of an evening whingeing then staying in bed first thing I'd imagine that will change though.

 

The full blown holiday season has not yet started, however the numbers of hire boats seem low compared to last year so maybe Angry Welsh and the like may be encouraging people to use alternative routes.

 

When you hit Brum give us a PM... If we've not spent all our train fare next weekend I'll stand you a pint.

[churchward]

I've been keeping a close ear on this and there's been little in the way of queuing so I'm told. There's been a few tales of cheeky boaters ringing up and asking to get through 5 or 10 mins after closing, only to turn up 20 minutes later to find locked paddles, or ringing to ask whether, if they're in a flight they'll get through; yes if you are but if you're on the blag and haven't made it yet it's a no.

 

They're not messing around as the two teams responsible for locking things have some miles to cover to close everything... Don't expect a sympathetic ear if you're running late, although they've been trying and open bits early where they know boats are waiting. If people keep ringing of an evening whingeing then staying in bed first thing I'd imagine that will change though.

 

The full blown holiday season has not yet started, however the numbers of hire boats seem low compared to last year so maybe Angry Welsh and the like may be encouraging people to use alternative routes.

 

When you hit Brum give us a PM... If we've not spent all our train fare next weekend I'll stand you a pint.

Thanks for the info and offer, trouble is I shan't have any PC stuff with me so PMing tricky. It doesn't sound too bad perhaps it will be a bit busier in a couple of weeks time but we will still be outside of the school holidays. Mind you your news about the Perrywell pumps in another thread sounds less promising.

[Smelly]

Thanks for the info and offer, trouble is I shan't have any PC stuff with me so PMing tricky. It doesn't sound too bad perhaps it will be a bit busier in a couple of weeks time but we will still be outside of the school holidays. Mind you your news about the Perrywell pumps in another thread sounds less promising.

 

If you're just running down the main line I doubt you've much to worry about... It those stretches a bit further uphill that might run into bother...