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Shortened big Northwich

madcat

By madcat
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madcat Experienced

madcat

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After seeing photos of Purton I started to wonder how many big Northwich boats were shortened and which still are not full length.Paddington visited Hawne basin this summer,I have seen Kenilworth and Usworth but there must be more.Im specially interested in boats that are unconverted or very basic,maybe ex BW workboats.

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Paul H Rising Star

Paul H

Posted
Posted

After seeing photos of Purton I started to wonder how many big Northwich boats were shortened and which still are not full length.Paddington visited Hawne basin this summer,I have seen Kenilworth and Usworth but there must be more.Im specially interested in boats that are unconverted or very basic,maybe ex BW workboats.

 

Well here goes:

 

Kelso (converted, Braunston)

Naburn

Oakley (converted, Stone)

Renton (maintenance, Hereford & Worcs Canal)

Saltaire (now 2 boats one of which is tug)

Southall (bare hull, Stretton aqueduct)

Tipton

 

Paul

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Hairy-Neil Veteran

Hairy-Neil

Posted
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Those you mention, plus...

 

Kelso, became a BW hire boat, Water Vole IIRC. only the front half surives.

 

Naburn was cut by BW for maintenance work on the Yorkshire waterways.

 

Oakley ditto

 

Renton was cut down to an ice breaker for the war effort.

 

Saltaire survives as two boats. The hold is now a full length trading boat. The back cabin and engine room part now has a new front 30 - 40ft and a cabin full length.

 

Southall was also cut by BW for maintenance work. It's currently on it's side being used as a shed at a boatyard.

 

Sudbury, shortened for maintenance work by BW

 

Tipton, shortened to around 60ft, but otherwise 'original'...

 

 

Saltaire (now 2 boats one of which is tug)

 

 

The tug deck had gone when I saw it at Leeds a month ago. Now has full cabin (and the worst paint job I've ever seen....)

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Timleech Veteran II

Timleech

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The OP mentioned Kenilworth so I didn't bother. It was cut by BW for maintenance duties. Was (I believe) used as the bricklayers boat on the Erewash/Soar area.

 

It was quite short then, can't remember the exact length, but I put a new section in to bring it back to 57-60'ish (can't remember exactly) at the same time as the new cabin & conversion.

 

Tim

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Speedwheel Influencer

Speedwheel

Posted
Posted (edited)

Usworth was maintenance boat also. My fading memory suggests it was damaged in a wartime air raid. Was for many years named Staffordshire Knot.

 

Indeed it was. Was at the 1984 (I think) Garden festival, as an exhibit, called Staffordshire Knot. I owned it for about 18 months 2004-2005ish. In hindsight I should not have sold it but was not what I needed at the time. It went like stink and was a cracking little boat.

 

Would like it back if it ever came up for the right price. Cut the cabin off and make it slightly better looking. It was tiny at 33ft and ballasted quite low. When we craned it out the hull sides just kept coming and coming. On the bank it looked almost square.

Edited by Speedwheel
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pete harrison Veteran

pete harrison

Posted
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After seeing photos of Purton I started to wonder how many big Northwich boats were shortened and which still are not full length.Paddington visited Hawne basin this summer,I have seen Kenilworth and Usworth but there must be more.Im specially interested in boats that are unconverted or very basic,maybe ex BW workboats.

 

I photographed all 38 Large Northwich motors between 1990 and 2000 (along with all other surviving G.U.C.C.Co. Ltd. boats) and I can confirm that they all survive in one form or another (stern of KELSO has not yet been accounted for).

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pete harrison Veteran

pete harrison

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Usworth was maintenance boat also. My fading memory suggests it was damaged in a wartime air raid. Was for many years named Staffordshire Knot.

 

Several G.U.C.C.Co. Ltd. narrow boats were damaged during Second World War air raids but only one did not return to active carrying service. USWORTH was still carrying with 'British Waterways' in February 1960 (fleet list dated 15 February 1960), and possibly in November 1960. Shortly after USWORTH was the subject of a Bulls Bridge experiment and the centre section was subsequently sold for scrap in 1964.

 

As a point of interest, both Purton and Paddington were also chopped by BW for the maintenance fleet.

 

Anyone know when/why Tipton was shortened?

 

TIPTON was still a 'British Waterways' carrying boat in 1960 (fleet list dated 15 February 1960). TIPTON was transferred to the North Eastern Division in 1962 for conversion to a maintenance boat and was shortened for purpose.

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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Im specially interested in boats that are unconverted or very basic,maybe ex BW workboats.

Sudbury was the only one of the second batch of Wendover boats not to be disposed of by BWB at the time, and as such was the only one I know from that bunch to be severely cut down.

 

Of course amongst the butties was Satellite which went initially to the Narrow Boat Trust did end up getting sold off and given a motor conversion - which seems a strange irony to me!

 

Sudbury appears a cracking little boat, and one I would love to own. Chatting to it's owner the other day, he says that because it only got cut and converted to a tug in it's later days, he has no particular desire to try and take all the BW added features back to "original", although it no longer carries the type of cabin that BW added to such conversions.

 

Renton is also a corking boat, and it will be interesting to see how some of these recently disposed of boats shape up in the future.

 

Although not Northwiches does anybody know the fate of Aynho or Carnaby from the latest auctions list, please ? Although much more cut about, I might still have given one a home, but not at the claimed selling prices of circa £15K each. :o

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Speedwheel Influencer

Speedwheel

Posted
Posted (edited)

Sudbury was the only one of the second batch of Wendover boats not to be disposed of by BWB at the time, and as such was the only one I know from that bunch to be severely cut down.

 

......

 

Renton is also a corking boat, and it will be interesting to see how some of these recently disposed of boats shape up in the future.

 

Although not Northwiches does anybody know the fate of Aynho or Carnaby from the latest auctions list, please ? Although much more cut about, I might still have given one a home, but not at the claimed selling prices of circa £15K each. :o

 

Sudbury is a cracking boat and Rory (if he still owns it) is a really nice bloke.

 

Apparently Renton still has the ice blade acting as ballast in the hold.

 

I too would like to who got the boats from the auction. They did seem to fetch a 'good' price.

Edited by Speedwheel
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pete harrison Veteran

pete harrison

Posted
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Pete, do you know if Usworth had a centre cockpit wheelhouse type arrangement (similar to Nansen)?

 

During the Bulls Bridge 'experiment' USWORTH was still full length. I can remember USWORTH as a maintenance boat at Tardebigge from the mid 1970's until its conversion into STAFFORDSHIRE KNOT in 1984. I recall it being a fairly ordinary looking tug although the back deck was removed and the cabin very low.

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Paul H Rising Star

Paul H

Posted
Posted

 

Although not Northwiches does anybody know the fate of Aynho or Carnaby from the latest auctions list, please ? Although much more cut about, I might still have given one a home, but not at the claimed selling prices of circa £15K each. :o

 

Carnaby went to an employee of Brinklow Boats and is now tied up in Brinklow Marina.

 

Paul

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Speedwheel Influencer

Speedwheel

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During the Bulls Bridge 'experiment' USWORTH was still full length. I can remember USWORTH as a maintenance boat at Tardebigge from the mid 1970's until its conversion into STAFFORDSHIRE KNOT in 1984. I recall it being a fairly ordinary looking tug although the back deck was removed and the cabin very low.

 

It still has a low back deck, you can just about make out in this pic.

 

DSCF1051.jpg

 

Yes, that's him!

 

Need to contact him actually as I understand he has a good contact for 40 gallon drums.

 

Carnaby went to an employee of Brinklow Boats and is now tied up in Brinklow Marina.

 

Paul

 

Well that is a good home for one at least. Hope they don't relenghten it though.

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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Posted (edited)

Carnaby went to an employee of Brinklow Boats and is now tied up in Brinklow Marina.

Thanks Paul,

 

I await to see what becomes of it then!

 

I'm a great fan of the GU boats shortened to tug lengths.

 

I guess my two personal favourites are the "Stars" that are both now restored to Stewarts and Lloyds liveries.

 

I'd love to own something like that, as I think I haven't the stamina to take on something full length.

 

EDITED TO ADD:

 

Or Sickle or Tycho, which I think are equally cool, on thinking about it!

Edited by alan_fincher
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Paul H Rising Star

Paul H

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Thanks Paul,

 

I await to see what becomes of it then!

 

I'm a great fan of the GU boats shortened to tug lengths.

 

I guess my two personal favourites are the "Stars" that are both now restored to Stewarts and Lloyds liveries.

 

I'd love to own something like that, as I think I haven't the stamina to take on something full length.

 

EDITED TO ADD:

 

Or Sickle or Tycho, which I think are equally cool, on thinking about it!

 

not forgetting Capricorn of course!

 

 

capricorn047.jpg

 

Paul

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Graham_Robinson Collaborator

Graham_Robinson

Posted
Posted

Well here goes:

 

Kelso (converted, Braunston)

Naburn

Oakley (converted, Stone)

Renton (maintenance, Hereford & Worcs Canal)

Saltaire (now 2 boats one of which is tug)

Southall (bare hull, Stretton aqueduct)

Tipton

 

Paul

 

Hereford & Worcs canal ,where's that? Anywhere near the Staffs. & Gloucester?

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XAlan W Collaborator

XAlan W

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Posted

Well here goes:

 

Kelso (converted, Braunston)

Naburn

Oakley (converted, Stone)

Renton (maintenance, Hereford & Worcs Canal)

Saltaire (now 2 boats one of which is tug)

Southall (bare hull, Stretton aqueduct)

Tipton

 

Paul

1 of the SALTAIRE`s the original fore end is now back to full length the work was carried out by my cousin Mike Harrison in 1987 when he owned the boat, at Langley Mill He has since sold the boat

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