"MOVING FORWARD" engineering initiative. Restoration starts on "Tucana" in Aston

[Laurence Hogg]

I am happy to say that another narrowboat is now under restoration to join other educational and work boats on the BCN. "Tucana" a middle Northwich motor has been leased from BW to the Birmingham based "Moving Forward" engineering initiative aimed at 11 - 18 year olds. The boat will be restored as a work boat / Educational craft at Aston Manor Transport museum over the next year or so. Appointed as project manager my first job was to get the boat cleaned before the next basic steps can take place. See the Moving forward - Tucana album for pictures. The Whale tanker reoved some 3000 gallons of contaminted mix of fuel oil and water from the hold, plus an almighty amount of oil based sludge! Yuck!!!

Although the boat still carries the name "Zodiac" B10 we know for sure she is not Zodiac. The boat is by elimination "Tucana" although that itself is still a point of debate as other boats lack hard proof of true name in this class. I do not wish to debate this here as the leading experts in this field have gone as far as possible and my own "forensic" search found no evidence of name just the first two GU liveries on the remaining pair of original engine room doors. On top of the GU paint was another dark blue, then a light blue and finally green. An oddity is the boat has had its keelson removed.

 

[u

[koukouvagia]

 

The Whale tanker reoved some 3000 gallons of contaminted mix of fuel oil and water from the hold, plus an almighty amount of oil based sludge! Yuck!!!

 

It looks as though this oil and sludge mixture did a good job in protecting the hull - the rivets look in very good nick.

[charles123]

A worthy subject for restoration, why do BW have to lease it, suggesting money is being paid to them? Are they so hard up that they cant provide a former working boat foc for good cause. How is the restoration funded and once complete is it handed back to BW as a restored boat?

 

Good luck with the project, please keep the photos coming over its restoration

 

Charles

[alan_fincher]

An oddity is the boat has had its keelson removed.

I shall probably regret this, as I'm no expert on the construction of the GUCCCo boats, let alone the relatively unusual "Middle" type.

 

But are you absolutely sure ?

 

It's just I kind of recall thinking that maybe they didn't start life with one ?

 

Or is that just plain unlikely ? (Be gentle with me!....)

[Laurence Hogg]

Hello Charles and Alan,

The project leased this boat and two others a couple of years ago. The leases are at a very nominal sum and are peculiar to orginisations which restore the craft at their cost and if this meets the aims as set out, the ownership is transferred to the group involved. Due to unseen circumstances the original "home" became unavailable whilst two boats "Effingham" and "Zodiac" were literaly en route on lorries. We dont have much praise for Birmingham Railway museum over this I have to say. Both craft were stored by Streethay wharf at Branston, whilst there no effort was made to inspect the craft and both filled with water during this tenure and frankly the storage was paid for, but MF got little service. Effingham and Pinner leases were terminated and handed back to BW (Pinner never left Bradley). They have since been sold. The funding of the craft is by major partners in Moving Forward and involves Birmingham airport and resources managed by Small Heath school. My appointment is unpaid (what a suprise!). The essence will be to return the craft to "work boat" condition in such a way that she "looks right" and is of practical use rather like I have done with "Barnet", CanalScape-BCN's boat.

 

As to the Keelson, here lies a mystery. The drawings do not show one, simply a large oak bearer under the shuts where they meet in the middle. Hoever when all the "sh-t-" was removed lo and behold gas axed rivetted support bases appeared, definatly original and possible a keelson support. they are not on the original drawing!

 

Having just spoken to Mike Turpin who owns Radiant he confirms the same was found on that boat and it appears they were supports for the wooden keelson shown on the drawing which supported the shuts

 

YOU CAN SEE ONE'S REMAINS HERE:

 

 

Evidence was found of the original two tone blue livery and the later red white and blue GUCCC livery. After that it is dark BW blue then light blue and of course green. The engine room doors appear to have not been shotblasted like the rest of the hull.

 

edited to add info

Edited December 11, 2010 by Laurence Hogg

[Derek R.]

I can confirm TYCHO has those same riveted plates:

 

 

 

[alan_fincher]

But it's not a structural part of the hull, is it ?

 

Probably only ever part of the mechanism for holding the shuts up, not actually contributing much to the structural integrity of the steelwork.

 

It's not really surprising if it's been removed from any of the boats that got used for things other than normal carrying ?

[Derek R.]

No, not structural, but most likely angles since cut off that retained a longitudinal beam 'kelson like' to support shutts.

[stuart]

Have you thought about approaching the Black Country Museum to hold/moor these boats for you during/once restored? They have their own basin.

[Speedwheel]

Have you thought about approaching the Black Country Museum to hold/moor these boats for you during/once restored? They have their own basin.

 

I don't think the new BCLM management particularly like other peoples boats mooring there anymore (unless you are willing to pay a ridiculous mooring charge). I think there were one or two who treated it like a free mooring, and/or possibly the BCLM didn't like the fact that everyone else boats showed up the condition of theirs. - This is 'what I have heard' I do not present it as fact.

 

Good luck with the restoration of Tucana Laurence. The only thing I would say is that I hope you are not going to do what others have done and try and change it back to an 'as new' condition. It would be a shame if those big old bollards were removed. Even the counter is quite good for a BW one - albeit with the wrong number of guards.

Edited December 14, 2010 by Speedwheel

[Steve Priest]

The rivetted plates on the bottoms are the remains of angle brackets which have had their flanges cut off. These flanges were on the inner edges, and were vertical. The flanges had a hole in the centre through which the wooden bearer, which I think was approx 5'' square, was bolted. The bearer had rebates on its top side which supported the floors, there was nothing else to act as a keelson.

 

I owned Zodiac for about nine months, and believed that that boat was Tucana when I bought it (it was carrying the name Deimos at the time) I had heard a story that Zodiac, being no.100, once carried brass numbers on the cabin side, and I noticed, whilst going up Tardebigge on my way home that I could see the number 100 pitted into the cabin side. It was late afternoon at the time, and the low sun shining on the cabin picked it out really clearly.

 

Best of luck with Tucana

 

Steve

[fanshaft]

I don't think the new BCLM management particularly like other peoples boats mooring there anymore (unless you are willing to pay a ridiculous mooring charge). I think there were one or two who treated it like a free mooring, and/or possibly the BCLM didn't like the fact that everyone else boats showed up the condition of theirs. - This is 'what I have heard' I do not present it as fact.

 

 

The new management at BCLM are keen to make far more use of the canal and boats than has been the case, and a number of options are being explored including having a loaded boat on display, horse drawn boat, etc. They have reviewed the mooring policy with a view to thinning out the number of boats so as to enable better use of the water space for demonstrations etc. The museum still welcomes visiting historic boats for short term mooring and display at no cost. Long term moorings are limited to their own boats, those on loan, and a few privately owned boats that have a local significance. Mooring charges for non-museum owned boats are on a par with elsewhere, not cheap, but certainly not 'ridiculous' - good value given the security of the mooring. I would contend that the museum's own boats (President and Kildare, and Stour) are in good working and external condition. Diamond (ex M&CCC) is on the slipway and in a condition which is tidy and reflects its location. Peacock does not belong to the museum but is on long term loan and is in good external condition although the engine cannot be run. Some of the joey boats are in less than perfect condition but I am not sure which belong to the museum and which do not.

I hope this helps understand the position.

Regards

David L

[Laurence Hogg]

Thanks to all for knowledgable replies.

The intention is not to return the boat to original condition but as a work boat. The horrible dollies might go though as they impracticable to work with. The boatmans cabin is going but engine room stays as it is part original.

Moorings are sorted for the boat when complete, Aston Manor has a wealth of expertise in its members so is a very useful place to be whilst restoration takes place. Work has halted at the mo as its covered in snow but inspection of hull re repairs post shotblasting is next.

[Laurence Hogg]

"Tucana" has now been blast cleaned by Tramonta Brothers of Mamble. They used crushed glass which did a remarkable job and exposed the quality and condition of the hull. Only one pulled rivet and one small perforation was found which will require repair, the hull otherwise is in very nice order. One thing we found was an engineers mark on the stem post and first boaw plate, interesting, I have never seen this before, it is pictured below. The boat was primed afterwards toprec against rust. The next job will be to fit a false floor and to erect a cover over part of the hild allowing the hold to be used as a workshop and storage. Small Heath School will now become involved with the project on this stage before anymore reconstruction and removal of the metalwork takes place.

 

Some recent pictures 29/5/11

 

The boat is located at ASTON MANOR TRANSPORT MUSEUM in Witton Lane Birmingham

[Laurence Hogg]

I notice no one has commented on the engineering mark on the stem of "Tucana" - has anyone seen this before on a Yarwoods boat?

[Derek R.]

Would I be correct in thinking that mark is fairly high up on the stem?

I'll see if there's anything like it on TYCHO next visit. Got plenty of dents.

[Laurence Hogg]

Derek, it is fairly high up and would be around the fully loaded depth, its only on one side.

[Laurence Hogg]

More steps towards the return of Tucana to the canals. After a meeting At Aston Small heath School will start to make and install a new false floor to the hold in September. However today saw the removal of the "horrible rudder" from the boat. Matt Cooper (Canal Transport Services) and Laurence Hogg got the old rudder off - eventually! Not easy at all and we had to remove a large number of tramway setts which were under the stern so we could drop the rudder out. The "new" rudder will be to the original design with the weighted tapers opposing top and bottom to counteract the prop wash. This type of rudder was developed by the Grand union canal company for its "modern" boats.

 

Oh and did I say it was hot, very hot, you could have fried eggs on the roof!!

 

Before:

 

and after!

[Max Sinclair]

If you burn off the paint on the engine room doors, not shotblast, you may well find the ghost of the GU number thats how I found Vestas 96.Good hunting.

Edited August 4, 2011 by Max Sinclair

[Laurence Hogg]

If you burn off the paint on the engine room doors, not shotblast, you may well find the ghost of the GU number thats how I found Vestas 96.Good hunting.

Ahh Max if only... we did very carefully take them down but only found MOWT grey and the original two tone blue.

[Steve Priest]

The "new" rudder will be to the original design with the weighted tapers opposing top and bottom to counteract the prop wash. This type of rudder was developed by the Grand union canal company for its "modern" boats.

 

Laurence,

 

The rudder you describe is the Harland and Wolff type, and was fitted to both big and little Woolwiches. I'm afraid that the rudders on Northwich boats, wether they were little, middle or big boats, were not like this.

 

Best of luck with the ongoing work,

 

regards,

 

Steve.

[Laurence Hogg]

Laurence,

 

The rudder you describe is the Harland and Wolff type, and was fitted to both big and little Woolwiches. I'm afraid that the rudders on Northwich boats, wether they were little, middle or big boats, were not like this.

 

Best of luck with the ongoing work,

 

regards,

 

Steve.

 

Steve,

I should have explained better! (thats posting late on a too hot night!)

Because the counter isnt original and the rudder mount and cap arent either we decided to have the rudder as the GUCCCo designed them. I know Yarwoods didnt adhere to the original drawing but having had "Barnet's" rudder returned to original dimensions I am very pleased with the way she steers. The rudder on "Tucana" is, well rubbish, so that is why she is getting a new one to the original drawing. The only thing H&W added to the drawing was their stamp, the rest is GUCCCo as issued, like so many of the H&W drawings. "Tucana" isnt being restored to original, she too evolved for that, we are going to keep the big bollards on the fore end as a visible part of its SWD history.

[Laurence Hogg]

Update on progress of works.

"Tucana" ia at another stage of the MF saga. The "Moving Forward" project has been hampered by a number of disasters, namely in the beginning with Birmingham railway museum refusing to be the home for the boats (Tucana, Effingham & Pinner) at the last moment when two of the boats were on the move!So nothing has worked as originally planned.

Now Aston Manor Transport museum is closed and we have to vacate the premises. This now leaves us with a quest to find another home for this boat. Negotiations are in progress with one site which I hope in due course will bear fruit, in the meantime "Tucana" is techically homeless.

If anyone knows of a storage area in the Birmingham area that is safe and cheap please let me know just incase we fail to find a home soon.

[Laurence Hogg]

"Tucana" has today been moved from the Aston Manor Transport museum site to Norton Canes Docks. Here the cabin will be removed and rebuilt, a full size weedhatch installed, new gunnels and decking, there will of course be a host of other things to do as we come to them !!! The starter was stolen off the HA3, has anyone a good working HA2/3 Lucas starter for sale at a reasonable price?Please pm me if you have. The boat is funded by various bodies so funds are at a premium needless to say.

some pictures from today:

 

[Derek R.]

You know, looking at that tractor unit you'd never believe that the transport industry was in difficulties. (So I have often been told by spokespeople).

 

Look at the traction engine world and count the owners involved in heavy haulage. Perhaps there's a barrel to tap Laurence?

Edited March 10, 2012 by Derek R.