The Sick and the Saved

[journeyperson]

We are moored at Ellesmere port tonight, my first vist and I think it is an excellent museum. The rotting hulks add a drama and contrast to the restored boats.

 

 

There was some big stuff on theBig Ditch too.

 

 

A great day.

[BlueStringPudding]

Look at the colour of that sky! It never looked like that when I was there!!!

[canaldrifter]

Is Percy still there? That's Perseverance, the old steam dredger that worked so hard during the Basingstoke canal restoration, and prior to that on the K&A. They were supposed to have been restoring it again, but I last heard it might have been scrapped.

 

Images 1976

 

 

 

 

Tone

[ditchcrawler]

We are moored at Ellesmere port tonight, my first vist and I think it is an excellent museum. The rotting hulks add a drama and contrast to the restored boats.

 

 

That is bit of a contradiction, excellent museum with rotting hulks. Surly a good museum wouldn't let there exhibits rot?

[sociable_hermit]

That is bit of a contradiction, excellent museum with rotting hulks. Surly a good museum wouldn't let there exhibits rot?

Depends if they get stuck with things they can't afford to restore.

 

I love that steam dredger.

 

The railway I'm mostly associated with has a steam crane that's very similar (albeit much bigger). It was operable in the 1980s but is now so far down the restoration list that I doubt I'll ever see it work again.

 

It's tricky weighing these things up. I'd love to start a fund for the dredger, because it appeals to me, but surely I ought to support the crane I already know and largely ignore?

[journeyperson]

Is Percy still there? That's Perseverance, the old steam dredger that worked so hard during the Basingstoke canal restoration, and prior to that on the K&A. They were supposed to have been restoring it again, but I last heard it might have been scrapped.

 

Tone

 

No sign of Percy, unless I missed it.

 

That is bit of a contradiction, excellent museum with rotting hulks. Surly a good museum wouldn't let there exhibits rot?

 

Here are one or two photos of Mendip which has had a new wooden bottom fitted. (bound to be something wrong with it )

 

 

 

[cotswoldsman]

quote name='journeyperson' timestamp='1300813568' post='669196']

We are moored at Ellesmere port tonight, my first vist and I think it is an excellent museum. The rotting hulks add a drama and contrast to the restored boats.

 

 

There was some big stuff on theBig Ditch too.

 

 

A great day.

 

 

One just like that on K&A at Bradford

 

 

 

[Laurence Hogg]

Nice pictures, I have seen a lot of wooden bottoms over the years but never one with "iceplating" - what is that metal strip for other than eventually getting an edge snagged and being pulled off? Cannot ever remember seeing that on any boat!

[journeyperson]

Nice pictures, I have seen a lot of wooden bottoms over the years but never one with "iceplating" - what is that metal strip for other than eventually getting an edge snagged and being pulled off? Cannot ever remember seeing that on any boat!

 

That was the first wooden bottom I have ever seen but even I was surprised to see the metal strip, which didn't look as though they belonged there. It didn't run the full length of the bottom and was hanging off a bit further back. I did wonder whether it was temporary. One reason I posted that photo was to see if anyone commented on it.

 

I also wondered whether the engine below was destined for Mendip, it was being pushed from the Power Hall in the direction of the boat and I know the engine is due to go back in after overhaul but I don't know if that's it or what it is.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 25, 2011 by journeyperson

[jelunga]

Do you know, I would rather restore a steam dredger or a steam crane than some old wooden hulk. At least when it is finished it has a use. Which railway?

K

 

Depends if they get stuck with things they can't afford to restore.

 

I love that steam dredger.

 

The railway I'm mostly associated with has a steam crane that's very similar (albeit much bigger). It was operable in the 1980s but is now so far down the restoration list that I doubt I'll ever see it work again.

 

It's tricky weighing these things up. I'd love to start a fund for the dredger, because it appeals to me, but surely I ought to support the crane I already know and largely ignore?

[Blossom]

Nice pictures, I have seen a lot of wooden bottoms over the years but never one with "iceplating" - what is that metal strip for other than eventually getting an edge snagged and being pulled off? Cannot ever remember seeing that on any boat!

 

All the composite boats I have ever seen the underside of the original bottoms of have been fitted with these steel plates. They are fitted over the top of the bolt heads holding the bottoms on to stop wear of the thickness of the wooden bottoms along this edge for obviously if the bottoms loose much of their thickness at this point then the bolts end up too long to hold the bottoms and become loose and leak. To show the effectiveness of these strips, when I helped Cliff Sherwood fit a new bottom in Belatrix in 1966, the original 30 year old bottoms were only 1" thick in some areas but where the steel strips were they were still 3" thick

[carlt]

Do you know, I would rather restore a steam dredger or a steam crane than some old wooden hulk. At least when it is finished it has a use. Which railway?

K

Some of those old wooden hulks are the last examples of their kind, though.

 

No more worthy, than Perseverance, but certainly no less.

[Timleech]

All the composite boats I have ever seen the underside of the original bottoms of have been fitted with these steel plates. They are fitted over the top of the bolt heads holding the bottoms on to stop wear of the thickness of the wooden bottoms along this edge for obviously if the bottoms loose much of their thickness at this point then the bolts end up too long to hold the bottoms and become loose and leak. To show the effectiveness of these strips, when I helped Cliff Sherwood fit a new bottom in Belatrix in 1966, the original 30 year old bottoms were only 1" thick in some areas but where the steel strips were they were still 3" thick

 

Commonly known as 'shoeing', absolutely normal, nay essential with today's shallow ditches. It does need to be maintained, it will wear through after a few years' use and then be in danger of getting ripped off. Curious thing in that pic is that the appearance suggests that the shoeing has been fitted before the seams have been caulked ???

 

Tim

[alan_fincher]

Curious thing in that pic is that the appearance suggests that the shoeing has been fitted before the seams have been caulked ???

I thought that!......

 

Do the shoes have to be connected to the normal anodes, (if fitted), or do they get their own ? :lol:

[Derek R.]

Do you know, I would rather restore a steam dredger or a steam crane than some old wooden hulk. At least when it is finished it has a use. Which railway?

K

 

The probabilities of a boat being used after restoration for some purpose or another, but unlikely commercial carrying, are considerably greater than the possibilities of being allowed to use either a steam dredger or steam railway crane. The act of restoring something has many benefits, not least (if done correctly) the satisfaction of using, renewing, and learning skills that have become uncommon today. The down-side is after such work has been accomplished is to see the efforts neglected, or 'scotched' through lack of use due to the economics of use, or regulations, and with cranes and dredgers the latter has many avenues for 'fail'.

[journeyperson]

I got the impression that the museum gets hold of as many old boats as it can with the intention of restoring them when funds permit. At least once they've got them there they know where they are.

 

I have read that Mendip required so much work because it was taken out of the water and the bottom dried out. So these hulks are probably in the best place sitting on the bottom until they can be worked on.

 

A leaflet I picked up puts the cost of materials for remedial work to Mendip at £12,000, to Ilkeston at £3,000 and to Ferret at £4,000, all being restored under the Heritage scheme by staff and volunteers.

 

The leaflet says that recently Bantam has been returned to running condition, Bacup has had a new bottom and Merak, Scorpio and Gwendoline have been refloated.

 

The museum has plans for training, restoration and income generation from boat repair over the next few years.

 

[NB Willawaw]

Nice photos.

 

We were there recently:

 

 

More photos on my blog.

[Max Sinclair]

Is Percy still there? That's Perseverance, the old steam dredger that worked so hard during the Basingstoke canal restoration, and prior to that on the K&A. They were supposed to have been restoring it again, but I last heard it might have been scrapped.

 

Images 1976

 

 

 

 

Tone

When we took Vesta to Chester in 1963 Perseverance was working on the Shroppie with a concrete piling team rebuilding the tow path.It would be useful on the Gloucs and Hereford.Ideal for volunteers.

[Alex53]

Perseverance is still here, it has not been scrapped!

[journeyperson]

Perseverance is still here, it has not been scrapped!

 

I did miss it then.

 

One more photo from last week:

 

[sociable_hermit]

Perseverance is still here, it has not been scrapped!

That's nice to hear. What condition is it in? Is anyone working on it? Is there a restoration fund?

 

For those who say you can't man such things with volunteers, here's the crane we used to use:

 

Steam crane

[TheWilk]

This is practically on my doorstep, but I've never been. I'll be rectifying this next week I think! Thanks for the great photos.

[Liam]

I'd suggest holding off on your visit until the Easter weekend. The HNBOC have their Easter gathering there and the place will be absolutely packed, or so it's hoped.

[canaldrifter]

Perseverance is still here, it has not been scrapped!

 

That's great news!

 

Maybe if a restoration began now, it would be ready to start again on the Basingstoke in a few years. The canal needs it!

 

Tone

[Alex53]

The picture with Perseverance is not a bad as it looks, people only see the hull on the quayside and draw conclusions from that. What most don,t see is all the good work that has been done over the years, and is hidden away in the lime shed. For example, the steam engine that drives the crane has been restored and is sat waiting for some steam to breathe some life in to it. The four deck winches have had a total rebuild, sat on a palette are all new cables and chains for the grab, the list goes on and on. What is needed is funding for a new boiler, and a team of dedicated, and skilled volunteers to work on her.

Cheers Alex 53