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Pollock builders plate

Timleech

By Timleech
in History & Heritage

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Timleech Veteran II

Timleech

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I've asked this as an incidental in the Braunston thread, but asking again here as a formal question in case anyone who knows missed that one.

 

I'm looking for a picture of a Pollocks of Faversham builders plate, or a pointer to a boat which has one, preferably from a small vessel. My little tug has an 'invented' one which doesn't look quite right to me, I'd like to be able to work out what it should be like.

 

Thanks

 

Tim

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Timleech Veteran II

Timleech

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Faversham has a good museum which features shipbuilding memorabilia. The little BW tug "Kennet" had one if I remember correctly.

 

The little tug KENNET is the one I want the plate for, it has never belonged to BW and the plate is clearly not original. I actually have some scraps of paperwork relating to the design of the 'new' one, someone went to a bit of trouble over it but it's not right!

 

Tim

 

It's a huge forum that makes CWDF look tiny.

 

They have, proportionately, far more know-alls, than us, that will almost certainly have an answer.

 

Trouble is, know-alls often give the wrong information, they think they know more than they really do ;)

 

Tim

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carlt Veteran II

carlt

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Posted

 

Trouble is, know-alls often give the wrong information, they think they know more than they really do ;)

 

Tim

As your looking for photographic evidence, though, you should be able to weed out the correct answer.

 

The problem with Ships Nostalgia is that you go there looking for a bit of information about a grotty old ship that nearly ran you down, on the North Sea and, 8 hours later, you are still browsing the photo galleries.

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Timleech Veteran II

Timleech

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As your looking for photographic evidence, though, you should be able to weed out the correct answer.

 

 

Quite so, my point was a more general one. We're probably all guilty sometimes ;)

 

Tim

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Timleech Veteran II

Timleech

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Might be some links HERE, and Kent history featuring Faversham Shipyard HERE. Searched, but no sign of any plaque or plate so far.

 

Thanks. I have a photocopy of the 'sideways launch' book, I'm pretty sure there's nothing helpful in that though it came with the boat & I haven't looked through it since.

 

Tim

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Timleech Veteran II

Timleech

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Tim,

 

I'm pretty sure Rex Wain's tug "Ruislip" has a Pollock's plate on it. Rex wasn't at work today but I'll see if I can get a photo for you over the weekend.

 

David Gunby

 

Thank you, it'll be much appreciated.

 

Tim

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davidg Community Regular

davidgDonate to Canal World

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Tim,

 

I was half right in that the plate says "Installed by.." rather than "Built by.." but as Pollocks built Ruislip as well as doing the engine installation maybe this was their usual practice.

 

braunston2011033.jpg

 

The plate is about nine inches across (sorry, didn't have a tape on me).

 

Rex says there isn't a builders plate anywhere else. It looks as though the plate was previously mounted on the side of the wheelhouse just below the port side window (on the inside). Ruislip is coming to Brinklow next week for some work, as the plate is only pop riveted on, Rex would be happy to take it off and lend it to you to copy it.

 

That's the wheel you can see in the bottom left of the photo.

 

David

Edited by davidg
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Timleech Veteran II

Timleech

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Tim,

 

I was half right in that the plate says "Installed by.." rather than "Built by.." but as Pollocks built Ruislip as well as doing the engine installation maybe this was their usual practice.

 

 

The plate is about nine inches across (sorry, didn't have a tape on me).

 

Rex says there isn't a builders plate anywhere else. It looks as though the plate was previously mounted on the side of the wheelhouse just below the port side window (on the inside). Ruislip is coming to Brinklow next week for some work, as the plate is only pop riveted on, Rex would be happy to take it off and lend it to you to copy it.

 

That's the wheel you can see in the bottom left of the photo.

 

David

 

David

 

Many thanks for that. It's probably about the same size as the original builder's plate, but I expected that would have had date, yard number and probably name. If nothing else turns up, I could probably design something that looks reasonably authentic, based around that design.

 

Actually while typing this I've just dug through my old photos, this one shows more than I thought it did and I can probably combine the two, as it were. It's not clear whether the original has any more specific info than Rex's does, it seems to say London rather than London & Faversham (Is that LONDON England?), though, which is curious.

 

OldWheelbox-1.gif

 

 

 

Please thank Rex for the offer, I'll get in touch direct if I want to take it up.

 

Tim

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Timleech Veteran II

Timleech

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"might just be dirty brass"

 

Oooo! I'll pass that on!

 

It would almost certainly be bronze or gunmetal

What year was Ruislip built? I imagine a bit later than Kennet (1931)?

 

Tim

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davidg Community Regular

davidgDonate to Canal World

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Tim,

 

1936.

 

Were you aware of a book called "A Sideways Look" (think that's what Rex said today), which is a history of Pollocks with details of all the boats they built and all the engines they supplied. Rex picked his up on Amazon, give him a call if you want to check details of the book.

 

David

 

Edit: Just reread the earlier posts, you know already

Edited by davidg
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  • 2 years later...
Timleech Veteran II

Timleech

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If you can borrow a plate I`ll have a go at copying it for you in brass or bronze if you like.

 

A decent offer, thank you. Trouble is, I'd like it to be somewhere near to the original style for my boat, which is a bit different from other slightly later ones that I've seen.

I'm planning to work up a computer file of what I want, not sure of the best way to do it with what I have available. I used to be a dab hand with Corel Draw, which would have been ideal, but haven't used it for years & don't currently have a copy.

 

Tim

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