NB Thrush

[scrumpylurcher]

I see this boat has had a mention before on the forum, Tony still owns it to the best of my knowledge (he certainly did in Oct 2011). He seems to think it was built in Braunston in the late 1950`s although I cant find anything that confirms that. I would be interested to know more of its history. It is 39ft timber build - tug, ice breaker ?? Pictures taken at Banbury Canal Day this October

 

 

[Midnight Rider]

Don't think that I'd like rear doors like that.

 

I used to work with a guy that everyone called Thrush ----- because he was an irritating ****

Edited November 29, 2011 by Lady Muck
swearing

[carlt]

It might have had some work done at Braunston, in the 1950s but that boat has BCN written all over it.

[carlt]

I think Paul was spot on, in January:

 

I don't know where the built at Braunston bit comes from - from the hull shape and the fact it is named after a bird I suspect it is an ex-Ernie Thomas hire boat from the early 60s.

[Laurence Hogg]

I strongly suspect this is Ernie Thomas's "Thrush" somewhat rebuilt, The stern rudder placement is a giveaway and the bow still looks like a thomas joey with a correct length breastoak in place.

 

 

Judge for yourselves, but my moneys on its the same boat. Good to see a ET survivor in good order.

[AJLintern]

There's a lot of footage on YouTube:

 

I came across this guy while rowing in Abingdon a couple of months back - he had a tender full of salvaged wood

[scrumpylurcher]

He runs the steamer entirely on wood, possibly from any source available at the time. Very much a character in his way, he was invited to lead the Mayor`s parade on the Banbury Canal Day but was a bit late. He spent along while in the cut clearing a fouled prop before he could set off. He will be pleased to recieve any info about his boat.

[Laurence Hogg]

Some of the interior fit out looks original ET stuff. I think his "history" is a bit flower coloured but good luck to him.

[Speedwheel]

I'm sure it was for sale on eBay not so long ago.

 

ETA: possibly in January were Carl has quoted Paul.

Edited November 27, 2011 by Speedwheel

[alan_fincher]

He runs the steamer entirely on wood, possibly from any source available at the time. Very much a character in his way, he was invited to lead the Mayor`s parade on the Banbury Canal Day but was a bit late. He spent along while in the cut clearing a fouled prop before he could set off. He will be pleased to recieve any info about his boat.

Well, on the canals......

 

It takes a rather unusual type of person to take on a proper wooden narrow boat.

 

It takes an even more unusual person to take on a steam powered narrow boat, particularly if your only fuel source is only going to be wood. (You need to burn quite a lot of wood, to produce not huge amounts of steam!).

 

The owner of a narrow boat that is both wood built and steam powered isn't going to be your entirely average boater, are they ?

 

Thank goodness for a bit of individuality!

[scrumpylurcher]

As usual this forum is a wonderful source of information particularly on historic details. The question I asked in Braunston was whether or not it could have been built here in the late 1950`s, to which the answer was no - I may get a different reply if I relate it to repairs. I dont know whether any of you can put any dates to it, it appears to have started life as a joey and been converted at a later date.

Many thanks for the details already provided, I am sure Tony will be delighted.

[carlt]

I dont know whether any of you can put any dates to it, it appears to have started life as a joey and been converted at a later date.

Many thanks for the details already provided, I am sure Tony will be delighted.

Actually I'm pretty sure it's a purpose built Ernie Thomas leisure boat, which he switched to after he stopped building Joeys.

 

Thomas and Walton were building leisure boats whilst Ken Keay was recycling ex-work boats (in the main, I know there were exceptions).

 

I'm not sure if anyone has the exact build dates for the BCN leisure craft. I'm pretty sure Walton's records survive, somewhere, but I don't know about Thomas'.

 

Good to see a ET survivor in good order.

Do you know if Gordon, who was working at Caggy's last time I spoke to him, has finished his Ernie Thomas?

[pete harrison]

He seems to think it was built in Braunston in the late 1950`s although I cant find anything that confirms that. I would be interested to know more of its history. It is 39ft timber build - tug, ice breaker ??

 

If this boat carries the British Waterways Board index number 65251 (which I suspect it does) then I can confirm that it was renamed THE THRUSH in about 1984. The British Waterways Board index number 65251 was allocated in 1980 when this boat was named MIRE. I have no further records of this boat, but I can confirm it was certainly not built at Braunston.

[The Pipe]

Tony is a great character and I was moored right next to him when he was rebuilding Thrush. As for being an ex ET boat I think not, it may be chopped out of another boat Tony believes it came from Braunston but who knows for sure anyway.

I helped to get him the engine from Echills Wood Railway a 2 cylinder oscillating engine, with a fixed steam cut-off built by a university as an experiment in simple technology for 3rd world counties, not ideal for a boat but it works, the boiler is a vertical coal fired boiler and Tony runs it on wood so if you see the canal is tree less expect to find him around the corner.

I don’t think Tony has ever solved the propeller problem of getting enough diameter/blade area and pitch so the engine was running a bit on the quick side to be very economical.

I think Tony is now looking for new adventures no idea where they will lead him but he will have fun doing it anyway.

[carlt]

As for being an ex ET boat I think not, it may be chopped out of another boat Tony believes it came from Braunston but who knows for sure anyway.

I know for sure it isn't a Braunston boat.

[The Pipe]

I know for sure it isn't a Braunston boat.

Would you like to enlarge that for us I'm sure Tony would also be interested in any information.

Lawrence believes the inside being like an ET boat there was nothing inside when on the bank at Anyho also it has no gunnel and the cabin frames come straight off the hull sides if I remember correctly.

Edited November 27, 2011 by Jim Evans

[carlt]

Would you like to enlarge that for us I'm sure Tony would also be interested in any information.

Nursers are completely different to this boat.

 

The bow has much less shape, with bluff sides and a dead straight stem post.

 

Nursers have the finer lines of a long distance carrying boat, this has the workmanlike lines of a BCN dayboat.

[Derek R.]

Just watched all five segments of video, and whilst the cabin is completely different to that in Laurence's B&W shot, there neither seems to be the same length nor the same amount of sheer.

 

Most definitely an 'alternative' boater and good luck to him. I dream't of steam power at one time, but oil fired with a monotube steam generator and a double acting 'V' twin - Hell'ish expensive. With wood for fuel, you will be scavenging full time. Not to say it can't be done, but you have to be a bit 'different'.

 

Derek

[scrumpylurcher]

I think there is little doubt that it was not built in Braunston in the 1950`s as Tony thinks. The boat builder at Nursers/ Blue Line at this time was Aubrey Berryman who is definite he didnt build it and is equally confident it was not built anywhere in Braunston. Having spoken to the current owner at some length he has little knowledge of its history beyond the possible Braunston connection.

Thanks to everybody for the information produced so far.

[station tug]

i thought the boat was up for sale and the boiler was knackered with no ticket?? i think he wanted to swap it for a patch of land??..with the lines of bland noddy boats all painted the same the canals are a finer place with people like this!!!..good luck to him............

[XAlan W]

I see this boat has had a mention before on the forum, Tony still owns it to the best of my knowledge (he certainly did in Oct 2011). He seems to think it was built in Braunston in the late 1950`s although I cant find anything that confirms that. I would be interested to know more of its history. It is 39ft timber build - tug, ice breaker ?? Pictures taken at Banbury Canal Day this October

 

 

Didn`t Len Walton build a hull that he sold off with no cabin in 1957/8ish looks to have similar lines could this possibly be that hull with some one else`s cabin build

[carlt]

Didn`t Len Walton build a hull that he sold off with no cabin in 1957/8ish looks to have similar lines could this possibly be that hull with some one else`s cabin build

Walton's lines are much finer than those of this boat although 1957 is early, for a Walton leisure boat so he may have built it more Joey-like, back then.

 

The counter is very reminiscent of Ken Keay's boat, Lionheart, with the planks tapering to a block, rather than the straight transoms he put in his cut and shuts.

[Derek R.]

Do dreams turn to nightmares?

 

One mans ideal in seeking 'free' fuel for a steam powered craft must eventually backfire somewhat when it comes to selling up. Who would be willing to take on the same amount of labour intensive work in fuelling a boat with a clearly underpowered propulsion train. Novel it may seem to some, challenging to most. But ultimately the steam plant would almost of necessity have to be removed and replaced with something more conventional. All such would ultimately reflect in any sale price.

 

I've a great admiration for the likes of Mr. Bryant, but fancy there was a little more 'showman' than perhaps was practical.

 

Still, I would have liked to have learned of the detail of the steam plant and its controls a little more.

 

Derek

[The Pipe]

Do dreams turn to nightmares?

 

One mans ideal in seeking 'free' fuel for a steam powered craft must eventually backfire somewhat when it comes to selling up. Who would be willing to take on the same amount of labour intensive work in fuelling a boat with a clearly underpowered propulsion train. Novel it may seem to some, challenging to most. But ultimately the steam plant would almost of necessity have to be removed and replaced with something more conventional. All such would ultimately reflect in any sale price.

 

I've a great admiration for the likes of Mr. Bryant, but fancy there was a little more 'showman' than perhaps was practical.

 

Still, I would have liked to have learned of the detail of the steam plant and its controls a little more.

 

Derek

Derek, see post 14 if you need any more information than that I can possibly get it for you.

[The Pipe]

One thing to note about "The Thrush" is she is narrow. Tony doubled up the sides below the waterline (do you refoot a wooden boat?) and she was still under 6'10".

I would have liked to have got some of the bottom planks off her but I was away at the time.