old lock gates

[the grinch]

we have received an email from someone asking if they are of any use to anyone

from the info provided they are in Southall beside the GU and there is at least 8 gates plus paddle gear, handrails, bottom balls, bracing straps and collars

they are of no use to us at the Wey and Arun but maybe someone may want the gear if anyone want more info please email me at loxwoodlink@weyandarun.co.uk

 

kev

[alan_fincher]

These have probably been removed by BW from the Marsworth flight over the last few days as "surplus to requirements" because the intermediate pounds now contain no water.

Edited January 24, 2012 by alan_fincher

[the grinch]

think they are probably in as good condition!

[Derek R.]

Yes please. Could always do with more firewood.

[Ally]

If they are in good nick, could they not go to one of the canal restoration projects?

[Theo]

If they are in good nick, could they not go to one of the canal restoration projects?

 

I would not have thought so. Lock gates tend to be tailor made for individual locks. I suspect that they are only good for some extremely high quality firewood.

 

Nick

[Ally]

surely parts could be adapted though? Paddles and beams for example....mechanisms?

[the grinch]

as said they are fairly rotten but have a fair amount of metalwork email me if you want the details, have sent email on to you terence as requested

 

kev

[Donald Gilchrist]

I know this is slightly off subject, but why dont they make lock gates out of steel? Think they did this on the Stratford and they lasted well. In these cash straped days it would make sense.

[the grinch]

they do sometimes but the life expectancy is actually less than oak and much less than ekki, they are also much more prone to leakage and misalignment as they don't float this put additional wear on the collars the head and heel post are usually wood anyway

the one exception is guillotine gates which are more likely to be steel due to the weight

[Pluto]

I know this is slightly off subject, but why dont they make lock gates out of steel? Think they did this on the Stratford and they lasted well. In these cash straped days it would make sense.

It's a British thing, to make lock gates from wood. Many continental canals went over to iron and subsequently steel many years ago. The technology requires a more adaptable seal for the mitre than you get with wood, which is why the steel gates made in this country were rubbish. They were simply a replacement for wooden gates made as cheaply as possible. Wooden gates tend to flex slightly when under pressure, and this helps the mitre to seal properly. With steel gates, this flexibility needs to be provided for by making the gate anchors less rigid and by routine maintenance of the mitre, the latter sadly lacking today in Britain, with narrow boats only using one gate on wide canals exacerbating the problem. Some continental waterways also replaced the wooden mitre with rubber to ensure a good seal.

 

I don't think balance is a problem, as continental gates tend not to have balance beams, which suggests that easy operation of gates does not rely upon the balancing effect of the balance beam. In fact, one point of view could be that they just add to the weight and thus increase wear.

[alan_fincher]

I have always understood that the general lack of "forgiveness" in the material, where steel gates simply replace wooden ones, can mean a lot more damage to the rest of the lock structure, if the lock suffers a usual pattern of hard use. So you might save on gate costs, but lose that in increased need to rebuild failed brickwork or stonework.

 

In fact down our way on the GU, for many many years, replacement gates made at Bulbourne works could be either. Traditional wooden gates were still made right up to closure in the older workshops, and steel gates were being fabricated at the Southern end. (You could also end up with steel balance beams on otherwise wooden gates, too, various combinations of things really).

 

Since Bulbourne closed, and gates are brought in from other surviving BW workshops, replacements are I believe all wood. Certainly they look a whole lot nicer, but I'm sure it is not aesthetics driving this decision.

 

However, if you venture round onto the Lee, my memory is of almost exclusive use of steel gates, whether on the "electric" locks or the "manual" ones.

 

Don't forget places like Hilmorton (certainly), and Napton (I think) still sport original cast iron gates at at least a tokenn lock or two.

[Mike C]

I know this is slightly off subject, but why dont they make lock gates out of steel? Think they did this on the Stratford and they lasted well. In these cash straped days it would make sense.

 

Because they are horrible !

[Max Sinclair]

we have received an email from someone asking if they are of any use to anyone

from the info provided they are in Southall beside the GU and there is at least 8 gates plus paddle gear, handrails, bottom balls, bracing straps and collars

they are of no use to us at the Wey and Arun but maybe someone may want the gear if anyone want more info please email me at loxwoodlink@weyandarun.co.uk

 

kev

David Hutchings would put them to use, he even took sluice gates from the River Stour at Cookley to save non existent money.

[the grinch]

i'm sure he did, but he wasn't restoring a 12ft wide canal lock! apart from our new lock the others are only 12ft wide and it would cost more to alter 14ft gate equipment than to buy new

in the early days we made do and mended. now we are re-visiting early restorations and doing it again as the kit is worn out, whilst we have the funds we aim to get things renewed and so in the long term we should have an easier to maintain canal

 

kev

[the grinch]

email sent to you Steve J.

[onionbargee]

i'm guessing these are the ones left on the old 3 bridges yard ?

[the grinch]

tentelow lane at southall

[Biggles]

Steel gates can be made to float very well. Look at the panama canal gates.