Marking on Balance Beam

[Leo No2]

I have a photo below which is part of the collection about Heather Bell. In the photo below you can see an inscription on the balance beam which I believe says No 1 L^K T^CR. The No1 and LK are, I believe self explanatory, as in No 1 Lock. T I believe stands for Tipton where I understand the photo was taken. C may be Communication perhaps (Communication Canal is my thinking). R I have no idea about. I am sure there are some very knowledgable people on the forum who may be prepared to:

 

• Tell me even my guesses are incorrect and offer, I hope, some suggestions
• Have an idea what the R stands for
• Tell me there are even more letters inscribed into the balance beam that my old eyes can't decipher

 

Edited April 6, 2014 by Leo No2

[Scholar Gypsy]

Is the C really a G? In which case could it be Tipton Green?

 

And is there a T at the end of the inscription as well?

 

NB also the padlock hasp and chain, and the slightly unusual paddle arrangement (more common on the T&M than the BCN?).

[Triumphtone]

I thought it said T Green, but I'm not sure that the 'een' is just some marks on the negative

 

Anth.

 

Cracking photo by the way!

Edited April 6, 2014 by Triumphtone

[Speedwheel]

Is the C really a G? In which case could it be Tipton Green?

 

And is there a T at the end of the inscription as well?

 

NB also the padlock hasp and chain, and the slightly unusual paddle arrangement (more common on the T&M than the BCN?).

 

I thought it looked more like a G.

 

There also seems to be a P or R at the end as well. (G R T P or R)

Edited April 6, 2014 by Speedwheel

[Leo No2]

Is the C really a G? In which case could it be Tipton Green?

 

And is there a T at the end of the inscription as well?

 

NB also the padlock hasp and chain, and the slightly unusual paddle arrangement (more common on the T&M than the BCN?).

 

Simon - Yes that could easily be a G (more easily than a C perhaps!) and there may well be a T at the end but I can't quite decipher if there is one or not. I am 100% sure the photos were taken at Tipton in 1940/41. As it is a junction (there's a canal going off towards the background) I am hopeful someone will recognise it.

I thought it said T Green, but I'm not sure that the 'een' is just some marks on the negative

 

Anth.

 

That would fit I think - I am I SO DUMB when trying to interpret these things! I think you may well be right in that is says Lock No 1 Tipton Green. I would certainly rather see what's shown in the photo than the current trend for poetry!!!

 

Thank you to you and Simon for pointing me in a more sensible direction!

Edited April 6, 2014 by Leo No2

[Speedwheel]

There is an N at the end too.

 

NO 1 L K T (G or C) R (T or F or E) (P or R) N

Edited April 6, 2014 by Speedwheel

[Richard West]

The bridge plate says "Elliott road bridge" so that would put it about here http://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.5275087,-2.0697482,63m/data=!3m1!1e3

 

You can see the gap between the houses where the canal used to run.

 

ETA In fact you can still see the remains of a lock.

Edited April 6, 2014 by Richard West

[magpie patrick]

It's very obviously the top lock of the Tipton Green Flight, which descended from the Wolverhampton Level to the Birmingham Level not far from Tipton Factory locks, so any guesses that make Tipton Green Lock 1 fit are probably right.

 

Like so many bits of the BCn the history was complex, this started life as the top of a branch descending from the old main line before the new main line was built, the branch later joined another branch that connected with the Walsall Level, and was crossed by the New Main Line seperating the top three locks from the rest. Thst's way over-simplified, but then the question is about this lock, not the whole branch

[Speedwheel]

Yes, it's obvious now.

 

[magpie patrick]

the slightly unusual paddle arrangement (more common on the T&M than the BCN?).

 

I think there is a second ground paddle just off shot to the left, but at this location there is very little room to fit it in because of the curve of the old main line. It also looks like there was another arch once, to the left: the bridge has now gone so nothing will show today.

[Leo No2]

Thank you to everyone - there was a whole series of photos taken with Heather Bell and my aunt (Daphne March - and her mum) in this area which were published in the 28-April-1941 edition of Illuustrated Magazine.

[Speedwheel]

Really beautiful picture.

[Leo No2]

Really beautiful picture.

Thank you. If you Google 'imperial war museum images heather bell' I think you can see most of the images that were taken by the Ministry of Information.

[Martin Megson]

Thank you. If you Google 'imperial war museum images heather bell' I think you can see most of the images that were taken by the Ministry of Information.

Some great photos. Thanks for sharing.

[David Mack]

My first reaction on seeing the picture was that this must be Tipton Green top lock, with Owen Street bridge in the background.

 

When I first visited the area in the early-mid 70s the Tipton Green branch was infilled, and I think the bridge over the lock must have already gone, but the wall along the canalside in the middle distance was still there, looking just like in this photo.

 

My BCN guide notes that there was a good fish and chip shop in Owen Street. I wonder if its still there?

[FadeToScarlet]

So it doesn't say "this door makes depth"?

[Laurence Hogg]

Under enhancement it is definatly T GREEN, the BCN and BW however reused gates elsewhere when sections closed and I have a photo taken in the 1970's of Brades lower single lock sporting "Snethwick", the gate came from once duplicated flight!

Anyone noticed the cabin less joey passing by with the mast in a odd place, the forward well?

[Pluto]

Thank you to everyone - there was a whole series of photos taken with Heather Bell and my aunt (Daphne March - and her mum) in this area which were published in the 28-April-1941 edition of Illuustrated Magazine.

I copied many of the letters re volunteer boatwomen in the Ministry of Transport file MT52/10 at Kew, some by Daphne Marsh, and am leaving digital copies at Ellesmere Port today. On Easter Saturday in the Waterways Archive at 2-30, there is the launch of a new book, Memories of a Wartime Canal Boatwoman, written by Nancy Ridgway, who was the only successful woman volunteer captain on the L&LC, and which has an introduction by me looking at the early proposals for volunteer boatwomen on northern canals.

[FadeToScarlet]

I copied many of the letters re volunteer boatwomen in the Ministry of Transport file MT52/10 at Kew, some by Daphne Marsh, and am leaving digital copies at Ellesmere Port today. On Easter Saturday in the Waterways Archive at 2-30, there is the launch of a new book, Memories of a Wartime Canal Boatwoman, written by Nancy Ridgway, who was the only successful woman volunteer captain on the L&LC, and which has an introduction by me looking at the early proposals for volunteer boatwomen on northern canals.

Brilliant, I'll look them up at Kew or at Ellesmere.

 

I don't suppose there's anything in that file about the Severn and Canal / FMC scheme, by any.chance?

[Black Ibis]

I copied many of the letters re volunteer boatwomen in the Ministry of Transport file MT52/10 at Kew, some by Daphne Marsh, and am leaving digital copies at Ellesmere Port today. On Easter Saturday in the Waterways Archive at 2-30, there is the launch of a new book, Memories of a Wartime Canal Boatwoman, written by Nancy Ridgway, who was the only successful woman volunteer captain on the L&LC, and which has an introduction by me looking at the early proposals for volunteer boatwomen on northern canals.

Looking forwards to it! Sadly can't be there at Ellesmere but would like to buy a copy as soon as it's possible to do so by post!

[FadeToScarlet]

I copied many of the letters re volunteer boatwomen in the Ministry of Transport file MT52/10 at Kew, some by Daphne Marsh, and am leaving digital copies at Ellesmere Port today. On Easter Saturday in the Waterways Archive at 2-30, there is the launch of a new book, Memories of a Wartime Canal Boatwoman, written by Nancy Ridgway, who was the only successful woman volunteer captain on the L&LC, and which has an introduction by me looking at the early proposals for volunteer boatwomen on northern canals.

Brilliant, I'll look them up at Kew or at Ellesmere.

 

I don't suppose there's anything in that file about the Severn and Canal / FMC scheme, by any.chance?

[Pluto]

The file contains most of the early correspondence about volunteer boatwomen, with specific details of what was happening on the S&C. The main dates are from 1941-3, but there are also a few letters from later, an a copy of the article in The Queen. There are also a few letters about the early L&LC proposals, which didn't materialise, and about the GUC which did.