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GU tanks photos and sizes

madcat

By madcat
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archie57 Proficient

archie57

Posted
Posted (edited)

 

Here is the actual tank wink.png

 

jkmbUlN.jpg

 

Just to show that the arrangement is nothing like that on the mass-produced Woolwich and Northwich boats.

There is a cylindrical top tank, visible here, filled by hand pump in the traditional manner:-

 

wFBbpSS.jpg

 

All the main production boats from Woolwich and Northwich, that I have seen, use the engine lift pump to draw fuel direct from the main tanks.

The wooden Venus, I'm fairly sure, had/has a Top tank which was continuously filled by the engine lift pump, with an overflow direct to the main tanks.

 

Nobody has mentioned the arrangements on the Walkers-built boats, I can't say I'm familiar with them

 

Going a bit off-topic, but Tim might be interested to see the pictures, the two pics above were taken when the William came in for repair in 1999 after a serious argument with a bridge on the flooded Soar.

It ended up with, as far as I can remember, most or all of the front bulkhead being renewed as well as the complete engine room casing, running through into a steel skin over the Cabin and steel gunwales. All welded, but with a nod to the original design with tubular handrails etc.

 

oUDnpMy.jpg

 

JxUYzCN.jpg

 

Tim

My little Woolwich originally had no lift pump, it had a semi-rotary pump on the engine room side drawing from the tanks, supplying a cylindrical header tank on the back end bulkhead, the angles being cut away to accommodate it, secured with two straps. The "Ceres" I think was the last with this arrangement.

Edited by archie57
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  • 1 month later...
alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

Posted
Posted

Reopening this rather specialist thread, because I'm now actually trying to sort out "Flamingo" somewhat. ("Flamingo" is "Large Northwich" "Letchworth").

 

I thought I had seen pictures of original Large Northwich tank vents in one of the related CWDF threads, but I'm not managing to find any now.

 

There are various pictures of "Halsall", "Nuneaton" and (assumed to be) "Seaford", but they all seem to be with vents not on, or in some way obscured.

 

I can finfd"Middle Northwich" ones ("Tycho"), as well as "Small Northwich" ones ("Sculptor"), but the layout of the top of the tanks seems to be quite different from in the "Large" boats, particularly a very different position for the filler cap on the left hand tank, (each near one of the acute angles of the "triangle", but the opposite one on each).

 

So can anybody, (Junior or Barry Adams, perhaps), actually post some pictures of the vents on the tank of a "Large Northwich", (both sides, preferably as the layout differs).

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

Posted
Posted

Thanks Ian, but the vent should be the thing to the immediate right of the large filler cap.

 

In the original arrangements this would be a "walking stick", with a pipe rising about 6" from the threaded aoerture in the tank, then with a 180 degree bend at the top, and an open end pointing downwards.

 

Nutfield appears to have no riser pipe, and maybe just a 90 degree bend, possibly with a brass flame trap in the end.

 

If I'm right, (and I may be seeing it wrongly!) this doesn't seem to clever if the tanks were "brimmed" as fuel could be ejected if it gets sloshed around enough. In fact the vent looks lower than the neck of the filler!

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ChimneyChain Rising Star

ChimneyChain

Posted
Posted (edited)

A 9" x 1" bsp tube with 1" return bends. But as I said earlier those return bends are quite expensive as in £30 + pp each. I've just done the eng room out myself and I welded two 90* bends and ground then flat and they look better than what was for sale.

 

Tube x 2 £9.00 each

90* bends x 4 £3.15 each

Time to weld up and clean 45 mins

 

Darren

Edited by ChimneyChain
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furnessvale Influencer

furnessvale

Posted
Posted

Thanks Ian, but the vent should be the thing to the immediate right of the large filler cap.

 

In the original arrangements this would be a "walking stick", with a pipe rising about 6" from the threaded aoerture in the tank, then with a 180 degree bend at the top, and an open end pointing downwards.

 

 

Sounds exactly like the arrangement on Alton, admittedly a Woolwich. I'm sure I have a photo somewhere, if I can find it, scan etc I will get it to you.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

Posted
Posted

Here is the arrangement on Halsall. I'm pretty sure it's not original but i know it is BSS compliant.

You are right - not original - lacking "umbrella handle" tops.

 

Thanks anyway.

 

Judging by halsall tank arrangement your have to slacken of flamingos tank strap and move the tank forward if you want to fit the bend to the pipe.

 

Darren

No, if I make the top 180 degrees out of 2 x 90 degrees it will go together.

 

 

Moving the tank would be a (very) tall order, I think!

 

 

Sounds exactly like the arrangement on Alton, admittedly a Woolwich. I'm sure I have a photo somewhere, if I can find it, scan etc I will get it to you.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

George,

 

Thanks, but Woolwich and Northwich arrangements differ - I need to see a Northwich.

 

 

Alan: check your facebook. I have sent you a picture of Rufford's one tank. Canf figure out how to upload photo's to the forum.

Exellent - exactly what I ned for Left hand side.

 

Good news, as what I have done is at least "in the flavour" of the original.

 

Are you saying there is no right hand tank, or simply you don't have a photo,please? Still need to know what way the "umbrella handle" would point.

 

Alan

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Laurence Hogg Veteran

Laurence Hogg

Posted
Posted

These references may be of interest and worth following up:

 

"Mild Steel Welded Fuel Tanks for Grand Union Canal Carrying Company's New Boats"
Description
Side and end elevations and plan showing general arrangement.
Date
17 August 1934
Reference code
BW58/10/5/1/161
Access Status
Open
"Engline Bearers and Tank Rests for Grand Union Canal Carrying Company's New Boats"
Description
Sectional side and end elevations and plan showing general arrangement.
Date
17 August 1934
Reference code
BW58/10/5/1/160
Access Status
Open
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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

Posted
Posted

alan: photo of the other tank sent

 

Many thanks.

 

My new vents are only intended to be "in the style of" the originals, using easily available bits.

 

Your pictures establish I am not a million miles out.

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Rufford Proficient

Rufford

Posted
Posted

No worries Alan, if there is anything else you would like to know let me know.

 

Also, someone was asking about the lockable fuel caps? I checked the other day and was surprised to find a sticky out hole thingy (all engineering lingo has suddenly departed my head) for the clasp to fit over. I will have to send a picture again to Alan for him to post.

 

While we are on the subject of fuel tanks, my engine room minion seems to think that I really need a return line back to the tank for the engine + generator - he claims that this will cause tickover to drop and for fuel consumption to be far better. Has anyone else got a fuel return line? Or can anyone think of the best way of doing one without the return line looking a mess?

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

Posted
Posted

I had to fit external breather pipes to the tanks in Tadworth for the BSS. How come everyone else hasn't ?

 

You need to use the right examiner, who can correctly understand what exemptions are allowed in an historic boat.

 

Not all can, it seems - I certainly know of others where external venting has been insisted upon.

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furnessvale Influencer

furnessvale

Posted
Posted

 

You need to use the right examiner, who can correctly understand what exemptions are allowed in an historic boat.

 

Not all can, it seems - I certainly know of others where external venting has been insisted upon.

Very true. When I first bought Alton there were several modifications half completed.

 

I had Roger Lorenz, R.I.P., look over the boat and several of these mods were removed as unnecessary on an historic boat.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

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junior Veteran

junior

Posted
Posted

Never mind, I took them off 5 mins after I got the certificate !

 

I always wondered what the hasps on the tanks fitted to, TW has the iron screw caps with the slot in the top, but nothing the hasp fits to.

Any chance of a photo of your tanks for this thread?

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Laurence Hogg Veteran

Laurence Hogg

Posted
Posted

The detailed drawings for these tanks are in the archive at E Port if this helps.

No worries Alan, if there is anything else you would like to know let me know.

 

Also, someone was asking about the lockable fuel caps? I checked the other day and was surprised to find a sticky out hole thingy (all engineering lingo has suddenly departed my head) for the clasp to fit over. I will have to send a picture again to Alan for him to post.

 

While we are on the subject of fuel tanks, my engine room minion seems to think that I really need a return line back to the tank for the engine + generator - he claims that this will cause tickover to drop and for fuel consumption to be far better. Has anyone else got a fuel return line? Or can anyone think of the best way of doing one without the return line looking a mess?

We have a return line back to the tank, think you will find this was normal, all my other boats had the same.

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