Standedge Tunnel

[dmr]

I would like to go through the tunnel next summer in our current boat. It's traditional engine means it has an exhaust on the roof. Removing the normal tall stack for the trip will mean I can only use a tiny stack. I presume a couple of hours breathing diesel fumes won't do me or the chaperone a lot of good. What have others done?

 

Good question, as Harecastle can be a bit unpleasant and that's not as long.

Also where does the tunnel chaperone stand on a trad stern??? Although we can fit two and sometimes three people (plus the dog) on the back I would never want anyone but the steerer on the back in a tunnel.

 

..............Dave

[nebulae]

The chaperone has a meter which monitors air quality .If it gets dangerous,I guess you will have to shut the engine down.We have a modern Japanese engine. The meter apparently registered no pollution during our passage.These engines have to meet all sorts of regs.when used in other indusrial applications,so the marinised versions must get the benefit of this technology.The comms.system is pretty good .If the man in the van in the railway tunnel reports back to the controller a problem such as a boat not moving in the tunnel,then appropriate action can be taken. When the comms. went down last year,CaRT would not allow us through until it had been repaired.

[Mac of Cygnet]

You could

 

I would like to go through the tunnel next summer in our current boat. It's traditional engine means it has an exhaust on the roof. Removing the normal tall stack for the trip will mean I can only use a tiny stack. I presume a couple of hours breathing diesel fumes won't do me or the chaperone a lot of good. What have others done?

 

You could always leg it through......http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/legging2006.htm

[dmr]

The chaperone has a meter which monitors air quality .If it gets dangerous,I guess you will have to shut the engine down.We have a modern Japanese engine. The meter apparently registered no pollution during our passage.These engines have to meet all sorts of regs.when used in other indusrial applications,so the marinised versions must get the benefit of this technology.The comms.system is pretty good .If the man in the van in the railway tunnel reports back to the controller a problem such as a boat not moving in the tunnel,then appropriate action can be taken. When the comms. went down last year,CaRT would not allow us through until it had been repaired.

 

All modern boat engines meet very strict emission regulations when new, trouble is once they've been in a boat for a year or two things can go seriously downhill, bit like boaters really.

 

..........Davel

[Emerald Fox]

I would like to go through the tunnel next summer in our current boat. It's traditional engine means it has an exhaust on the roof. Removing the normal tall stack for the trip will mean I can only use a tiny stack. I presume a couple of hours breathing diesel fumes won't do me or the chaperone a lot of good. What have others done?

 

Have a look at CRT's Standedge Tunnel info, there is a diagram showing measurements. We had to take off the Morco instant water chimney/vent (I didn't even know they were removable!) to get our roof 'smooth' enough. Measure the boat yourself asap. Boats get measured at the tunnel mouth. Worst case scenario is that you'll have to turn round (plenty of room) and go back the way you came.

 

 

 

Also where does the tunnel chaperone stand on a trad stern??? Although we can fit two and sometimes three people (plus the dog) on the back I would never want anyone but the steerer on the back in a tunnel.

 

 

Dog goes into a cage or locked in the bathroom. No disturbances at all wanted. If you need the whole of the stern, I have heard that CRT chap can be just in front of you on the steps or 'boatman's cubby hole'.

 

Spoiler Alert! Look away now if you want to keep it as a surprise:

 

 

 

Edited August 23, 2015 by Emerald Fox

[DaveP]

I have a trad stern; I've had the chaperone in the well deck communicating via a walkie-talkie and (after the hatchway was enlarged) in the steering position with me.

 

Dave

[DandV]

Actually the ventilation in Standage is quite good as it is four interconnected tunnels. Two unused former single track railway tunnels, one of which the Cart monitoring van uses, the canal tunnel where boats are spaced by a 45 minute gap in departure times, and the heavily used double track railway tunnel where the moving trains push large amounts of air, and their own diesel emissions between the various tunnels.

Don

Don

[MisterDave]

You could

 

 

You could always leg it through......http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/legging2006.htm

 

It's always been a dream of mine to have a go at legging a boat through!

[Mac of Cygnet]

 

Have a look at CRT's Standedge Tunnel info, there is a diagram showing measurements. We had to take off the Morco instant water chimney/vent (I didn't even know they were removable!) to get our roof 'smooth' enough. Measure the boat yourself asap. Boats get measured at the tunnel mouth. Worst case scenario is that you'll have to turn round (plenty of room) and go back the way you came.

 

 

Dog goes into a cage or locked in the bathroom. No disturbances at all wanted. If you need the whole of the stern, I have heard that CRT chap can be just in front of you on the steps or 'boatman's cubby hole'.

 

Spoiler Alert! Look away now if you want to keep it as a surprise:

 

 

I just tie my dog to the table leg. She's quite happy.

 

The second of your videos is titled "Great British Victorian Engineering - Standedge Tunnel". The canal tunnel predated Victoria's reign by about 20 years, of course.

[Sea Dog]

 

It's always been a dream of mine to have a go at legging a boat through!

Not sure you should realise that dream at Standedge - at 3 odd miles that would either be a nightmare or one of those dreams you don't wake up from!

[Emerald Fox]

 

I just tie my dog to the table leg. She's quite happy.

 

The second of your videos is titled "Great British Victorian Engineering - Standedge Tunnel". The canal tunnel predated Victoria's reign by about 20 years, of course.

 

I think Dar Kuma's pygmy goat may need to be chained to something.

 

Well, yes, but it was the Victorians wot did the wallpapering.

[Theo]

Glad we didn't listen to all those who advised us to avoid the HNC like the plague. Came through Standedge today, what a great experience. Many thanks to the efficient CRT staff who calmly and efficiently looked after us and our saftey. Special thanks to Kevin our chaperone for his informed commentry and advice.

Mind you, we've yet to descend on the Yorkshire side, who knows what troubles that may bring!

 

We had Kevin. Wasn't he great?

 

N

[Cheshire cat]

There are organised trips through the tunnel. You have to walk one way of course.

 

They're really good too because you don't have to worry about your paintwork so there's plenty of opportunity to have a good look around.

[Bro]

Having done the tunnel this year I would offer the following:-

1. Huddersfield canal is very shallow. No shortage of water just too much mud (water sometimes on the towpath). Don't go near it if you have more than 24" draft. I was grounded more times than enough (at one point it took 2 days to cover 1.5 miles).
2. Most definitely, do not go single handed. Many locks impossible on your own as there is often nowhere to tie up to and if there is a tie-up there is little chance of using it as it's not possible to get close into the bank.
3. For a canal reopened just 15 year ago much of the (new) lock winding gear is in terrible rusty state. Canal society member told me they are not allowed to use regular grease but must use environmentally friendly sort which washes off at first rainfall. Why do people bow so easily to 'Experts(?)' when clearly the advice/ instruction is crazy?

I always wanted to do the tunnel, have now satisfied that ambition and am pleased to have done so but shan't be going back again. It tested my mettle like no other canal has.

 

Lovely scenery, cheap beer ("Sloughit" £2 pint) and lots of exercise. The tunnel? Well it's just another long dark hole ain't it and why they have so many staff controlling it is a little beyond me.

 

By all means be brave but also ............ be warned.

[Emerald Fox]

Yes, that be true. We had no trouble with our 40-footer, measured as 1-foot 11-inches draught at tunnel mouth, and 6-foot 9-inches wide.

A terrible shame that such a canal project has been left to wither away. Plenty of water but silted up, big stones from banks fallen in, bushes ought to be trimmed, lock/paddle gear needs sorting.

Perhaps there should be a nationwide campaign to tidy up the HNC?

Very nice canal, otherwise.

[mayalld]

Yes, that be true. We had no trouble with our 40-footer, measured as 1-foot 11-inches draught at tunnel mouth, and 6-foot 9-inches wide.

A terrible shame that such a canal project has been left to wither away. Plenty of water but silted up, big stones from banks fallen in, bushes ought to be trimmed, lock/paddle gear needs sorting.

Perhaps there should be a nationwide campaign to tidy up the HNC?

Very nice canal, otherwise.

It isn't so much that it has withered as that completing an impossible restoration costs a lot of money, and in many places there wasn't the scope to do more than the bare minimum to get the canal open.

 

If they had insisted on getting it fully dredged etc etc it still wouldn't be open now.

 

There is also the issue that a project like this has to show real on the ground progress if people are to believe in it.

 

That meant that during the 20 years of work,locks that were on sections unconnected to the rest of the network were regated even though they would see no boats.

 

Many were regated with gates that were more for show than anything else, and as a result when the canal opened it had many gates that were10 years old, lightly built, and which hadn't seen any use. They were on their last legs.

 

So CRT didn't take on a pristine new canal. They took on a canal that needed lots of work to get it up to standard.

 

I fully expect that it will take another 10 years before it is up to scratch

[Emerald Fox]

"I fully expect that it will take another 10 years before it is up to scratch"

 

The Romans, Normans, Victorians and Winston Churchill turn in their graves.... also those who built Stonehenge.

Why are the citizens of Slaithwaite, Stalybridge and Diggle in the pubs, and not in the canal in their wellies?

Could we not send the Army in to do the dredging, as they seem to be doing not much at the moment?

And prisoners! Oh... that might be too much for the poor dahlings, dragging them away from their colour television sets...

[Mac of Cygnet]

Well, actually.......

 

 

Huddersfield Narrow Canal East lock 6 to lock 20

Notice Details

From Date:

8th September 2015 at 08:00

To Date:

26th October 2015 at 17:00 inclusive

Type:

Navigation Restriction

Reason:

Maintenance

Description:

We are asking boaters to please slow down and give priority to tugs and hoppers, when approaching the dredger and/or offloading points please slow down and wait for
the operator to signal you through the works.

Warning signs will be posted up and down stream of the dredger and offloading points.

[Emerald Fox]

THE dredger? Just the one?

I'd like to have seen the whole canal shut and drained for a month whilst thousands of people work on it, so that it doesn't need doing again for another 10-20 years. But I live in my own fantasy world. However, we do get things done at home, all seems to be ship-shape here, so we can't be doing it all wrong...

[mayalld]

THE dredger? Just the one?

I'd like to have seen the whole canal shut and drained for a month whilst thousands of people work on it, so that it doesn't need doing again for another 10-20 years. But I live in my own fantasy world. However, we do get things done at home, all seems to be ship-shape here, so we can't be doing it all wrong...

Dredging (proper dredging rather than spit dredging) lasts longer than that (about 40 years)