Where has all the unthusiam gone, is the heart of preservation now dead?

[Athy]

What a superb photo, thank you Jeannette for posting it. I had no ideas that U.K. canal boats operated in trains rather than a motor towing just one butty (with the exception of the "Tom Puddings" in the North-East).

[ChimneyChain]

What a superb photo, thank you Jeannette for posting it. I had no ideas that U.K. canal boats operated in trains rather than a motor towing just one butty (with the exception of the "Tom Puddings" in the North-East).

Regarding that photo Athy the carrying company was Sabeys and they are on there way out of London carrying rubbish to stockley pits. Then they would have gone a couple of miles further to reach the Slough arm to reload with gravel back into London. My great granddad steered one of the tugs "Fastnet" pulling 7 or 8 wide boats

 

Darren

[RLWP]

What a superb photo, thank you Jeannette for posting it. I had no ideas that U.K. canal boats operated in trains rather than a motor towing just one butty (with the exception of the "Tom Puddings" in the North-East).

This is how the boats on the BCN worked too, and why the various BCN tugs exist

 

Richard

[Pluto]

What a superb photo, thank you Jeannette for posting it. I had no ideas that U.K. canal boats operated in trains rather than a motor towing just one butty (with the exception of the "Tom Puddings" in the North-East).

Where the number and location of locks permitted, trains of boats were quite normal, particularly on wide waterways. Gangs of boats operated on the Fenland waterways, and trains were used on several of the north east river navigations. The Leeds & Liverpool also operated trains on the Lancashire side of the canal, where the locks were grouped together, with lock horses being stabled at each flight to work the dumb boats up or down as required. On canals where the locks were more spaced out, such as the Rochdale, trains were not used.

[Ray T]

That's good to see. I thought that camping boats were a thing of the past - one often reads people's memories of having a trip in them, but those memories generally date back to the 1970s.

 

William must be the only boat for public hire which is powered by a Bolinder (thankfully she comes with a skipper).

 

There is a certain irony in one paragraph of the brochure: while the writer stresses that this is a "back to basics holiday - there is no television", he goes on to add that there is a power point from which mobile telephones can be recharged!

 

As a slight side, when I was at our boat yesterday a young lady was riding a horse along the road leading to the marina, guess what, she was texting on a moblie!

 

I am afraid they are a inescapable necessity for young folks today.

[RLWP]

Only three here:

 

 

Richard

[Athy]

Regarding that photo Athy the carrying company was Sabeys and they are on there way out of London carrying rubbish to stockley pits. Then they would have gone a couple of miles further to reach the Slough arm to reload with gravel back into London. My great granddad steered one of the tugs "Fastnet" pulling 7 or 8 wide boats

 

Darren

Thanks for that information, seven or eight boats in a train must have taken some skilled handling. Would every boat have had a steerer on board, or just the motor and the last in line, or what?

 

As a slight side, when I was at our boat yesterday a young lady was riding a horse along the road leading to the marina, guess what, she was texting on a moblie!

 

I am afraid they are a inescapable necessity for young folks today.

Yep, they just gotta have that horse.

[RLWP]

This is better:

 

 

https://inlanding.wordpress.com/2013/02/06/bcn-boats-the-tugs-series/

 

Richard

[Athy]

This is how the boats on the BCN worked too, and why the various BCN tugs exist

 

Richard

Thanks, I guessed that they hauled "joey" boats, but did not know that they hauled more than one, or at most two, at a time.

[ChimneyChain]

Thanks for that information, seven or eight boats in a train must have taken some skilled handling. Would every boat have had a steerer on board, or just the motor and the last in line, or what?

 

Yes every boat had a steerer, in relation to the sabey boats.

 

Darren

[Rob-M]

Often performed at the Black Country Living Museum Tug Boat events, this picture from Steve Bingham shows Sickle pulling a couple of Joeys

 

http://sb-vintageservices.co.uk/s/cc_images/cache_2416636191.jpg?t=1335631187

Edited April 24, 2016 by Rob-M

[ChimneyChain]

Yes every boat had a steerer, the first boat behind the tug on a 70ft snubber and the others a 40ft or so line. These answers are relation to the sabey boats.

 

Darren

[RLWP]

Yes every boat had a steerer, in relation to the sabey boats.

 

Darren

 

And not on the BCN coal boats.

 

Oh, fickle history - why can't it all fit a lovely Roses and Castles, happy families in the boatman's cabin, narrowboats in the morning mist image

 

Richard

[ChimneyChain]

.

[MtB]

 

And not on the BCN coal boats.

 

Oh, fickle history - why can't it all fit a lovely Roses and Castles, happy families in the boatman's cabin, narrowboats in the morning mist image

 

Richard

 

 

Yes and all paid for by 'someone else', naturally...!

[jeannette smith harrison]

Regarding that photo Athy the carrying company was Sabeys and they are on there way out of London carrying rubbish to stockley pits. Then they would have gone a couple of miles further to reach the Slough arm to reload with gravel back into London. My great granddad steered one of the tugs "Fastnet" pulling 7 or 8 wide boats

 

Darren

Like Darren Family my Nan's side where also known to have worked for Sabey's the picture is of Moya & her Mum taken at Stockley pits where Moyas Mum worked sorting the rags. Moyer later married married a Nixon boatman .

[Athy]

The richness of this thread shows that there's no "unthusiasm" for waterways history.

[Guest]

That's good to see. I thought that camping boats were a thing of the past - one often reads people's memories of having a trip in them, but those memories generally date back to the 1970s.

 

William must be the only boat for public hire which is powered by a Bolinder (thankfully she comes with a skipper).

 

There is a certain irony in one paragraph of the brochure: while the writer stresses that this is a "back to basics holiday - there is no television", he goes on to add that there is a power point from which mobile telephones can be recharged!

All is not lost then; one could watch catchup TV on't Iphone

The richness of this thread shows that there's no "unthusiasm" for waterways history.

I believe that there is a lot of interest in waterways history judging by people we talk to along the cut. Many people still think that the narrowboats on the cut are largely converted working boats and are surprised to learn that they are often new builds.

[Black Ibis]

 

On a different note I hope the Facebook thread Alan Fincher mentioned is not referring to sticking a motor in Alperton though I suspect it is.

Afraid so

[alan_fincher]

Thanks for that information, seven or eight boats in a train must have taken some skilled handling. Would every boat have had a steerer on board, or just the motor and the last in line, or what?

 

Yes every boat had a steerer, in relation to the sabey boats.

 

Whereas on the BCN, typically not. For example in a 3 boat train, pictures rarely show anybody on the middle Joey. (Although Richard has found exceptions to that, I think).

[alan_fincher]

Often performed at the Black Country Living Museum Tug Boat events, this picture from Steve Bingham shows Sickle pulling a couple of Joeys

 

sickle.jpg

http://sb-vintageservices.co.uk/s/cc_images/cache_2416636191.jpg?t=1335631187

 

And here is a video of "Sickle" towing three, (which seems to have been taken by Dan, I think).

 

 

Sadly this is before our ownership, and with Matt, a very skilled previous owner, at the tiller.

 

I wasn't brave enough to try this the only time we have made it to the BCLM so far, and life has always got in the way of us doing it since.

 

If anybody were to venture to the BCLM Tug Event next weekend (1st & 2nd May), they would be highly likely to see some of this being done, though sadly Sickle can still not be there - nor indeed, I think the marvellous tug "Enterprise" that has on occasions taken out up to six.

[alan_fincher]

The richness of this thread shows that there's no "unthusiasm" for waterways history.

 

A very large number of us have enormous enthusiasm for waterways history of course, in any of its many facets.

 

There is a massive leap, (and a great deal of cash!), necessary to move from just having that enthusiasm, to taking on boats that may be from (say) 80 to over 100 yeras old. Fortunately some of us are privileged enough to be able to do that.

 

However when the boats concerned were deliberately scuttled in deep waters of a flash nearly 60 years ago, and have lain there ever since, with (I suggest) little idea of their actual condition, then for most of us raising and restoring such a craft moves to just impossible pipe dream. As has been said, the iron boats were mostly buttys, and it is very hard for even buttys in a reasonable state of repair to now find a home in their original format.

 

Fortunately, however, there are some very brave individuals prepared to fund restoration of boats that have very little glamour, and this applies to several of the BCN Joey boats featured in pictures and videos already posted, otherwise fine sites like a tug still at work pulling a short train would not be possible. Most of us though could not fund the restoration and maintenance, (let alone licensing and mooring), of say three 70 foot unpowered boats with no living accommodation. I am thankful there are some who can!

[Athy]

Totally agree. It must be a very big leap, but while the enthusiasm is still there, perhaps some new people will make it.

 

Yoyr comment about unglamorous restoration subjects reminds me of the time that I went to see the start of the London to Brighton Vintage Commercial Vehicles run in Hyde Park some years ago. Along came the gleaming 'buses, the burnished lorries, the lovely steam waggons....then came an odd swishing sound. As the vehicle in question approached, I saw that it was a 1940s road-sweeping lorry which some laudable loony had loved and cared for. I think that seeing it made my day more than any of the more prestigious vehicles. We need more loonies like that!

Edited April 24, 2016 by Athy

[RLWP]

I think that seeing it made my day more than any of the more prestigious vehicles. We need more loonies like that!

 

I bet it made a lot of peoples days. There will be far more memories for folk connected to such a vehicle than for the more glamorous ones

 

Maybe it's time to start my campaign for historic boat recognition for Tawny again. Ex commercial canal boat, still in original livery...

 

Richard

[Guest]

Totally agree. It must be a very big leap, but while the enthusiasm is still there, perhaps some new people will make it.

 

Yoyr comment about unglamorous restoration subjects reminds me of the time that I went to see the start of the London to Brighton Vintage Commercial Vehicles run in Hyde Park some years ago. Along came the gleaming 'buses, the burnished lorries, the lovely steam waggons....then came an odd swishing sound. Ashe vehicle in question approached, I saw that it was a 1940s road-sweeping lorry which some laudable loony had loved and cared for. I think that seeing it made my day more than any of the more prestigious vehicles. We need more loonies like that!

Seconded.