Buckby lock No 8

[billS]

When that last happened, not only did they prohibit widebeams but also for some inexplicable reason they wouldn't allow two narrowboats to share the lock. I hope they use more common sense this time.

 

How did they enforce that restriction? Did they have a lock-keeper on duty?

[Captain Pegg]

When that last happened, not only did they prohibit widebeams but also for some inexplicable reason they wouldn't allow two narrowboats to share the lock. I hope they use more common sense this time.

Do you mean when a gate last got lifted or when there was last a stoppage due to a broken gate on the Buckby flight?

 

If the latter that was a different type of failure that involved the broken gate being propped in the closed position to allow the lock to be used by narrowboats. Presumably the restriction on two sharing was to ensure there was no contact between boats and the already compromised gate and/or props.

 

JP

Edited May 25, 2016 by Captain Pegg

[Keeping Up]

Yes, I meant the last time there was a broken gate on the Buckby flight, when the gate was propped. I still can't see any logical reason why they couldn't have allowed two narrowboats to share the lock.

[MoominPapa]

In practice, two NBs were

 

Yes, I meant the last time there was a broken gate on the Buckby flight, when the gate was propped. I still can't see any logical reason why they couldn't have allowed two narrowboats to share the lock.

 

In practise, two NBs were being locked through when one of them was short. The reasoning was to avoid any contact between the damaged gate and a boat. (For the same reason, boats were bow-hauled in to the lock.) The damage to the gate was such that there wasn't much holding it all together when the lock was full, with no water pressure on the gate.

 

MP.

[matty40s]

They are letting two boats up at a time.

[Bettie Boo]

Just seen a notice on FB from CRT stating that WB's can go through with supervision, but only if we book 24 hours in advance, and we must tell them when we want to go through, and it can only be during office hours and no passage for us on Weekends.

[MtB]

Just seen a notice on FB from CRT stating that WB's can go through with supervision, but only if we book 24 hours in advance, and we must tell them when we want to go through, and it can only be during office hours and no passage for us on Weekends.

 

 

As explained in Post 99 here!

 

[adam1uk]

Last time, there was a strut helping keep the gate in place, between the gate and the lock wall -- ie inside the lock. This time the supports are on the outside, so there's no lack of length in the lock this time.

 

As you can see, they've also cut the balance beam off. I'm not sure this had much to do with damage caused this weekend -- I watched one of the guys this morning peel off the non-slip strip, and find it so rotten underneath that he could push his screwdriver in up to the handle. It does mean it would be difficult to open and close the gate, and helps explain the widebeam restrictions.

Edited May 25, 2016 by adam1uk

[Bettie Boo]

 

 

As explained in Post 99 here!

 

 

Please excuse my mind fart - I missed post 99

[KJT]

Just seen a notice on FB from CRT stating that WB's can go through with supervision, but only if we book 24 hours in advance, and we must tell them when we want to go through, and it can only be during office hours and no passage for us on Weekends.

That shouldn't present much of an issue in practice as I would think most wide beams would be transiting Braunston tunnel which also requires 24 hours notice IIRC.

 

We spoke to a CRT chap yesterday as they were just finishing up re-instating the gate and he mentioned that the gates were due for replacement next winter and they have already been made. So the current thinking is to bring replacement forward. Possibly within the next two weeks.

He said it would take one day to replace them.

 

Ken

[alan_fincher]

We spoke to a CRT chap yesterday as they were just finishing up re-instating the gate and he mentioned that the gates were due for replacement next winter and they have already been made. So the current thinking is to bring replacement forward. Possibly within the next two weeks.

He said it would take one day to replace them.

 

That would be rather remarkable in the modern age!

 

Whilst once upon a time I know stoppages for gate replacements were done in under 24 hours, I am not aware of any case of BW or CRT coming close to that timing in recent years.

 

I'd be amazed, quite frankly, but it would be great if they could.

 

It will be interesting to see if the new gates have paddle gear. One of the good things on GU gate replacements in recent times has been them putting back gate paddles on locks where they had been removed.. However disappointingly some of the most recent replacements are not fitting them. The deep lock at Kings Langley 69A was crying out for them, but the new top gates have no paddles, so frustratingly it remains the slowest filling lock on the Southern GU.

[junior]

When you see some of the things Network Rail can achieve overnight under floodlights, I'm often surprised by the contrasting length of time it takes CRT to do some jobs.

[Captain Pegg]

When you see some of the things Network Rail can achieve overnight under floodlights, I'm often surprised by the contrasting length of time it takes CRT to do some jobs.

Because CRT don't operate with anything like the same commercial pressure as NR. If CRT were mandated to work in the same way as NR we might all think twice about it once we feel the impact it would have on our licence fees.

 

JP

[bizzard]

When you see some of the things Network Rail can achieve overnight under floodlights, I'm often surprised by the contrasting length of time it takes CRT to do some jobs.

Yes, and Stobart stobarts all night to do it too.

[Peter X]

junior, on 26 May 2016 - 08:58 AM, said:

When you see some of the things Network Rail can achieve overnight under floodlights, I'm often surprised by the contrasting length of time it takes CRT to do some jobs.

Because CRT don't operate with anything like the same commercial pressure as NR. If CRT were mandated to work in the same way as NR we might all think twice about it once we feel the impact it would have on our licence fees.

 

I think Captain Pegg's right, that CRT can't afford the round-the-clock approach that Network Rail, or even more so London Underground where Richard Parry previously worked, would use in order to minimise closure time. It would have to cost more, not just in overtime rates and lighting, but in extra management to organise people working in shifts, handing information over at each change. Whether the cost would be added to licence fees or found from some other source, it would be a big cost and hard to justify as the great majority of traffic is leisure boaters for whom the difference between waiting one day or two is not a huge deal.

 

However while Junior runs a coal boat and delays for maintenance work will affect his income from that, I doubt that he's seriously arguing that NR style overnight working is desirable, more just that CRT repair work could be done faster. I don't know if it could, but would say it is important that CRT proceed with all due speed within a normal working day to get canals re-opened, prioritising such busy places such as Buckby.

 

It's handy that they can use the Blue Peter approach, "here are some gates we made earlier". In theory I suppose they could have replacements for all the oldest gates on the system, all carefully labelled and indexed and stored in one or more big sheds, ready to use when a gate breaks, but those sheds could cost money unless they already have some unused ones in the property portfolio...

[mark99]

Just idle thought without looking into how locks are constructed in any detail... if the wooden gate is a simple pin and cup (at the bottom of gate) them it must be a careful balance between:

 

1) getting the gate so heavy it does not float and lift off under mere buoyancy and

2) the gate not being too heavy to bind in the pin and cup

 

I guess the ironworks and wooden bits (balance beam?) not submerged are the "balancing" bits.

 

And I further wonder if that's why the big stick you lever open the lock gate with is called a "balance" beam.

Edited May 26, 2016 by mark99

[Rose Narrowboats]

When you see some of the things Network Rail can achieve overnight under floodlights, I'm often surprised by the contrasting length of time it takes CRT to do some jobs.

Having first hand experience of CRT and NR stoppages I would say that actually CRT are considerably more efficient with their resources. NR appears (though I am sure it is not actually the case) to have a "money no object, throw more men and plant at it" attitude and the laws of diminishing returns very soon start to apply.

 

Not saying that their approach is wrong (they have severe time constraints), just that doing a job in half the time costs far more than twice as much. I could tell some stories - but I'd like to work for them again.

[David Mack]

The consequences of not getting the railway reopened on time are such that Network Rail and their contractors have to have resources on standby just in case extra work is needed. Often that resource is not needed, but it still has to be paid for. And at rates for night and weekend working.

 

Far more cost effective for CRT to delay reopening if work turns out to be more extensive than expected, and only pay the additional costs when the need arises, and then at normal daytime rates.