Warrior's engine

[Chertsey]

In case anyone's interested (I think someone did ask a while back ...) Warrior's National DM3 went back in the week before last, having been completely rebuilt by Russell Newbery, and I've just finished uploading the photos here.

 

For the record, as far as we know from talking to Warrior's builder, John Shotbolt, this engine (built 1937) was taken out af a fisheries protection vessel in Kings Lynn in 1953, and sat on the dockside there until the early 1980s, when he acquired it. He hung on to it for another decade before building Warrior specifically for it. I'd love to find out more about its history 1937 - 53 (for example, might it have gone to Dunkirk?) but I haven't had any success so far.

 

Hope people enjoy the photos! And in case you don't want to plough through all of them, here is the finished article. I wish I could embed it in the post, but I can't ...

[Moley]

And in case you don't want to plough through all of them, here is the finished article. I wish I could embed it in the post, but I can't ...

 

Yes you can, it just needs the

 

Looks fantastic, hope to see the real thing next time we're up the Shroppie.

[Chertsey]

Like this?

 

 

woo, thanks Moley!

 

Well, I dunno, the photo was there for a bit, log off and back on again and it's gone ...

Edited April 26, 2007 by WarriorWoman

[charles123]

thanks for sharing the pictures, wonderfull engine and restoration, curious about the colour, any significance?

 

Charles

[Denis R]

Now that's what I call an engine re-build. What a fantastic job! I bet you're justifiably proud of it.

Denis

[Chertsey]

thanks for sharing the pictures, wonderfull engine and restoration, curious about the colour, any significance?

 

Charles

 

Ah, the colour. Yes. When we originally went to RN and asked them if they know what colour it should be, they said, yes, like that one - pointing to a recently rebuilt RN, a sort of mid green (I called it park bench). I thought it was a bit suspicious that two different companies would paint their engines exactly the same colour, but at this point we were thinking that it would turn out to be a darker green, more like it was when we got it. We asked around at Braunston last year and Tony Redshaw told us, oh no, you dont (sorry, it wont let me type apostrophes for some reason. See how the technology hates me!) want to do it proper National green, its a horrible dirty lime green. Others confirmed this verbally - but we still couldnt find any examples of it. When we brought my boat down from Huddersfield last year we stopped off at Ashton-under-Lyne and visited the old National works, which is now a big industrial estate utilising the old buildings, and had a look inside one of the units. The steel roof beams were painted a sort of horrible lime green ... now I know that isnt decisive but it was good enough for us, so I photographed it and tried to memorise it and we picked out the nearest we could find from Phil Speights enormous collection of colour chips and he made it up for us. And when we did get the engine stripped down further we did find some paint of a very similar colour. I am still a bit dubious as I have not seen another engine like it (so far) but even if it isnt "right" I think we can say we had pretty good reasons for going for it. And it is certainly a bit different!

[magnetman]

Ah, the colour. Yes. When we originally went to RN and asked them if they know what colour it should be, they said, yes, like that one - pointing to a recently rebuilt RN, a sort of mid green (I called it park bench). I thought it was a bit suspicious that two different companies would paint their engines exactly the same colour, but at this point we were thinking that it would turn out to be a darker green, more like it was when we got it. We asked around at Braunston last year and Tony Redshaw told us, oh no, you dont (sorry, it wont let me type apostrophes for some reason. See how the technology hates me!) want to do it proper National green, its a horrible dirty lime green. Others confirmed this verbally - but we still couldnt find any examples of it. When we brought my boat down from Huddersfield last year we stopped off at Ashton-under-Lyne and visited the old National works, which is now a big industrial estate utilising the old buildings, and had a look inside one of the units. The steel roof beams were painted a sort of horrible lime green ... now I know that isnt decisive but it was good enough for us, so I photographed it and tried to memorise it and we picked out the nearest we could find from Phil Speights enormous collection of colour chips and he made it up for us. And when we did get the engine stripped down further we did find some paint of a very similar colour. I am still a bit dubious as I have not seen another engine like it (so far) but even if it isnt "right" I think we can say we had pretty good reasons for going for it. And it is certainly a bit different!

 

Lovely engine. There's a twin National in Stoke Bruerne Museum (if I remember correctly) and I'm pretty sure it's the same colour as yours.

 

no it was an Altrincham RN and it was grey. It was a long time ago I was last there (excuses).

[John Orentas]

Yes, looks a fantastic job.

 

As for the colour, I may have said this before but reading some chaps autobiography, when he was a young lad in his first job working in a boatyard he asked the old boy who was in charge, "Why are all boat engines painted Green", the reply came back, "I don't know lad but they just don't run the same in any other colour".

 

The point was that the bloke was deadly serious.

[Chris-B]

Ah, the colour. Yes. When we originally went to RN and asked them if they know what colour it should be, they said, yes, like that one - pointing to a recently rebuilt RN, a sort of mid green (I called it park bench). I thought it was a bit suspicious that two different companies would paint their engines exactly the same colour, but at this point we were thinking that it would turn out to be a darker green, more like it was when we got it. We asked around at Braunston last year and Tony Redshaw told us, oh no, you dont (sorry, it wont let me type apostrophes for some reason. See how the technology hates me!) want to do it proper National green, its a horrible dirty lime green. Others confirmed this verbally - but we still couldnt find any examples of it. When we brought my boat down from Huddersfield last year we stopped off at Ashton-under-Lyne and visited the old National works, which is now a big industrial estate utilising the old buildings, and had a look inside one of the units. The steel roof beams were painted a sort of horrible lime green ... now I know that isnt decisive but it was good enough for us, so I photographed it and tried to memorise it and we picked out the nearest we could find from Phil Speights enormous collection of colour chips and he made it up for us. And when we did get the engine stripped down further we did find some paint of a very similar colour. I am still a bit dubious as I have not seen another engine like it (so far) but even if it isnt "right" I think we can say we had pretty good reasons for going for it. And it is certainly a bit different!

Very very nice rebuild

( now only to convince SWMBO that Baldock really needs a nice twin National put back in it )

Edited April 26, 2007 by Baldock

[Timleech]

I've owned at least seven Nationals, 2- and 4- cylinder, over the last 40 years, most of them *not* ex-Narrow Boat engines, all were the 'usual green' except for one Brunton's gearbox which was more a sort of pale diarrhoea colour. That gearbox could equally have come from an RN.

I also remember seeing one National, 40 years ago, very convincingly painted grey.

 

Proves nothing, of course.

 

Tim

Edited April 29, 2007 by Timleech

[Chertsey]

I've owned at least seven Nationals, 2- and 4- cylinder, over the last 40 years, most of them *not* ex-Narrow Boat engines, all were the 'usual green' except for one Brunton's gearbox which was more a sort of pale diarrhoea colour. That gearbox could equally have come from an RN.

I also remember seeing one National, 40 years ago, very convincingly painted grey.

 

Proves nothing, of course.

 

Tim

 

But nonetheless pretty strong circumstantial evidence of us being barking up completely the wrong tree ... ah well, at least it's still in the tradition of painting your engine any colour you like; and it is still green, so hopefully should go OK ... and ... it does look smashing!

[NB Alnwick]

Really nice engine - I am a real fan of three cylinder diesels and you don't see that many RN/National versions these days . . .

[Timleech]

But nonetheless pretty strong circumstantial evidence of us being barking up completely the wrong tree ... ah well, at least it's still in the tradition of painting your engine any colour you like; and it is still green, so hopefully should go OK ... and ... it does look smashing!

 

The important thing is that you're happy with it. It's not a museum exhibit, after all!

 

Tim

[Chris-B]

The important thing is that you're happy with it. It's not a museum exhibit, after all!

 

Tim

Totally agree Tim

[Chertsey]

Really nice engine - I am a real fan of three cylinder diesels and you don't see that many RN/National versions these days . . .

 

Thank you.

 

We're told that it's the only National DM3 on the inland waterways system - would be interesting to know if anyone knows any others. I have heard of one other 3 cylinder National in a nb but not a DM - must get round to getting in touch with the guy!

 

Also a while back I looked it up on a fisheries website (assuming that they would have been common in fishing boats) and it gave details for RN DM2 and 3 but only National DM2.

 

Chap next to us has just had a National DM2 fitted in his relatively modern nb - seems a bit sad to me when the likes of Baldock haven't got one ... how hard are they to come by these days, and am I right to feel mildly resentful on behalf of all the GU boats that haven't got one (of the ones that would have had, I mean, of course) or is my sympathy misplaced?

[NB Alnwick]

Thank you.

 

We're told that it's the only National DM3 on the inland waterways system - would be interesting to know if anyone knows any others. I have heard of one other 3 cylinder National in a nb but not a DM - must get round to getting in touch with the guy!

 

Also a while back I looked it up on a fisheries website (assuming that they would have been common in fishing boats) and it gave details for RN DM2 and 3 but only National DM2.

 

Chap next to us has just had a National DM2 fitted in his relatively modern nb - seems a bit sad to me when the likes of Baldock haven't got one ... how hard are they to come by these days, and am I right to feel mildly resentful on behalf of all the GU boats that haven't got one (of the ones that would have had, I mean, of course) or is my sympathy misplaced?

 

I saw a RN DM3 in a narrowboat the other day - also incredibly rare and very very nice. I wouldn't worry too much about what boats the engines go in - preserving the engines themselves is the important thing - although I have to agree that it would be nicer to see them in the historical boats to which they were originally fitted.

 

Anyway - just enjoy your DM3 - I bet it will sound really nice . . .

 

As a matter of interest where was it rebuilt?

[Chertsey]

As a matter of interest where was it rebuilt?

 

By RN in Daventry. There's a photo of it on p 100 of the last issue of Canalboat where they have a feature on RN.

Edited May 2, 2007 by WarriorWoman

[Bigboat]

By RN in Daventry. There's a photo of it on p 100 of the last issue of Canalboat where they have a feature on RN.

Hi nice pictures, is your boat at Stretton wharf just north of Brewood?

Just to set a few things right, the engine at Stoke Bruene is not a National its an early RN from John Gould working Boat of the Kennet & Avon.

If the original engine be it RN or Nat was for marine use it was a DM or just D for industrial use

I am in the process of rebuilding a National D3 1941 vintage and know the guys at RN very well and am member No 18 in the RNR.

I hope one day that it will power a Narrowboat.

As someone mentioned colours arent that inportant early engine being painted in colours that where cheap and easily available, I shall paint ours in grey with red lettering.

Regards

[Chertsey]

Hi nice pictures, is your boat at Stretton wharf just north of Brewood?

 

It certainly is, and very nice it is there too (just as well as we've been there over a year), but hopefully we will be ready to move on within the month and get some boating done!