Wharf boat at Birchills Power station

[AMModels]

 

I think this pic shows what looks like a Wharf boat alongside a plethora of day/joey boats and even an ex long distance boat.

All are painted in CEA Central Electric Authority colours they ran Walsall PS at the time 1958, I found it interesting that a wharf boat doesnt look like the Titanic next to a normal narrow boat but also how much like a long distance boat it is as opposed to a day boat.

 

Is 603 (2nd from left) really an ex LD boat or another fine line day boat?

 

Picture is from CRT collection of Arthur Watts images.

[pete harrison]

The numbers visible on these boats are their B.C.N. gauge numbers, and 603 is ex'Severner' STOURPORT. Both Leonard Leigh Ltd. and British Electric Authority are also named on this gauge table. STOURPORT went on to become a pleasure boat, converted by Keay's in 1972.

 

As far as 'Hampton' Boats are concerned they came in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and not that many were built to the maximum.

 

As a self confessed B.C.N. enthusiast you really ought to get yourself a set of B.C.N. gauge registers. There are 68 plus a few other registers of interest so you will also need a strong bookcase

[RLWP]

Could one of you describe what is in the picture please? There's a lot going on there

 

Richard

[DHutch]

Could one of you describe what is in the picture please?

 

And to me!

[pete harrison]

I will let Andy provide the details as he published the image.

 

I am in the middle of packing for Braunston at the moment as I will be setting off at 05:30 tomorrow

[AMModels]

Could one of you describe what is in the picture please? There's a lot going on there

 

Richard

 

 

 

And to me!

 

Sorry, it is a picture taken on Whitsun 1958 of boats waiting outside the unloading arm of Birchills power station, here is the reverse image

 

The boats were loaded with slack (very small coal) at one of the many loading basins and brought to Birchills in trains generally by Ernie Thomas/Leonard Leigh/Peter Keay tugs, usually loaded out of rail trucks they were unloaded by grab

 

 

in the arm, the coal then being conveyor belted into the station by the construction you can see just past the end of the arm. I believe this side was fed by canal and the chute on the other side of the construction was fed by rail wagons.

 

The area has been totally redeveloped with the basin being infilled and a supermarket built on the site of the power station.

[RLWP]

Wonderful!

 

Could you describe the boats in the first picture too?

 

Richard

[AMModels]

I will let Andy provide the details as he published the image.

 

I am in the middle of packing for Braunston at the moment as I will be setting off at 05:30 tomorrow

 

The numbers visible on these boats are their B.C.N. gauge numbers, and 603 is ex'Severner' STOURPORT. Both Leonard Leigh Ltd. and British Electric Authority are also named on this gauge table. STOURPORT went on to become a pleasure boat, converted by Keay's in 1972.

 

As far as 'Hampton' Boats are concerned they came in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and not that many were built to the maximum.

 

As a self confessed B.C.N. enthusiast you really ought to get yourself a set of B.C.N. gauge registers. There are 68 plus a few other registers of interest so you will also need a strong bookcase

 

Many thanks Pete, and of course you are right about Hamptons, on my list some are only slightly longer than 'normal' like ANNIE; BCN 159, 30/1/1922. 75ft7" x 7ft6.5" 49ton @ 0.47" Freeboard all the way up to MARGE; BCN 1696, 18/9/1931. 88ft0" x 7ft10". 59ton @ 0.39" FB

 

 

Id love a set and the chance to digitise them. The bookcase needed wouldnt be as big if it only had a 3tb hard drive on it hehe. Job would be a lot easier if the BCN had bothered to get itself a nice macbook for gauging tables instead of dusty old ledgers

[AMModels]

Wonderful!

 

Could you describe the boats in the first picture too?

 

Richard

the nearest boats from the outside are a joey, 603 the Severner as described by Pete, another joey, then the Hampton/wharf boat which looks about 5-6ft longer than the regular boats and a little wider and then another joey boat against the bank.

Beyond them are more of the same and in the far distance two unloaded boats can be seen probably waiting to return to the coalfield for reloading.

 

I think but am not sure that on the offside in the distance is a small cruiser style boat but it could be a trick of lighting, that section was however full of cruisers only a few years later, on the offside.

 

There are more photos in this sequence here http://collections.canalrivertrust.org.uk/bw200.1.10.50

[Speedwheel]

As a self confessed B.C.N. enthusiast you really ought to get yourself a set of B.C.N. gauge registers. There are 68 plus a few other registers of interest so you will also need a strong bookcase

 

I keep mine in an IKEA bookcase - is that sacrilege?!

[pete harrison]

 

I keep mine in an IKEA bookcase - is that sacrilege?!

Sacrilege, pah.

 

Mine are kept within a Microsoft Access database and a series of Microsoft Office Folders containing almost 20,000 archive quality pdf images, now that is sacrilege - but no dusty smelly registers on my bookshelves (well not quite true as I have a couple - also on an IKEA bookcase)

[FadeToScarlet]

The numbers visible on these boats are their B.C.N. gauge numbers, and 603 is ex'Severner' STOURPORT. Both Leonard Leigh Ltd. and British Electric Authority are also named on this gauge table. STOURPORT went on to become a pleasure boat, converted by Keay's in 1972.

 

Just out of interest, do you know which Stourport it was? According to the table in Narrowboat Summer 2006, there was an 1876 boat (Fleet number 56, Reg Gloucester 6) and a 1922 boat (fleet number 14, Reg Gloucester 502). I'd guess it's more likely to be the latter?

[AMModels]

Just out of interest, do you know which Stourport it was? According to the table in Narrowboat Summer 2006, there was an 1876 boat (Fleet number 56, Reg Gloucester 6) and a 1922 boat (fleet number 14, Reg Gloucester 502). I'd guess it's more likely to be the latter?

I have the 1922 Stourport as BCN 603 27/02/1923 which would tie in with what Pete wrote above.

 

When the new version of my site is up and running I hope (so far so good) that from a reference number such as this a boat entry will be searchable making it a useful tool.

Edited June 23, 2016 by AMModels

[Laurence Hogg]

 

I think this pic shows what looks like a Wharf boat alongside a plethora of day/joey boats and even an ex long distance boat.

 

All are painted in CEA Central Electric Authority colours they ran Walsall PS at the time 1958, I found it interesting that a wharf boat doesnt look like the Titanic next to a normal narrow boat but also how much like a long distance boat it is as opposed to a day boat.

 

Is 603 (2nd from left) really an ex LD boat or another fine line day boat?

 

Picture is from CRT collection of Arthur Watts image

 

I know these images well, they are part of a series and there should be about four more.

The only possible "Hampton boats" are the two unloaded boats in the background of the first image, their height out of the water gives that fact away.

 

The boats in the foreground are standard "Joeys" very likely built by Ernest Thomas, Yates or Worseys, but the second and fourth boat out are both ex Severn & Canal Carrying Co boats ( one identified by Peter earlier) with large "wooden heads", these were used on the Severn when being towed as a train, ropes could pass through them. One of these boats is just about still extant at the site of Keays dock.

[AMModels]

 

I know these images well, they are part of a series and there should be about four more.

The only possible "Hampton boats" are the two unloaded boats in the background of the first image, their height out of the water gives that fact away.

 

The boats in the foreground are standard "Joeys" very likely built by Ernest Thomas, Yates or Worseys, but the second and fourth boat out are both ex Severn & Canal Carrying Co boats ( one identified by Peter earlier) with large "wooden heads", these were used on the Severn when being towed as a train, ropes could pass through them. One of these boats is just about still extant at the site of Keays dock.

I posted the link to the other images a few posts later Laurence.

 

Thanks for clarifying, is it some sort of foreshortening that makes the inside Severner look so much longer than the other and the day boats?

[Pluto]

Sacrilege, pah.

 

Mine are kept within a Microsoft Access database and a series of Microsoft Office Folders containing almost 20,000 archive quality pdf images, now that is sacrilege - but no dusty smelly registers on my bookshelves (well not quite true as I have a couple - also on an IKEA bookcase)

I, too, have digitised most of my collection of canal and industrial history material. I am sure that Pete will agree that we may be interested in the past, but don't intend to live there.

[Laurence Hogg]

I posted the link to the other images a few posts later Laurence.

 

Thanks for clarifying, is it some sort of foreshortening that makes the inside Severner look so much longer than the other and the day boats?

 

Its a trick of the camera more likely, the "Severners" were big boats had deep holds and were usually maximum dimensions OA, the "Joey" cabin is tiny in comparison. Interestingly what doesn't show up in these images is the small offside dock which was near the basin on the Walsall side of the canal aqueduct.

[black cap]

Both Severners I reckon, regarding the small dock Laurence mentions, to my knowledge this was run by Tom Pearsall, until recently there was an old workbench at my old house at Pelsall Stop, made from boat bottoms off this dock, Mr. Pearsall's main activitywas breaking worn out boats

[AMModels]

Both Severners I reckon, regarding the small dock Laurence mentions, to my knowledge this was run by Tom Pearsall, until recently there was an old workbench at my old house at Pelsall Stop, made from boat bottoms off this dock, Mr. Pearsall's main activitywas breaking worn out boats

 

Ive seen that name in some old documents, thanks for the information BC.

[lydfordcastle]

The picture brings back happy memories of days (and nights) spent 'courting' a young lady who lived in Simpson Road on the Gypsy Lane, later Beechdale Estate. However, my interest now is purely historic and I'd like to know if someone can confirm that the first picture was photographed from the towpath bridge over the Power Station arm which shows up in the second.

[AMModels]

The picture brings back happy memories of days (and nights) spent 'courting' a young lady who lived in Simpson Road on the Gypsy Lane, later Beechdale Estate. However, my interest now is purely historic and I'd like to know if someone can confirm that the first picture was photographed from the towpath bridge over the Power Station arm which shows up in the second.

It was and we wont hold the Beechdale against you

[Laurence Hogg]

I can confirm that the photograph was taken from the towpath bridge as I too spent some time there looking at the sad wrecks in the arms.

[hecla777]

There is a further image in the group of pictures taken by Arthur Watts which shows the position of the bows and illustrates more clearly that the boat is set back from the others.

 

 

Regards

 

Martin O'Keeffe

 

 

[Laurence Hogg]

There is a further image in the group of pictures taken by Arthur Watts which shows the position of the bows and illustrates more clearly that the boat is set back from the others.

 

Arthur Watts BCN Birchills Whitsun 1958 CRT.jpg

 

Regards

 

Martin O'Keeffe

 

 

 

Very good photo showing rare detail. Look at the breastoak of the nearest joey and you can clearly see the Yates Brothers carved trade mark of two scallops and a vee in the leading edge, very rare to see and probably extinct now other than for the modern NCD hulls.

[Derek R.]

 

Very good photo showing rare detail. Look at the breastoak of the nearest joey and you can clearly see the Yates Brothers carved trade mark of two scallops and a vee in the leading edge, very rare to see and probably extinct now other than for the modern NCD hulls.

 

I wonder if Roger Hatchard saw that and copied it. TYCHO's back step had that on the lower edge after he'd rebuilt the cabin. Gone now since Stockton.

 

 

Well spotted.

Edited June 29, 2016 by Derek R.