Heartland Posted June 16, 2017 Report Share Posted June 16, 2017 One of the historic cranes placed on the former Cambrian Wharf in Birmingham near Cambridge Street is down and surrounded by heras fencing. It was put in this place mounted on a small raised bank near the present basin there. This 1960's redevelopment that involved the creation of the basin and moorings on the former Newhall Branch (BCN) as well as the Pub, now called the Flapper. It is one of two cranes kept to preserve the memory of the former carriers wharves placed there. Whether it fell down or was taken down is not clear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesWoolcock Posted June 16, 2017 Report Share Posted June 16, 2017 It has been fenced off for a long time, presumably because someone thought it was unsafe. It needed attention. Sadly that attention didn't happen. It collapsed and major cast iron parts broken, possibly not repairable, to be lost for ever. Was the someone Birmingham City Council or CRT? I don't know. But it is wilful neglect. James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartland Posted June 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2017 There was a time when BW used to have canal side smith shops for repairing ironwork, I wonder if anybody has the skills these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEngo Posted June 22, 2017 Report Share Posted June 22, 2017 The Anson museum has a small working forge/smithy and several capable smiths. It is opposite the big Brotherhood sleeve valve engine. N Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek R. Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 The skills are there, but few canal based. Chap at Bulbourne was quite adept at architectural ironwork and would do stuff for boaters, but plans were in line for the works becoming a restaurant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurence Hogg Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 Broken cast is easily repairable, CRT could do it at Bradley or they have a contractor in my village that they use. (If they are bothered that is!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Lewis Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 (edited) On 16/06/2017 at 09:56, Heartland said: One of the historic cranes placed on the former Cambrian Wharf in Birmingham near Cambridge Street is down and surrounded by heras fencing. It was put in this place mounted on a small raised bank near the present basin there. This 1960's redevelopment that involved the creation of the basin and moorings on the former Newhall Branch (BCN) as well as the Pub, now called the Flapper. It is one of two cranes kept to preserve the memory of the former carriers wharves placed there. Whether it fell down or was taken down is not clear By co-incidence this is probably the first picture of a canal that I ever took, during a school photography club trip into Birmingham in about 1972. Edited June 23, 2017 by Tim Lewis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartland Posted June 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 I recall Ellesmere Port Museum has a forge and there used to be forges at strategic spots on the canal system. Hillmorton, on the Oxford Canal, had a forge, for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archie57 Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 Spent some happy times in the Blacksmiths shop at Hillmorton with "Happy" Smith, who like his father before him was the "company's blacksmith there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek R. Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 That's a nice well balanced picture Tim. There used to be a crane in Aylesbury basin, but I doubt that has survived the redevelopment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuckbyLocks Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 This is neither cheap or easy to repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek R. Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 If such things are for aesthetic appearances, they could be reproduced in resin. Though it would not stop them being vandalised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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