And now the Birmingham New Line

[mrsmelly]

Think I will stick with my 2 foot draught boat 

[Hudds Lad]

im intrigued as to how they always know its “vandals”

could it not just as easily be an inexperienced new boater or hirer whos had zero instruction?

[Sea Dog]

1 hour ago, john6767 said:

Finally made it into Birmingham, slow all the way and the level is still well down in the centre.

 

Where is everybody though, no boats at all on the Arena side of the Main Line, only 3 boats on the other side, and 2 spaces on the Oozells St Loop.  Funny though that from Salvage Turn to Worcester Bar was completely full, don’t know why people pick to moor there, but I should not complain as it gave me the pick of the better places ?. 

Hang on John, I'll be there next week (levels permitting)!  I hope it's still equally easy to find a favoured billet. 

1 hour ago, john6767 said:

Finally made it into Birmingham, slow all the way and the level is still well down in the centre.

 

Where is everybody though, no boats at all on the Arena side of the Main Line, only 3 boats on the other side, and 2 spaces on the Oozells St Loop.  Funny though that from Salvage Turn to Worcester Bar was completely full, don’t know why people pick to moor there, but I should not complain as it gave me the pick of the better places ?. 

Hang on John, I'll be there next week (levels permitting)!  I hope it's still equally easy to find a favoured billet. 

[john6767]

17 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Think I will stick with my 2 foot draught boat 

26 inch at the skeg o our boat, was still hitting the bottom on the N Stratford.

 

14 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Hang on John, I'll be there next week (levels permitting)!  I hope it's still equally easy to find a favoured billet. 

Hang on John, I'll be there next week (levels permitting)!  I hope it's still equally easy to find a favoured billet. 

Will put some cones out for you ? 

 

18 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

im intrigued as to how they always know its “vandals”

could it not just as easily be an inexperienced new boater or hirer whos had zero instruction?

What who smashed off the ani-vandal locks, the pawls, and the collar on one gate, as well as removing bolts from lock gates.  This was a targeted attack, a bit like the case where the lock beams were being sawn off on the Walsall flight last year.

[Sea Dog]

1 minute ago, john6767 said:

Will put some cones out for you ? 

 

It appears I need 2 sets! (or is there an echo in here?)

[Hudds Lad]

49 minutes ago, john6767 said:

What who smashed off the ani-vandal locks, the pawls, and the collar on one gate, as well as removing bolts from lock gates.  This was a targeted attack, a bit like the case where the lock beams were being sawn off on the Walsall flight last year.

fair enough, I've not seen that info anywhere, so vandals it is then.

[Victor Vectis]

52 minutes ago, john6767 said:

?What who smashed off the ani-vandal locks, the pawls, and the collar on one gate, as well as removing bolts from lock gates.  This was a targeted attack, a bit like the case where the lock beams were being sawn off on the Walsall flight last year.

Thats not nice.

Where does this information come from John?

[pearley]

3 hours ago, john6767 said:

Finally made it into Birmingham, slow all the way and the level is still well down in the centre.

 

Where is everybody though, no boats at all on the Arena side of the Main Line, only 3 boats on the other side, and 2 spaces on the Oozells St Loop.  Funny though that from Salvage Turn to Worcester Bar was completely full, don’t know why people pick to moor there, but I should not complain as it gave me the pick of the better places ?. 

That's cos we left this morning to give you some space. 

 

Now at Tipton, water low all the way scraping over stuff in places. A group of badly secured Rothen work boars by Caggys floating out as you pass. 

2 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

im intrigued as to how they always know its “vandals”

could it not just as easily be an inexperienced new boater or hirer whos had zero instruction?

From Facebook the say the anti vandal locks were smashed off. Could be a hire boater who couldn't find his key. 

[pearley]

1 hour ago, Victor Vectis said:

Thats not nice.

Where does this information come from John?

Express & Star article states

 

Over the past two and a half weeks a number of incidents have occurred, including 10 water conversion locks and five frog catches being broken.

[WotEver]

2 hours ago, Graham Davis said:

I presume there are no longer ground water pumps from the area around The Old Custard Factory in Digbeth, into the canals?

 

Two humorous true stories follow...

 

Back in the late ‘70’s the Birmingham Hippodrome wished to enlarge the orchestra pit. The wizened old stage manager sat on his stool watching the workers, a skinny roll up between his nicotine stained fingers. “You’ll hit water” he mumbled.

“What?” They asked. 

“You’ll hit water!”

Just at that point a huge geyser of mud and water flew into the air, hitting the ornate ceiling 40 ft above and splashing all over the safety curtain. The mud was still on the safety curtain until it was refurbished in the 80’s. 

 

Nearly 30 years later the entire front of house of the theatre was demolished preparatory to building a brand new facade, public areas, performance areas and more. They had big machines driving in piles for the foundations. Suddenly... yup, a big geyser of mud and water shot into

the air. The construction was delayed for several months while the architects worked out why the adjacent road is called ‘Bridge Street’ and why ‘Watery Lane’ Is nearby...

[john6767]

2 hours ago, Victor Vectis said:

Thats not nice.

Where does this information come from John?

Twitter from CRT.

[john6767]

Here is actually what was said by @CRT_Lee, the operations team leader for the BCN

 

Quote

Yes the same location, 10 con locks smashed off. 5 frog catches broke. 1 gate collar removed. Lock 6 weir wall give way due to the amount of water running down the flight. 100 metre stretch of towpath washed out. Numerous bolts taken out the gates.

 

[Graham Davis]

2 hours ago, WotEver said:

 

Two humorous true stories follow...

 

Back in the late ‘70’s the Birmingham Hippodrome wished to enlarge the orchestra pit. The wizened old stage manager sat on his stool watching the workers, a skinny roll up between his nicotine stained fingers. “You’ll hit water” he mumbled.

“What?” They asked. 

“You’ll hit water!”

Just at that point a huge geyser of mud and water flew into the air, hitting the ornate ceiling 40 ft above and splashing all over the safety curtain. The mud was still on the safety curtain until it was refurbished in the 80’s. 

 

Nearly 30 years later the entire front of house of the theatre was demolished preparatory to building a brand new facade, public areas, performance areas and more. They had big machines driving in piles for the foundations. Suddenly... yup, a big geyser of mud and water shot into

the air. The construction was delayed for several months while the architects worked out why the adjacent road is called ‘Bridge Street’ and why ‘Watery Lane’ Is nearby...

When I was working in that area I remember the number of companies who couldn't use their cellars because the water table had risen so much after the Custard Factory had closed, and I can remember the sound of the pumps in one of the back streets underneath the railway.
I presume they are no longer running, then?

[WotEver]

8 minutes ago, Graham Davis said:

I presume they are no longer running, then?

I have no idea I’m afraid.  I had a business in The Custard Factory about 16 years ago and never heard anything about wet cellars although there may well have been. 

[RLWP]

55 minutes ago, Graham Davis said:

When I was working in that area I remember the number of companies who couldn't use their cellars because the water table had risen so much after the Custard Factory had closed, and I can remember the sound of the pumps in one of the back streets underneath the railway.
I presume they are no longer running, then?

Birmngham used to have hundreds of businesses taking water via artesian wells.

[Graham Davis]

48 minutes ago, WotEver said:

I have no idea I’m afraid.  I had a business in The Custard Factory about 16 years ago and never heard anything about wet cellars although there may well have been. 

I had several customers in the motor trade in that area, and a couple of them had wet cellars.

[MtB]

3 hours ago, pearley said:

Over the past two and a half weeks a number of incidents have occurred, including 10 water conversion locks and five frog catches being broken.

 

What is a water conversion lock?

 

I imagine a frog catch is the anti vandal lock.

 

[RLWP]

1 minute ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

What is a water conversion lock?

 

A water conservation lock spelled wrong

 

Richard

[MtB]

39 minutes ago, RLWP said:

A water conservation lock spelled wrong

 

Richard

 

Oh a side pond?

[Tanglewood]

5 hours ago, pearley said:

Express & Star article states

 

Over the past two and a half weeks a number of incidents have occurred, including 10 water conversion locks and five frog catches being broken.

 

 

 

4 hours ago, john6767 said:

Quote

Yes the same location, 10 con locks smashed off. 5 frog catches broke. 1 gate collar removed. Lock 6 weir wall give way due to the amount of water running down the flight. 100 metre stretch of towpath washed out. Numerous bolts taken out the gates.

 

 

Can everyone, especially CRT,  please stop attracting anyone other than boaters to the canals???!!!

[john6767]

1 hour ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

What is a water conversion lock?

 

I imagine a frog catch is the anti vandal lock.

 

The water conservation lock, is the anti-vandal lock.  My assumption was that frog catch was the pawl, but I guess I could be wrong.

[MtB]

11 minutes ago, john6767 said:

The water conservation lock, is the anti-vandal lock.  My assumption was that frog catch was the pawl, but I guess I could be wrong.

 

Ah now that makes more sense.

 

But why would someone bent on causing maximum damage to the canal system break the pawls? Hardly a major inconvenience or cause of stoppages.

 

But maybe they are not that familiar with how canals work....

[Sea Dog]

8 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Ah now that makes more sense.

 

But why would someone bent on causing maximum damage to the canal system break the pawls? Hardly a major inconvenience or cause of stoppages.

 

But maybe they are not that familiar with how canals work....

Don't try to work out why Mike - it's a bunch of morons, not Ocean's 11.  

[john6767]

Water level not improved in central. Birmingham this morning. Starting to get busy now it is the dragon boat racing today, so we are heading down the hill and onwards to Ripon.

[BWM]

It appears that someone has gone to a lot of trouble to target all these components, the anti vandal locks make sense but breaking pawls, removing bolts and a collar sounds a bit more targeted - disgruntled boater, ex employee maybe?