Hillmorton

[roland elsdon]

As i said the operative did two dangerous things. One in respect of safety of my boat, one in respect of her own safety. Getting knocked on the back of the head by a large steel narrowboat being dragged forwards into the gate is not something i would want. Especially as it would have thrown her in front of the gate. I did not ask her to pull paddles and prior she appeared to be in an argument with the other blue shirted person.

its a shame i have met some good vlockies, but its bad enough watching a boat that sometimes catches up in locks without having to watch them too. My wife commented that she was watching her antics with concern, and felt her presence made a normal transition through locks we are so familiar with more difficult.

[Victor Vectis]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

Remember they are volunteers not paid employees, they don't have to help anyone. As one at Bingley said to me, When I get pissed off I can go home. The way the full time locky was behaving I think that may have been quite early 

Would that attitude work with the volunteers that run preserved railways?

 

We're still smarting from the dangerous incompetence displayed by the vlockies at Stoke Lock on the Trent earlier this year.

[Tony Brooks]

Interesting instruction from the volylocky on Foxton yesterday. Apparently when lowering the paddles it is required that you do not flick the pawl off but you must use on hand to lower the paddle and the other to  hold the  pawl up so that if the windlass slips out of you hands you can drop the pawl and stop the paddle dropping because its is dangerous and you can get injured. I told him that if a windlass slips I just jump clear. That is not allowed, the pawl must be dropped so "a ton of paddle does not hit the bottom".

 

Now, at least one pawl is well bent,  presume by doing exactly that and I suspect it will bend right round if it happens again. I also ended up with an aching back caused by the contortion needed to follow the instruction if you are tall.

 

I fully understand why it red first on these locks and then white BUT when you lock is empty the side pound and the lock are at a level so it should not matter which paddle you drop first and as the white is closer to the gate I usually drop that one first and then the red as I walk down to the next lock. Again this is not allowed, both when raising and dropping paddles must be red first.

 

 Do CaRT actually train the vollys to understand what they are dealing with - I very much doubt it.

 

[ditchcrawler]

8 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Interesting instruction from the volylocky on Foxton yesterday. Apparently when lowering the paddles it is required that you do not flick the pawl off but you must use on hand to lower the paddle and the other to  hold the  pawl up so that if the windlass slips out of you hands you can drop the pawl and stop the paddle dropping because its is dangerous and you can get injured. I told him that if a windlass slips I just jump clear. That is not allowed, the pawl must be dropped so "a ton of paddle does not hit the bottom".

 

Now, at least one pawl is well bent,  presume by doing exactly that and I suspect it will bend right round if it happens again. I also ended up with an aching back caused by the contortion needed to follow the instruction if you are tall.

 

I fully understand why it red first on these locks and then white BUT when you lock is empty the side pound and the lock are at a level so it should not matter which paddle you drop first and as the white is closer to the gate I usually drop that one first and then the red as I walk down to the next lock. Again this is not allowed, both when raising and dropping paddles must be red first.

 

 Do CaRT actually train the vollys to understand what they are dealing with - I very much doubt it.

 

I had that on Middle Lock at Fradley, I told her I would put it on afterwards and no way was I bending over a windlass doing that

 

[dmr]

We generally find volunteers good or very good and we have met quite a few. Only bad ones we have encountered are Hillmorton and Bunbury. What is it about Hillmorton?????

 

Recently assisted by a Lock keeper on the Rochdale who had 40 years of wooden working boat experience and appeared to have a detailed knowledge of every bit of paddle gear and every pound, and had restored a fair bit with his own hands. He did point out that we were in charge and he was only helping ?.

 

and helped by a retired surgeon at Lapworth last year.

 

..............Dave

[ditchcrawler]

10 minutes ago, dmr said:

We generally find volunteers good or very good and we have met quite a few. Only bad ones we have encountered are Hillmorton and Bunbury. What is it about Hillmorton?????

 

Recently assisted by a Lock keeper on the Rochdale who had 40 years of wooden working boat experience and appeared to have a detailed knowledge of every bit of paddle gear and every pound, and had restored a fair bit with his own hands. He did point out that we were in charge and he was only helping ?.

 

and helped by a retired surgeon at Lapworth last year.

 

..............Dave

Some of the Wigan ones are boaters and well organised

[rgreg]

I have met many volunteers, including Hillmorton twice in the last two weeks, and have never had an issue; perhaps I was just lucky. One did say to me that some boaters have a funny attitude towards them and I suggested to him that, if this was the case, just let them get on with it and go and have cuppa! Obviously dangerous operation is not acceptable in any case, but I've not experienced it yet.

Edited August 15, 2018 by rgreg

[starman]

Being temporarily becalmed in Hillmorton we have got to know the volockies quite well and, IMHO, most do a pretty good job in the face of some considerable ineptitude at times. This is the busiest lock flight in the country, apparently, (a couple of years ago we got a certificate because we were the 9000th boat through that year). It's also on some very popular hire boat routes and is the first set of locks that many hirers encounter - and boy do they get it wrong sometimes when there are no lockies on duty.

Are all volockies perfect? No. And the ones on duty on a Wednesday? Well.......

 

PS thought I saw you going up the flight this morning, Roland. Did you ever get Markon the Magnificent  fired into generating action?

[jonesthenuke]

Volunteers at Hillmorton were fine when we passed through yesterday, though one did express his view that the current restriction to single lock working was a wast of time.

 

In my view they would be better off reinstating the paddle that cross connects the locks (There must be a correct name for this but it escapes me!) 

 

 

[starman]

14 minutes ago, jonesthenuke said:

Volunteers at Hillmorton were fine when we passed through yesterday, though one did express his view that the current restriction to single lock working was a wast of time.

 

In my view they would be better off reinstating the paddle that cross connects the locks (There must be a correct name for this but it escapes me!) 

 

 

I can't see the point of the single locks either - except that maybe it gives the lockies more of a chance to enforce a one-up, one-down rule. And if it's a valuable water saving restriction why this - plus all the other restrictions introduced 3-4 weeks ago. Long term weather forecasts are available. The words lock stable door horse and bolted come to mind.

Edited August 15, 2018 by starman

[roland elsdon]

Markon the magnificent is regretably not operating starman. I would have said hello but either mrs S was steering or my eyesight failed me, didnt spot you.

mr markon has been coaxed into a spot far too small for his girth, but it rather looks like the pulleys are not going to give sufficient ratio to get to 3000 rpm. As the location is under the step i cant increase the diameter of the pulley ( i need to go 3 to 1). Looking at present to fitting double pulley one for 12v one for markon, but that causes alignment issues?.

I suspect like you found its going to go into the too complicated basket, and we will end up with perish the thought an lpg genny if we stay on the boat once the clocks go back... in that case the initial post will be reactivated and itll get passed on..

[starman]

15 minutes ago, roland elsdon said:

Markon the magnificent is regretably not operating starman. I would have said hello but either mrs S was steering or my eyesight failed me, didnt spot you.

mr markon has been coaxed into a spot far too small for his girth, but it rather looks like the pulleys are not going to give sufficient ratio to get to 3000 rpm. As the location is under the step i cant increase the diameter of the pulley ( i need to go 3 to 1). Looking at present to fitting double pulley one for 12v one for markon, but that causes alignment issues?.

I suspect like you found its going to go into the too complicated basket, and we will end up with perish the thought an lpg genny if we stay on the boat once the clocks go back... in that case the initial post will be reactivated and itll get passed on..

Shame Markon is not being Magnificent, still it was a brave try - well beyond what I achieved. You were looking the other way this morning - we are tucked down the arm at the boatyard.

[David Mack]

2 hours ago, dmr said:

Recently assisted by a Lock keeper on the Rochdale who had 40 years of wooden working boat experience and appeared to have a detailed knowledge of every bit of paddle gear and every pound, and had restored a fair bit with his own hands. He did point out that we were in charge and he was only helping ?.

 

He is also a forum member and occasional poster here.

[X Alan W]

12 hours ago, Ray T said:

Alan, the paddles and the connection between the locks were disabled by "my historic" narrowboat captain when he worked the Hillmorton Length, on the instructions of BW. Early 1960's I believe.

Possibly after the demise of BW's carrying fleet i remember using it on the bottom locks delivering a load of piles to the Hillmorton yard  mid 63 IIRC

[pearley]

11 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Some of the Wigan ones are boaters and well organised

Yes, we've just come up Heartbreak Hill following one of them. 

[canalboat]

16 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

I am aware of people who deliberately try to work that flight when volunteer are not on duty, (not really possible at the moment with the restricted opening hours though).

You don't have to do that though do you? - or haven't you noticed that all of them are suddenly busy elsewhere when you turn up.

As more boats go through Hillmorton Locks than anywhere else in the country, they will of course get a higher percentage of whingers than at other locks.

[Jerra]

1 minute ago, canalboat said:

As more boats go through Hillmorton Locks than anywhere else in the country, they will of course get a higher percentage of whingers than at other locks.

I would have thought they will get a greater number of "whingers" but would hope the proportion and hence the percentage would be similar at all locks.

[canalboat]

2 minutes ago, Jerra said:

I would have thought they will get a greater number of "whingers" but would hope the proportion and hence the percentage would be similar at all locks.

Or, indeed, a higher percentage of all whingers at all locks?

[archie57]

52 minutes ago, X Alan W said:

Possibly after the demise of BW's carrying fleet i remember using it on the bottom locks delivering a load of piles to the Hillmorton yard  mid 63 IIRC

You've aroused my curiosity - wasn't that like carrying coals to Newcastle?!

[X Alan W]

2 minutes ago, archie57 said:

You've aroused my curiosity - wasn't that like carrying coals to Newcastle?!

At that time BW's concrete plant was at Mk Drayton so piles were cast  & transported to various parts of the system as required the BW boat that did the trips the steerer  was taken ill & passed away, as a temp fix I was asked if I would fill in for a period until he returned, on his demise I was asked if I would like to carry on which I did I suppose it was less hassle for BW as their distance carrying was running down  they had no upkeep on the boats & only paid per trip so possibly it worked out cheaper  It lasted 4 years 60/64 Piles were delivered along with lock gate /paddle furniture to BW maintenance yards + specific parts of the cut as required Mostly midlands/north but occasional trips to Hartshill & Hillmorton & a couple to Bulbourne & Marsworth

[archie57]

 - so this must be before Hillmorton started making their own  piles?

[archie57]

Further to this, I've just unearthed an old Waterways magazine, Sept/Oct 1957, which refers to provision of pilemaking workshops at Hillmorton  - perhaps they couldn't keep up with demand!

[X Alan W]

18 minutes ago, archie57 said:

 - so this must be before Hillmorton started making their own  piles?

I think they may have been in the process of setting up as in the load were some casting boxes, or they had run short not sure really only that I delivered 38ish tons of concrete kit

[alan_fincher]

1 hour ago, canalboat said:

You don't have to do that though do you? - or haven't you noticed that all of them are suddenly busy elsewhere when you turn up.

As more boats go through Hillmorton Locks than anywhere else in the country, they will of course get a higher percentage of whingers than at other locks.

So if a volunteer does something dangerous, and the boat owner calls them out they are whinging?

Don't forget that CRT's training of volunteers is supposed to insist that they never get involved in operation of a lock where you are in control without asking first.

In my experience the majority still do not follow that instruction.  Because it is so widespread, I still tend to let them get on with it, providing they are not doing anything I am unhappy with, and they appear to be concentrating on lock operation, and not distracted by something else.  However if one were to wind a paddle without asking, then wander off, when none of my crew were easily available to intervene if anything went wrong, I probably would have something to say.

[The Bearwood Boster]

2 hours ago, archie57 said:

 - so this must be before Hillmorton started making their own  piles?

Sounds painful...