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Rochdale Re-opens.......


Mac of Cygnet

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..........partially.  Locks 1 to 16 are open this weekend on a limited basis.  Locks 1 & 2 and Tuel Lane are open between 9 and 2 as a trial.  This has not been issued as a notice or otherwise publicised other than by word of mouth and a notice on the gate of Lock 1.  Perhaps they think someone will be hurt in the rush.

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30 minutes ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

This has not been issued as a notice or otherwise publicised other than by word of mouth and a notice on the gate of Lock 1.  Perhaps they think someone will be hurt in the rush.

Or close them again citing a lack of demand?

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Oh dear, does this mean we have to start CCing again? We are currently "putting down roots" in Todmorden and rather enjoying it. There is plenty of water here and its now going over the top of the gates. Been doing big walks up in the hills today and looking at the empty reservoirs and literally miles of water channels that I assume were built to supply water to the Rochdale, they all need restoring and bringing back into CaRT ownership. Walk ended at Littleborough and one of the pounds was still a bit low down that way, buts that's probably not unusual.

 

and the point is...we want to get down to Sowerby bridge to buy some diesel and hopefully to do some boating on the Rochdale, which I now think is Gods own canal in Gods own county ?

 

..................Dave 

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3 minutes ago, dmr said:

Oh dear, does this mean we have to start CCing again? We are currently "putting down roots" in Todmorden and rather enjoying it. There is plenty of water here and its now going over the top of the gates. Been doing big walks up in the hills today and looking at the empty reservoirs and literally miles of water channels that I assume were built to supply water to the Rochdale, they all need restoring and bringing back into CaRT ownership. Walk ended at Littleborough and one of the pounds was still a bit low down that way, buts that's probably not unusual.

 

and the point is...we want to get down to Sowerby bridge to buy some diesel and hopefully to do some boating on the Rochdale, which I now think is Gods own canal in Gods own county ?

 

..................Dave 

Who is this God person anyway?

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1 hour ago, dmr said:

Oh dear, does this mean we have to start CCing again? We are currently "putting down roots" in Todmorden and rather enjoying it. There is plenty of water here and its now going over the top of the gates. Been doing big walks up in the hills today and looking at the empty reservoirs and literally miles of water channels that I assume were built to supply water to the Rochdale, they all need restoring and bringing back into CaRT ownership. Walk ended at Littleborough and one of the pounds was still a bit low down that way, buts that's probably not unusual.

 

and the point is...we want to get down to Sowerby bridge to buy some diesel and hopefully to do some boating on the Rochdale, which I now think is Gods own canal in Gods own county ?

 

..................Dave 

Wondered how you were getting on, I was reading on FB about one boater who cancelled at the last moment in case they got stuck

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1 hour ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

Here is the notice the gate of Lock 1. Right enough, a lockie did appear on the stroke of 9 (a volunteer, I think). It's started to rain.  I don't think he'll be busy.

Notice.jpg

 

I reckon it must be water just coming in off the land as the reservoirs are still pretty much empty, in fact a couple of walkers were taking the opportunity to walk across the bottom yesterday.

 

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

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12 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Wondered how you were getting on, I was reading on FB about one boater who cancelled at the last moment in case they got stuck

We are having a great time on the Rochdale, I have sent you a PM ?

 

The boater who cancelled appears to have become a little bitter and twisted about that decision and is saying negative things about what was a pretty fantastic event. 7 boats were booked in but all but 3 decided to cancel, some due to people telling them that going up the Rochdale was crazy, and others because they needed to get back to home moorings and were concerned about stoppages elsewhere on the system.

 

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

  • Happy 1
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Which one is 75A?    Most use a standard BW key but they can be a bit of a fiddle, try pushing down and lifting the whole mechanism if the key is stiff to turn, also the key has no obvious clicks as it turns so find the unlock position by trial and error.

 

At least one bridge uses a handcuff (a proper handcuff "shackle" from where, I assume, the name "handcuff" originates.)

 

or are you at the "vertical lift bridge?    For various reasons CaRT came out to work that one for us but I believe its a standard key.

 

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

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Yes, thats the vertical lift, have you actually found the operating post?  There are several big metal boxes near the bridge but the key and buttons are on a small discrete black column set a little way back on the non towpath side and easy to miss.

 

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

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1 hour ago, dmr said:

Yes, thats the vertical lift, have you actually found the operating post?  There are several big metal boxes near the bridge but the key and buttons are on a small discrete black column set a little way back on the non towpath side and easy to miss.

 

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

Thanks for that.  I gave it a go and only one barrier came down. Awaiting crt now who apparently have only one person looking after Rochdale and Huddersfield today! ?

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6 minutes ago, Finnus1 said:

Thanks for that.  I gave it a go and only one barrier came down. Awaiting crt now who apparently have only one person looking after Rochdale and Huddersfield today! ?

CaRT emergency people are often very small in numbers and do cover a lot of ground.

Where are you heading? The summit is still closed but might open soon, there's quite a bit of water coming down the canal today. You should be OK as far a Littleborough which is a good place but do check with CaRT if you have not already done so. The short pound above Littleborough was very low the other day but I think that's not unusual.

 

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

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1 hour ago, dmr said:

Yes, thats the vertical lift, have you actually found the operating post?  There are several big metal boxes near the bridge but the key and buttons are on a small discrete black column set a little way back on the non towpath side and easy to miss.

 

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

I was thinking about that bridge while reading the thread about cars trying to dash through swing bridges. 

 

Two feet of steel and concrete rising out of the road dissuades most of them quite a bit more than a plastic barrier! 

 

What I got was a very angry bloke in a Jag cursing and swearing about me making him late for work when operating it during morning rush hour.  This obviously meant I had to work the bridge all the way up rather than just enough to get under it... 

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10 minutes ago, dmr said:

CaRT emergency people are often very small in numbers and do cover a lot of ground.

Where are you heading? The summit is still closed but might open soon, there's quite a bit of water coming down the canal today. You should be OK as far a Littleborough which is a good place but do check with CaRT if you have not already done so. The short pound above Littleborough was very low the other day but I think that's not unusual.

 

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

I have to get all the way to Sowerby Bridge then onto Ripon eventually.  I was under the impression that the whole route was reopened. Will have a chat with Crt guy when he gets here. If I can't get through I need somewhere safe to moor up. Any ideas 

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I had a very angry woman motorist on the K&A who told me that all boaters were idiots and demanded my key (certainly not!) as she knew how to work bridges. I pointed out the screen saying "bridge is broken, call CaRT" but she was unable to accept this.

 

On another K&A occasion the wedges had come out but the bridge jammed. An angry truck driver asked (well demanded) that I lend him a socket set as he knew how to get the barriers back up. I said I had no tools which was very untrue!

 

I suppose the best approach is to point out that if their lifestyle makes them so stressed maybe they should give it up and move onto a boat ?

 

That vertical lift bridge is very impressive.

 

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

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1 minute ago, Finnus1 said:

I have to get all the way to Sowerby Bridge then onto Ripon eventually.  I was under the impression that the whole route was reopened. Will have a chat with Crt guy when he gets here. If I can't get through I need somewhere safe to moor up. Any ideas 

 

You need to talk to CaRT urgently, there is a rumour that they are bringing some winter maintenance work forward. The Rochdale has just reopened (some days only) from lock 1 to 16 (lock 16 in the middle of nowhere but two locks down from Todmorden!)

 

I believe Littleborough over the summit to Tod is still closed. There was a problem with a very leaky gate on the flight between Littleborough and the summit, it was sheeted up at one stage last month, I don't know what the current status is. As a last resort maybe CaRT would let you moor on the service point just above Littleborough, though there is already one long term squatter there. However if you ask nicely they may well let you through.

 

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

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1 hour ago, dmr said:

 

You need to talk to CaRT urgently, there is a rumour that they are bringing some winter maintenance work forward. The Rochdale has just reopened (some days only) from lock 1 to 16 (lock 16 in the middle of nowhere but two locks down from Todmorden!)

 

I believe Littleborough over the summit to Tod is still closed. There was a problem with a very leaky gate on the flight between Littleborough and the summit, it was sheeted up at one stage last month, I don't know what the current status is. As a last resort maybe CaRT would let you moor on the service point just above Littleborough, though there is already one long term squatter there. However if you ask nicely they may well let you through.

 

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

Cheers Dave. I'm finally through the lift bridge. Took two guys to sort it. Not going far today. The Crt guys said that when I get to 47 it will be ok to moor there for awhile.  Thanks for your help

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1 hour ago, Finnus1 said:

Btw how did you find passing through Manchester? Never again for me :)

I quite enjoyed the Rochdale 9 up to New Islington.

New Islington up to the Boat and horses was not so good. We got stuck quite a bit and really stuck a couple of times (boat is quite deep) and would have been lost without our volunteer lock keeper. Newton Heath is truly grim. Did you spot the shop---bricked up window and just a semi smashed up door to get in? After that it was ok and Rochdale was mostly better than I expected, so its really  just the one horrid boating day. We had no "youth"trouble but the boats behind did get a bit of drunk adult trouble.

 

On balance the grotty Manchester bit is worth it, the Summit onwards is just wonderful.

 

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

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