Braunston abandoned boat ?

[Mike E-W]

moored next to the braunston foot bridge is good looking boat ,tug ? , its been there forever anyone know anything about it . Sad to see it abandoned

[RLWP]

It isn't abandoned, it's moored

[Titan]

Is it the one called mouse?

I have enquired a couple of times about purchasing it. I'm led to believe it was made as a tunnel tug to retrieve broken down craft in the tunnel, due to its size it could turn 360 in the tunnel. 

[noddyboater]

Do you mean the riveted centre wheelhouse tug? It’s called something like Frederic William and is owned by Union Canal Carriers. Been the subject of a few posts on here before I believe.

[RLWP]

5 minutes ago, noddyboater said:

Do you mean the riveted centre wheelhouse tug? It’s called something like Frederic William and is owned by Union Canal Carriers. Been the subject of a few posts on here before I believe.

Yes, it's an old perennial subject here

 

Richard

[Ray T]

26 minutes ago, Titan said:

Is it the one called mouse?

I have enquired a couple of times about purchasing it. I'm led to believe it was made as a tunnel tug to retrieve broken down craft in the tunnel, due to its size it could turn 360 in the tunnel. 

Mouse, Frog and Mole were built for the refurbishment of Blisworth Tunnel. They were that length so they could turn round in the width of the tunnel.

[fittie]

35 minutes ago, Titan said:

Is it the one called mouse?

I have enquired a couple of times about purchasing it. I'm led to believe it was made as a tunnel tug to retrieve broken down craft in the tunnel, due to its size it could turn 360 in the tunnel. 

I thought that Mouse and Mole were built for working in the tunnel (Braunston) when it was closed for relining way back when. I have worked with one of then when it was used as a pusher tug for bridge and tunnel inspections with BWB.

More here.

 

[MtB]

1 hour ago, RLWP said:

It isn't abandoned, it's moored

 

I'd say it is both!

 

[MtB]

 

Or to put another way, UCC appear not to be maintaining it to the same standard they maintain their hire fleet. 

 

Any idea if they have any plans for it?

 

[noddyboater]

I think it’s the result of a family dispute that resulted in it being left in that state for so long. I’m pretty sure the 6 pot engine was taken out years ago and stood in the UCC car park. 

[alan_fincher]

41 minutes ago, Ray T said:

Mouse, Frog and Mole were built for the refurbishment of Blisworth Tunnel. They were that length so they could turn round in the width of the tunnel.

Yep,

As has been said, Braunston tunnel, I think, not Blisworth.

For the major rebuild of Blisworth, there was of course no water in it, so small tugs would not have been a lot of use!

[Dav and Pen]

I steered  one of these at Fazely for Land and water pushing hoppers. I brought it on it’s own from Atherstone where it had been abandoned by previous steerer, dam near lethal on there own as wanted to dive at anything like decent speed.

[Ray T]

39 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Yep,

As has been said, Braunston tunnel, I think, not Blisworth.

For the major rebuild of Blisworth, there was of course no water in it, so small tugs would not have been a lot of use!

Yes, thank you. We're having a bit of personal upset at the moment and I'm not thinking straight.

[magnetman]

3 hours ago, Mike E-W said:

moored next to the braunston foot bridge is good looking boat ,tug ? , its been there forever anyone know anything about it . Sad to see it abandoned

Boat is called "Rennie" 

 

More here  https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/70958-tug-by-braunston-foot-bridge/

[noddyboater]

48 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Boat is called "Rennie" 

 

More here  https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/70958-tug-by-braunston-foot-bridge/

That’s the fella. Not sure where I got Frederic William from! 

[furnessvale]

52 minutes ago, noddyboater said:

That’s the fella. Not sure where I got Frederic William from! 

There is a vaguely similar looking boat on the system with a name like Frederic William.

 

George

[alan_fincher]

40 minutes ago, furnessvale said:

There is a vaguely similar looking boat on the system with a name like Frederic William.

 

George

The "Frederick Whittingham", possibly?

 

Can't resist putting the first one in, because it was the first I found with Google, and it just happened to be in a tug line up with "Sickle".

 

But you can see the whole thing rather better ina  subsequent shot in the same blog.

 

[magnetman]

2 hours ago, noddyboater said:

That’s the fella. Not sure where I got Frederic William from! 

Just to confuse things there is a modern replica called Frederick II. I think its a copy of a sharpness steam tug or similar.  Put together by Roger Fuller.

4 pot Gardner in there I think.

 

[mark99]

F. Whittingham iirc has a multipot Gardner 6 cylinder?

Edited October 16, 2018 by mark99

[magnetman]

Gardner 6L2

 

Hand start as seen here 

 

Ex Health Authority launch from the Thames. Built by Yarwoods

 

 

[Nightwatch]

That 6L2 is a grand looking engine.

[alan_fincher]

1 hour ago, mark99 said:

F. Whittingham iirc has a multipot Gardner 6 cylinder?

Hard to have a 6 cylinder that inn't multi-pot!

Even my 2 cylinder engines manage that!Tug of War.

EDITED TO ADD:

I don' think anything was able to make much impact pulling against that boat in the Tug of War!

Edited October 16, 2018 by alan_fincher

[matty40s]

Although not as shapely as this replica....

[magnetman]

I remember seeing that up above Windsor a year or two ago. Nice looking vessel. Mooring it was on is now occupied by the Josher OWL. 

 

 

[noddyboater]

1 hour ago, matty40s said:

Although not as shapely as this replica....

Do you know anything about the Dutch barge moored at Tim’s place? 

Builders of modern wide beams could certainly learn a thing or two looking at her.