Link to narrowbaot models and information

Good link Bryan. I'll get that into our Equipment Index straight away and also mark it down for inclusion on the Barchester site.

Andy Mathews who is the site owner is a close friend and comes from an old canal family , we have done several trips together as crew on a pair of working narrowboats . I have some of his canal boat models and they are really excellent and very reasonably priced.

Could we have some pictures of those models Richard as the ones on the site didn't seem to do the models justice.

I am going to have a session of taking pictures next week so will include the canal boats (thats if I can remember in which box I have them stored) :roll:. One thing that Andy will do is to produce the boats in whatever livery the customer wants.

Thanks Richard, looking forward to them.

Although this is a model railway forum we often go into non railway territory and there is no problem with that - it keeps things interesting!

One of my best holidays was a week on the Kennett and Avon Canal on the narrowboat "Reading Lord" from Reading to Hungerford and back.  Would love to do something like that again one day.

Some work involved in restoring that boat Richard!

[user=200]Christrerise[/user] wrote:

One of my best holidays was a week on the Kennett and Avon Canal on the narrowboat "Reading Lord" from Reading to Hungerford and back.  Would love to do something like that again one day.

Some work involved in restoring that boat Richard!

Chris

You probably enjoyed the Kennet & Avon as it was another railway canal as it was owned by the GWR :lol:

Restoration of the boat is a labour of love as well as the main reason I am forever short of cash to spend on railway modelling .                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                             

Chris is quite right the forum is for railway modelling, railway modellers, and any other interests they may have. It shouldn't be used for storing photographs which aren't going to be displayed on the forum in members posts.

PS. I noticed today that we have over 2,000 pictures in there now. Can't tell you how pleased I am that so many members are taking advantage of it.

As a younger man (much younger), I was involved in canal restoration projects - in particular the navigable River Derwent in Yorkshire.  Our Chairman (it was a charitable trust) was Robert Aikman - the power behind the restoration of the River Avon navigation around Stratford.  We often worked with a national voluntary organisation known as the "Waterway Recovery Group".

It's ironic that the final "upsurge" in traffic, and therefore profitability on the inland waterways of Britain was created by the carriage of stone for ballast to build the railways that were to bring about their ultimate demise.  By 1914, most canals in Britain were owned by the railway companies who bought them "for a song" just to allow them to silt up so they couldn't compete for the carriage of goods.  As has, I think, been mentioned on this forum elsewhere, the term "Navvie" comes from the (mainly Irish) workers who dug the "navigations".

Restoring a traditional "narrow boat" - as Richard says, 70ft long and 7ft wide and used on the "narrow" canals where the locks were exactly those dimensions, rather than "broad" canals, is a true labour of love nowadays Richard.  Not only are many of the skills difficult to find, but the timbers would also present similar difficulties in sourcing.  Once restored and brightly painted,  they're a sight to behold. :thumbs:thumbs:thumbs:thumbs

 

So Peter you were a "WERGIE" were you - that explains a lot …………………..( particularly an interest in alcoholic beverages)

                                                                                                           :cheers

 

For the benefit of the un- initiated I should explain that canal  restoration is  very hard dirty work and your energy levels and morale have to be restored by the consumption of very large quantities of liquid refreshment at the end of the day .:lol:

Not just at the end of the day if we could help it - and yes, I was indeed a "Wergie" Richard. :thumbs


Again, for those totally lost in admiration for our stirling work in trying to restore Britain's industrial heritage, a "WERGIE" comes about from the initials of the group - the Waterway Recovery Group - hence WeRG

You seem to be "up to speed " on canals - were you involved yourself ?

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

You seem to be "up to speed " on canals - were you involved yourself ?

 

Sure was - firstly  got nice and mucky on the Kennet & Avon Canal  restoration in the 1960's, later on the Stroudwater Canal , I have walked , boated , cycled or explored virtually every canal in the Uk which currently exist and many where there is little evidence that they were ever built .

When I took early retirement I went on an extended cruise around the canal system and then  foe a complete change in lifestyle took a job with British Waterways and was a lock keeper for a while and ended up looking after the organisations heritage fleet of boats and training volunteers how to use them.

                                                                  

Ah - compared with you then Richard - I'm a rank amateur - but I did often get very dirty so that BWB had somewhere to float their boats !!!

An experimental post - feel free to delete if anything wrong .

 

This is a photograph of a couple of the models that Andy of AMModels  made for me a while ago . They are a bit battered having been used on a previous layout and since stored away .

The blue boat at the back is a Tree Class boat built for the Severn & Canal Carrying Company , these were the largest type of canal carrying craft having much higher and squarer sides than others so giving extra load capacity but still staying within the 71ft 6" long x 7ft wide size limit dictated by the size of locks on the narrow canals.

The other boat is a Tar Tanker narrowboat , this basically has the hold covered over to contain liquid in baffled tanks . This is an example of a boat operated by Claytons of Oldbury who moved large quantities of tar from gas works all o0ver the midlands.

 

the experiment worked, two nice boats you have they will look good on a layout.

:thumbs:lol::lol::cool:

Thanks Owen - thats a relief :thumbs

 

The other post that was deleted referred to my other interest . Over the last four years I have slowly been rebuilding a full size historic canal carrying boat . "Bramble" was originally launched in 1934 having been built by Yarwoods of Northwich for the canal firm of Fellows Morton & Clayton . After that firm was nationalised the boat continued to be used as a carrier by the Docks and Inland Waterways Executive and their sucessors British Waterways . When carrying ceased in 1963 the boat was cut down to half its original size and used on canal maintenance as a tug . By 2000 it had finished its useable life . was stripped of everything useable and the remains of the boat left to rot .

The first picture shows what it was like when first obtained but what it doesnt show are the massive holes that were in the hull , the complete absence of any fittings , fuel tanks or engine and severe degradation of most of the steel from rust.

 



 

After  three years work a great deal of the rebuilding work had  been completed as shown in the second picture .This included replacing the thirty foot section of missing hold , a new foredeck , new cabin and replacement engine (Lister HR 2) which itself had to be rebuilt having been underwater for a number of years .

 



 

Bramble is on the right - much more has been done since this picture was taken. The shed in the background has a railway connection in that it was built around a 100 years ago for the GWR canal  carrying contractor as an interchange road/canal depot


As a temporary measure my layout is housed in the back cabin of the boat untill I get the time to complete the rebuild.

Your photos have also arrived in France Richard - and well worth the wait. :thumbs:thumbs

I shudder to think what it's cost you up to now to restore "Bramble" to her current state but she looks lovely.  Are you going to convert her to a cruising boat or will she remain a "monument" to the canals ?  She looks as if she's still rigged for a sheeted load bay.   I note you say your layout is currently in the living quarters - not too much cardboard used in the buildings I presume !! :roll::roll::roll:

Look forward to seeing some "recent" photos of what you've done since.

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

Your photos have also arrived in France Richard - and well worth the wait. :thumbs:thumbs

I shudder to think what it's cost you up to now to restore "Bramble" to her current state but she looks lovely.  Are you going to convert her to a cruising boat or will she remain a "monument" to the canals ?  She looks as if she's still rigged for a sheeted load bay.   I note you say your layout is currently in the living quarters - not too much cardboard used in the buildings I presume !! :roll::roll::roll:

Look forward to seeing some "recent" photos of what you've done since.

If I stopped to think  exactly what it has cost so far I would probably have a coronary - lets just say its a long long way into five figures  and the main reason I am for ever short of cash to spend on railway modelling. We did get a very small grant from the National Maritime Museum towards the cost of the woodwork for the gunnels, cratch , stands and top planks which will tell you its being restored as a proper working boat . My other boat on which we live is a cruising boat - not that we get much time for cruising these days .

No problem with the cardboard on the layout at the moment but it is kept well wrapped and insulated when not in use.