Adrian Stott wrote... > >Too bad in some ways. I like lock keepers I'm sure you do. It means that you don't have to take the trouble to close the gates after you. > >For narrow locks with two bottom gates, the motor would carry a >special short boathook, and the steerer would prod the ends of the >bottom gate balance beams as the boat left the lock. This didn't >usually close the gates fully, but pushed them far enough out of the >recesses that the lockside crew preparing the lock for the butty could >close them the rest of the way simply by opening a top paddle. > >This isn't feasible on wider locks or with single gates, as the gates >are too heavy. > This isn't feasible for northern locks with a fall of around ten feet. Even if the steerer stood on a step ladder on the roof with his boat hook, he wouldn't reach the balance beam.
>On Perry Barr flight in Brum, the locks were built so that the >culverts of the top ground paddles opened into the chambers behind the >bottom gates, so opening one of these paddles would produce a rush of >water which shut the bottom gates. Very sadly, these culverts are now >bricked up, Not all of them. Neil and I made good use of them a couple of years ago. -- Martin Clark Internet Boaters' Database http://www.boaterweb.co.uk Pennine Waterways Website http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
