Mike Stevens wrote: > On Tuesday, September 25, 2007 5:22 PM [GMT+1=CET], > Ray Butler <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Mike's mystery object looks like either: >> >> >> >> 1) A handrail to be used in conjunction with rungs driven into >> the wall or footholds in the brickwork to let boatmen climb up the >> wall from the boats to operate the locks (In common with Marple, >> Bosley locks lack landings at the tails and are beasts to work >> single-handed) > > Ohers have suggested that. > >> Curved balance beams on the Regents anyone...? > > When were they? They're not shown in the drawing of the 1820s. > >> 2) (and less likely) An equivalent of the block - rope pegs found >> on Tardebigge locks, whereby the towline was taken from the horse >> through a pulley on the mast and forward onto a pin like an inverted >> "L" facing in the direction of travel, > > Bosley locks have such pins at the top end. I don't think such a > device would be likely at the bottom end, and the extra impulse could > be given to the boat by a flush from the top paddles.
Quite a lot of the narrow Chesterfield Canal locks have pins at the bottom. Ed Mortimer enthused over them and told us how they worked (went over my head!). Later we met a BW painting gang and Ed insisted that they painted the pins black and that they did NOT cut them off for health and saftey, as he had heard BW were doing this. -- Neil Arlidge - NB Earnest - Shannon Reg 7410 Read about our Irish travels at: http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/Tour_07/index.html
