alan_fincher

Are you sure those are actually fuse holders? OK, I admit there is a "Fuse" label, but many panels like this actually use reset-able circuit breakers. I think, (as has been suggested), it is worth getting at the back of it. My current money is on "no actual fuse", but I am purely speculating, and could be wrong. Here's an example of the kind of thing I'm thinking of.

Well unless they have dredged it in recent times, good luck with the Shirley lift bridge. We can get totally stuck in there, even with the pound at a good level. Needless to say motorists are far from impressed if you are physically under the bridge, and unable to move in either direction!

A shed load off money for that shed, certainly. This thing is almost 50 years old, and looks it. I won't add my say to opinions already given, other than to suggest that if looking at the water heater installation is typical of the boat generally it is most definitely one to avoid. It should be possible to do a great deal better

I agree that would seem the most likely, but I don't know.

Malcolm Braine certainly had a very extensive archive, particularly of BCN based photographs and slides. I rather suspect though that much of his material was not cataloged in any way - any "indexing" seemed to be only as good as his memory. Obviously an entirely private collection, but does anybody know where it ended up, please?

Indeed, or so we are told. That said I have yet to hear anybody owning up to actually wielding the sledge hammer.

My one observation is that the JP2 tends to be more sought after than the JP3, and hence to change hands at more money. Nowt wrong with a 3 pot, of course, but I would want the twin. Also when I fave see them in a GUCCCo boat engine room the JP3 leaves things rather too oovercrowned.

I agree with Tony. This certainly looks like a twin coil calorifier. Each picture shows a pair of connections one vertically above the other, and it would be surprising if one picture didn't show the connections for one coil and the other picture those for the other coil. As well as Tony's "blow in them" method, you could also lay it flat on its side with a pair of connectors at the highest point, and pump water down one connector - it should then flow out the other one. The lowest connector, with part of a plastic Hep2O still attached, would logically be "cold water in". The only thing that surprises me is just how close it is to the lower calorifier connection - no reason why it should not be, but I can't recall seeing one like that. The other thing that surprises me is that all 4 calorifier connections have got an adapter which (assuming you don't remove them) means you would need unusually oversized pipe and connectors. I can't think why you would use very much larger hardware to connect to the calorifier than the "native" connections that the calorifier has. It's obviously not new. Do you know its history.

Given the way things are going I suspect it will not be long before it is easier (and shorter) to publish a list of what canals are currently OPEN.

Oh I see! The pillows are supposed to be on the right hand side of the boat! That;s what I have been doing wrong!

Many of the "candlestick" locks on the Grand Union Birmingham main line have (often automated) back pumps installed, meaning that water used through lockage gets pumped back above the lock involved. If that were the case at Calcutt it would mean water levels there are to some extent self maintaining, whereas at Hillmorton once it has run down it can't be put back up again. That said my ageing memory can't recall obvious signs of back-pumping at Calcutt, so I am rather doubting that this could be an explanation. Anybody know?

There are stoppage notices for Marston Doles & Claydon. However these show a start date of July 1st, so there isn't (quite) yet an actual stoppage.

I've never heard of Craftsman Engines. Can you provide a link to somewhere that has details of them, please?

Only if you also put back the missing 31 feet 6 inches!

Yes, but Sickle had its Ram removed by British Waterways at some date around 1957. So as it is currently restored, it is historically accurate as it worked as a BW maintenance boat from that year onwards. Tycho, on the other hand had its Ram left untouched by BW. and it even managed to retain it whilst working for Mattys. Removing it would be contra to its history -- as a shortened Motor, it has never not had a ram.