MALVERN

[pete harrison]

Can anybody tell me whether British Waterways still have this as a maintenance boat - based in the North West (often in the Anderton Lift area) ?

 

Please do not confuse this boat with the counter sterned house boat of the same name which is the F.M.C. Ltd. horse boat and is usually on the lower Grand Union Canal (and yes I know the original stern of MALVERN is now the stern of AUSTRALIA).

[Liam]

Hi Pete,

 

I'm not sure if this will help you but I've just done the route from Harecastle to Dutton on my way through to the Bridgewater, and didn't spot Malvern in any of the usual tying up spots (Kidsgrove, Rodeheath or Anderton).

 

I seem to remember Malvern assisting in the Whitby Locks replacement last year, so there's a chance it could still be around between Ellesmere Port and Middlewich.

[pete harrison]

Hi Pete,

 

I'm not sure if this will help you but I've just done the route from Harecastle to Dutton on my way through to the Bridgewater, and didn't spot Malvern in any of the usual tying up spots (Kidsgrove, Rodeheath or Anderton).

 

I seem to remember Malvern assisting in the Whitby Locks replacement last year, so there's a chance it could still be around between Ellesmere Port and Middlewich.

 

Knowing they still had MALVERN last year is a good starting point. Thanks.

 

Can anybody else offer anything a little more up to date ?

[alan_fincher]

Pete,

 

We are currently just North of Harecastle, and if current plans hold, will be going up to Anderton.

 

We will keep our eyes peeled.

 

The only historic BW boat we have passed that is (presumably) still with them so far was Grenville, at Etruria.

[Speedwheel]

I fairly certain they still have it. I can give you Jim Taylors number if you want to know for sure.

 

I know Jim has fought hard to keep the old boats as from what I understand they are the only ones they have that can take two sets of gates (so they can lift the old set off and put them in the boat and then lift the new set out - meaning less boats/boat movements required).

Edited August 16, 2011 by Speedwheel

[Liam]

Pete,

 

We are currently just North of Harecastle, and if current plans hold, will be going up to Anderton.

 

We will keep our eyes peeled.

 

The only historic BW boat we have passed that is (presumably) still with them so far was Grenville, at Etruria.

 

Do you mean the Admiral pair tied in the Etruria Museum arm? They are Lindsay and Keppel and now in the hands of the Museum itself.

 

Liam

[pete harrison]

I fairly certain they still have it. I can give you Jim Taylors number if you want to know for sure.

 

I know Jim has fought hard to keep the old boats as from what I understand they are the only ones they have that can take two sets of gates (so they can lift the old set off and put them in the boat and then lift the new set out - meaning less boats/boat movements required).

 

I have Jim's number (although it may be an old number now !) but I was hoping to get a definitive answer via this forum this evening.

[alan_fincher]

Do you mean the Admiral pair tied in the Etruria Museum arm? They are Lindsay and Keppel and now in the hands of the Museum itself.

 

Liam

 

No,

 

I definitely mean Grenville!

 

I assumed Lindsay and Keppel are no longer anything to do with BW's maintenance fleet.

[pete harrison]

 

No,

 

I definitely mean Grenville!

 

I assumed Lindsay and Keppel are no longer anything to do with BW's maintenance fleet.

 

'Admiral Class' narrow boats are never off topic ! In my opinion these boats should have their own subsection within this Forum.

[Speedwheel]

I have Jim's number (although it may be an old number now !) but I was hoping to get a definitive answer via this forum this evening.

 

Sorry, I can't be definate.

 

Just pulled this out of the cupboard, might be of passing interest.

 

[oldironsides]

Grenville is sunk on the old coal wharf opposite the Etruria museum, on the Caldon. The swim split on the ice in January and she still awaits repair, slowly settling into the silt.

 

Lindsay and Keppel are being worked on on the museum wharf.

[Chertsey]

Hi Pete,

 

I'm not sure if this will help you but I've just done the route from Harecastle to Dutton on my way through to the Bridgewater, and didn't spot Malvern in any of the usual tying up spots (Kidsgrove, Rodeheath or Anderton).

 

I seem to remember Malvern assisting in the Whitby Locks replacement last year, so there's a chance it could still be around between Ellesmere Port and Middlewich.

This is probably worse than useless in terms of information but I'm pretty sure I recall seeing a BW maintenance boat Malvern earlier this year, and we did travel between Ellesmere Port and Middlewich after the Easter gathering. Of course as it wasn't a GU I didn' t take a photo, or indeed much note, so I might have imagined the whole thing.

[alan_fincher]

Two years ago she was definitely in very active use.....

 

 

[NB Alton]

Yes we're currently out on our Cheshire run and traveling from Ellesmere Port back to Middlewich we passed Malvern "F360" near Calverly Services on the Shroppie on Sunday 14th Aug. I think it had the gate lift gantries on board.

 

If you would like a photo I can email you one which I took on 20/04/11.

[Liam]

Hi Brian,

 

You've just kicked my memory into action. I spotted Malvern earlier this year tied alongside Hercules at Calverley on the way back from The Port.

 

Liam

[NB Alton]

Hi Liam,

 

Good to see you briefly the other day & hope you had a good run back. We're tied up at the Salt barge & start heading back up the locks tomorrow & Thursday. Yes Malvern is often with Hercules working on gate replacements, although Hercules is currently on the Middlewich Branch somewhere near Church Minshull. Waterways also still have Gailey which Gordon has on the bridge repair job at Anderton at the moment.

 

Cheers, Brian

[Kez]

Liam beat me to it; Malvern was last seen of at Calverly alongside of Hercules. Currently awaiting their fate as boats no longer needed by BW. I beleive both have been earmarked by the Waterways Trust though

 

edited to add: I just checked with a collegue who reckons that both boats are to be withdrawn from service in 2 > 5 years (or whenever Jim finishes fighting to keep them )

Edited August 16, 2011 by Kez

[giveitsomeoil]

Yes she was on the moorings at Calverley Easter this year still operated by the Board.

[Laurence Hogg]

Having just spoken to Jim Taylor on other matters I took the oppurtunity to clarify what is being asked here. Malvern, Hercules, Ted, Gailey and Grenville are still all in active service as far as he is concerned. None are "earmarked" for the Waterways trust and Grenville is due for some work. Libsay and Keppel are still the property of BW having benn LEASED to Etruria via the 5 year conditional lease used with other societies. Theres no smoke and mirrors at work, just BW carrying on with maintenance as usual no boats are considered "at risk" at all.

 

Liam beat me to it; Malvern was last seen of at Calverly alongside of Hercules. Currently awaiting their fate as boats no longer needed by BW. I beleive both have been earmarked by the Waterways Trust though

 

edited to add: I just checked with a collegue who reckons that both boats are to be withdrawn from service in 2 > 5 years (or whenever Jim finishes fighting to keep them )

 

Why not ring Jim and find out the truth!! Utter rubbish.

[Kez]

Having just spoken to Jim Taylor on other matters I took the oppurtunity to clarify what is being asked here. Malvern, Hercules, Ted, Gailey and Grenville are still all in active service as far as he is concerned. None are "earmarked" for the Waterways trust and Grenville is due for some work. Libsay and Keppel are still the property of BW having benn LEASED to Etruria via the 5 year conditional lease used with other societies. Theres no smoke and mirrors at work, just BW carrying on with maintenance as usual no boats are considered "at risk" at all.

 

 

 

Why not ring Jim and find out the truth!! Utter rubbish.

 

I am working with a new project that has approached BW on the possibilty of gaining one of their old boats. Hercules was the one that was mainly asked about.

We were told that the boats were not available as yet and that when they did eventually become available; they had already been asked for by TWT, and as such it would not be possible for the project to gain any of the BW boats.

[Speedwheel]

I have Jim's number (although it may be an old number now !) but I was hoping to get a definitive answer via this forum this evening.

 

Deleted - must read whole thread properly next time.

 

Edited to add: - Pete can you explain the whole two Malverns thing please?

Edited August 17, 2011 by Speedwheel

[Laurence Hogg]

Just for interest, two shots of the original Harris Brothers built "Malvern" on the dock at Keays in around the mid 70's

These must have been the prettiest boats harris's built!! not an overlapping plate anywhere !!!

 

and in 1969 the newer "Malvern"

 

Edited August 17, 2011 by Laurence Hogg

[pete harrison]

Deleted - must read whole thread properly next time.

 

Edited to add: - Pete can you explain the whole two Malverns thing please?

 

Throughout their history F.M.C. Ltd. operated two boats named MALVERN. It was not unusual for F.M.C. Ltd. to re-use both boat names and fleet numbers of boats they had disposed of, but they never re-used both boat name and fleet number together on a second generation boat.

 

The first MALVERN was built for F.M.C. Ltd. by Harris, Netherton and was completed in July 1928 as an iron composite fore cabined horse boat. This was the second horse boat to carry the fleet number 166 and was B.C.N. gauged as 1423 (13 September 1928) then health registered as Birmingham 1512 (05 October 1928). F.M.C. Ltd. sold MALVERN 166 to Samuel Barlow Coal Co. Ltd. on 28 November 1942. After a varied and interesting history MALVERN 166 became a motorised pleasure boat (under cloths and retaining its butty stern as shown in Mr Hogg's photographs), the conversion to a counter sterned pleasure boat taking place in 1987. The redundant stern end, complete with cabin spent some time in Roger Fuller's garden before being attached to AUSTRALIA.

 

The second MALVERN was built for F.M.C. Ltd. by W.J. Yarwood & Sons Ltd., Northwich, the hull being completed / delivered on 17 November 1947 as a composite motor boat. The boat was cabined and completed at Saltley by F.M.C. Ltd. / 'British Waterways' and entered service in September 1949, nine months after F.M.C. Ltd. sold out to 'British Waterways'. This MALVERN carried the fleet number 360 and was health registered as Birmingham 1634 (16 September 1949) and was never gauged. MALVERN 360 is the boat still operated by British Waterways as a maintenance boat in the North West.

 

I think MALVERN 360 is the last purpose built F.M.C. Ltd. motor to still be operated by British Waterways, closely followed by GAILEY (built as a horse boat and converted to a motor in August 1937), although I am sure that British Waterways still own GARDENIA which is on a business lease to the London Waterbus Company and may well still own MENDIP and SHAD at the Boat Museum, Ellesmere Port (although one could then argue that they still own all of the craft leased through their heritage boat disposal programme).

Edited August 17, 2011 by pete harrison

[Paul H]

It has been suggested that Malvern and Madeley were built by Harrises from kits supplied by FMC. While this may sound unlikely it may explain why they are of a much higher standard than Harris's usual ouput.

Any thoughts?

 

Paul

(abroad not insomniac)

Edited August 18, 2011 by Paul H

[antarmike]

I don't like the chain running down from the from Fender. Seems like a recipe for hanging the boat up in an emptying loch. How common was a chain like this?