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Wigan drained


manxmike

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1 minute ago, Flyboy said:

I expect the local scrotes are responsible.

Precisely what I was thinking. Perhaps the duty gunner at the top lock in his machine gun post has fallen asleep.

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15 hours ago, manxmike said:

My daughter went for a bike ride in wigan today and was surprised to see the canal had been drained.

Anyone know what's happening?

image1.JPG

This is the Poolstock pound which is usually empty first thing in the morning as due to leaks it drains overnight.

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  • 1 month later...

It's been like this for at least three years.

The lower lock at Poolstock leaks like a sieve;to a large extent due to the mitres on the gates being ground off about a foot above water level (wonder how that happened?), and according to CRT a dodgy ground paddle.

It didn't used to matter too much, because the upper lock leaked equally badly and kept the pound more or less topped up.However, since they made such a good job of rebuilding the upper lock two years ago, it now doesn't leak at all - hence the problem seen in the photograph.

We had a very difficult time with the travels of the Ribble last year;made worse by the fact that the offside top gate on the bottom lock has a steadily increasing pile of silt behind it, preventing it from fully opening.Ribble stays permanently at Leigh, so we had a difficult time getting her up the lock, only barely squeezing through.

On our return in the Autumn, we only got into the lock by heavily greasing the rubbing strips, taking a run at it, and then at full throttle thrashing the stern from side to side with the aid of a rope on the bank, and painfully slowly inching in.

CRT were told about this, but have obviously done nothing about it all Winter.

The weekend before last, the Severn went on an exploratory trip to see if things had improved. It was impossible to get her out of the lock and she had to reverse nearly a mile to turn round and come home.

The mood of the crew wasn't improved by a lock-keeper telling them that they couldn't get the boat out because of faulty technique on their part, but they did manage to speak to someone from CRT with a functioning cerebral cortex,who assured them that the problem would be sorted out by the beginning of May, when we are all hoping to go to Steam on the Dock,in Liverpool.

Let's hope it is, or we'll be going by bus.

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It's a while since we did the Wigan flight but we have done it many times and on each occasion there have been fewer boats around than the previous occasion.  It used to be worth their while for BW to have staff helping I doubt anyone comes near these days.  

With all respect to Pie eater, Wigan has never been the most enchanting destination on the network, and the 21 flight has always had something of a "reputation" for testing crews, so I don't know why traffic has fallen off so badly in recent years.  But it is clearly low down CRT priorities these days and the only way to turn that around is more boats using the locks.   If boaters continue to eschew  parts of the network it's hardly surprising if CRT sideline them as well. 

Edited by Neil2
grammar
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Re my post above:I've just had a message from Steve Bergquist of CRT North West, to say that they are hoping to have sorted out the Poolstock problem by the end of this week.

Neil2: We hadn't been up the Wigan flight for nearly 20 years until last year, and couldn't believe how much better it is than it used to be.Instead of a scrubby wasteland with Evostick - filled crisp packets (other contact adhesives are available),behind every bush, it's more like a country park; indeed at a couple of places looking down the flight on a sunny day, it could almost give Hatton a run for its money.

But even if people weren't visiting the main 21, and going towards the Pennines, the Poolstock locks are the route most people from away take if they're going to Liverpool, and you would have thought CRT would want to encourage them.(Or I would, anyway).

. . . and if you could see it from the perspective of someone who doesn't live in the Cairngorms, Wigan's not that bad.

  • Greenie 1
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It's good to see such a positive post about Wigan. We travel through there regularly and often stop overnight in the pound below Henhurst lock in almost the centre of town.

There have been problems with the levels from time to time in the past but you can always ring the C&RT  team and they will try to help.

We also go up and down the flight from time to time. Give the Wigan office a call if you aren't sure you manage them and with sufficient warning they will try hard to arrange some help especially for single handers. The Wigan Flight crew of volunteers can also be asked for help too. 

Wigan is a vibrant little town. Yes, the pies are good but it has more to offer than that. 

 

  • Greenie 1
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Twice since Christmas I have contacted the emergency number to report that the junction pound between Henhurst lock and Poolstock top lock was dangerously close to overflowing the canal bank.

The canal did overflow last year and a number of pensioners bungalows were flooded.

CaRT have been quick to respond on both occasions.

 

 

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Update on Poolstock:

Message from Steve Bergquist at CRT to say that CRT guys worked through Easter weekend shifting silt from behind the gate.

Both top gates now go fully back; so the fat boats should be able to get to Liverpool in May

IMG_0078.jpg.6ec3e1efbdf11514b702cd3c2d4a7ab2.jpg

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Sad to say it, but these are some of the worst maintained locks on the system. Also very close to the head office :rolleyes: They were crap when I was a kid last century, and still are today. Of all the locks we go though on uor summer trips, we dislike these the most.

Edited by Guest
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1 hour ago, DRP said:

Update on Poolstock:

Message from Steve Bergquist at CRT to say that CRT guys worked through Easter weekend shifting silt from behind the gate.

Both top gates now go fully back; so the fat boats should be able to get to Liverpool in May

IMG_0078.jpg.6ec3e1efbdf11514b702cd3c2d4a7ab2.jpg

Some good news anyway! Nice pic of Ribble and Severn too, I love these boats.

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On 20/04/2017 at 23:43, peterboat said:

They are pretty boats arnt they :wub:

I love these old work boats. We used to scrounge lifts on them as kids, especially as a guy we knew steered one of them (Murillo). My wife's family used to work these type of boats including Puma, A39 and Pluto. Hats off to those who have preserved them so well.

13 hours ago, Derek Porteous said:

Went through Poolstock pound this afternoon. Very low and got grounded a couple of times. Eventually had to let some water down from the pound above. Levels are certainly not sorted out yet.

Maybe we are unlucky, but Poolstock is like this whenever we go through. I keep threatening to fit tractor wheels.

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8 minutes ago, catweasel said:

I love these old work boats. We used to scrounge lifts on them as kids, especially as a guy we knew steered one of them (Murillo). My wife's family used to work these type of boats including Puma, A39 and Pluto. Hats off to those who have preserved them so well.

Maybe we are unlucky, but Poolstock is like this whenever we go through. I keep threatening to fit tractor wheels.

I love the old work boats that surround me on the Yorkshire waterways, yes most have been converted but thats far better than the gas axe and history lost forever. Keith one of my Neighbors worked these boats from 11 years old [yes he should have been at school] but he can tell you tales about the boats we see great times and wish they were more used today

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Just out of interest we and another boat did Wigan top to bottom yesterday and it was fine.  Some gates are stiff (lock 75 bottom gate shouldn't be opened fully as it jams but otherwise there were no issues).  We knew about the gate on 75 because the permanent lockeeper told us - he's there every day.  Had a long chat with him the day before when we moored up at the top.  You can book him on Tuesdays for special assistance but the is there all the time plus quite often there are volunteers as well.  Yes its hard work but no worse than others we've done and actually quite pretty in places - especially near the top.  Took us 5 hours but we did stop for lunch half way.

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On 24/04/2017 at 10:36, peterboat said:

I love the old work boats that surround me on the Yorkshire waterways, yes most have been converted but thats far better than the gas axe and history lost forever. Keith one of my Neighbors worked these boats from 11 years old [yes he should have been at school] but he can tell you tales about the boats we see great times and wish they were more used today

Would like to see a couple of pics if possible ;)

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