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Boating pitfalls - no 134


MoominPapa

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We're moored tonight in the Nelson pound at Braunston.

What appears to be the outlet from the backpump is just the other side of the hull from my head when in bed.

The pound is about 15cm down and stable, I guess the pumps are running all the way up the flight.

Any guesses on if/when it will stop? Could be a long night. :)

 

MP.

 

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12 minutes ago, RLWP said:

Just wait until you find out what No. 135 is!

Richard

It'll be lurking in the tunnel, probably.

 

3 minutes ago, BEngo said:

It is not the backpumps.  They were never completed because the local power supply is inadequate and BW could not find a site for a new substation.

N

I wonder what it is then? A six-inch dia flange-ended steel pipe poking through the armco, and a galvanised steel cover in the towpath behind. Significant flow coming out.

 

MP.

 

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9 hours ago, MoominPapa said:

It'll be lurking in the tunnel, probably.

 

I wonder what it is then? A six-inch dia flange-ended steel pipe poking through the armco, and a galvanised steel cover in the towpath behind. Significant flow coming out.

 

MP.

 

Surface water dainage outfall?

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10 hours ago, BEngo said:

It is not the backpumps.  They were never completed because the local power supply is inadequate and BW could not find a site for a new substation.

N

This surprises me,

Not long back we were told that the back pumps are now connected.

However I can't see why back pumps should be discharging into the Nelson pound, so I doubt tht's what's affecting MP.

Normally if there is only one pump, you would expect it to send water up to the summit pound.

Although I understand Buckby uses different pumps for the top pounds to the bottom ones - one of the reasons for water overflowing the gates lower down the flight, as the bottom pumps work faster than the top ones, apparently.

If that's all cobblers I apologise, but its what I have been told in meetings with CRT, (not that that guarantees accuracy!),

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27 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

However I can't see why back pumps should be discharging into the Nelson pound, so I doubt tht's what's affecting MP.

I thought that the general arrangement is for individual pumps around each lock, which reduces required pump delivery head and length of pipe runs and balances out pound levels.

1 hour ago, frangar said:

I have to say i don’t get this mooring halfway up a flight thing...I know the pubs there but it’s still a short pound. 

Tend to agree. I'd planned to be at Norton junction, but got delayed and the early dark caught up with me, Haven't really got used to winter and the time shift yet.....

 

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4 minutes ago, MoominPapa said:

I thought that the general arrangement is for individual pumps around each lock, which reduces required pump delivery head and length of pipe runs and balances out pound levels.

 Happy to be corrected, but I don't believe Stoke Bruerne, Buckby or Braunston work in this way.  I don't know exact detail, but Buckby I believe uses just two different pumping stations to cover 7 locks.

I'd love to know  the real facts though, if that is wrong.

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Have walked along that pound a fair few times and have never noticed any signs of the pumps discharging into that pound and I haven't seen any evidence of them working at all.

Could be a field drain running into the canal there or even a drain off the old railway line as the ground in those fields is always pretty soft.

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21 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 Happy to be corrected, but I don't believe Stoke Bruerne, Buckby or Braunston work in this way.  I don't know exact detail, but Buckby I believe uses just two different pumping stations to cover 7 locks.

I'd love to know  the real facts though, if that is wrong.

I must admit that I had thought that, as with most things on the canal system, there were almost as many solutions as instances. That is, some pump one lock others a flight and as many options in between as past engineers could dream up. It's what makes it all so fascinating but (see other thread) a nightmare to improve efficiency. Only rarely can a spare from one location (be it gate, pump, balance beam or whatever) be used somewhere else! When an emergency failure indicates trying to do so, they seem to end up having to 'adapt' the item.

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There are a right mix up of pumping arrangements on the GU. As Alan says, there are two at Buckby, two sets at Stoke with twin pumps around the top pair, one set at Braunston, mainly single lock pumps from  Cosgrove to Marsworth apart from Ivinghoe 2, Nags head 3 and the two below Maffas. Then there is one pumphouse for Calcutt 3, I think Stockton has two, plus a single pump in the old lock at Itchington, Bascote has one pumphouse and I think they are single pumps in the old locks down to Radford  Bottom.

I have no idea how water gets uphill past the Marswotth flight but suspect the the pumps at Tringford are involved.

Cowroast has a back pump as well as a borehole. Northchurch has a borehole but I think the back pumps at Dudswell have been allowed to become derelict so Notthchurch water cannot now get to the Summit.

I bet Gavin would know  more detail.

N

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I do know from conversation with the designer that at Buckby they pump up into the long pound (the one below the top lock) and then pump separately around the top lock but only when necessary. This is to ensure that water which is pumped up from the bottom is ALL used to maintain the levels in the flight without being lost towards Braunston.

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3 minutes ago, Keeping Up said:

I do know from conversation with the designer that at Buckby they pump up into the long pound (the one below the top lock) and then pump separately around the top lock but only when necessary. This is to ensure that water which is pumped up from the bottom is ALL used to maintain the levels in the flight without being lost towards Braunston.

And presumably because it was cheaper to provide a second pump than a pipe running the length of the long pound.

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