On 10 Jul 2004 at 22:02, [log in to unmask] wrote:
> I was glancing through the latest issue of "Railway Bylines" and there is a
> very interesting short article about Astley Green Colliery at Leigh
>
> In one of the photos is a picture of a wooden barge (in poor condition)
> tied up at staithes on the Bridgewater Canal. The barge is clearly marked
> NCB. Did the NCB operate their own barge fleet here or for that elsewhere
> (Airedale Collieries come to mind) and what was the purpose of Astley Green
> barge?
Only just found time to respond to this one and when I looked at the
photo in Bylines was sorry to see the narrow box boat described as a
motor barge! It most definitely has no engine and it is is not a barge
either. The particular example featured actually appears to be a
conversion form a coal carrying box boat to use on maintenance work.
Much of the following is taken from the fascinating book 'On the Duke's
Cut', by Geoff Wheat, and published by the Transport Publishing
Company in 1977.
The narrowboat fleet operated by the National Coal Board on the
Bridgewater and adjoining canals had its origins in the mine boats
developed to serve the underground canals at Worsley and the later
underground canal from Boothstown to collieries at Mosley Common.
Initially the boats operating underground had been worked in gangs of
five or six all the way to Castlefield in Manchester where the 18cwt
baskets of coal that they carried were unloaded by a water powered
crane. The development of larger craft led to trans-shipment of the
coal containers at the mine entrance at Worsley. Although wide flats or
barges could be used for this traffic, it was generally handled by the
narrow 'box-boats'.
Quoting directly from the book:
'The box boats were narrow boats of a basic design similar to the mine
boats. There was no living accommodation, and in later years 10 or 12
wooden boxes with iron bottom doors (for rapid discharge) were
carried. All except the end boxes were stowed athwart the boat. The
boxes were 6ft by 4.5 ft by 4ft deep, carrying two tons or more of coal,
and fitted with lifting eyes in the corners. The bottom doors were
equipped with a chain winch, ratchet and pawl, and on release of the
pawl, the weight of the coal forced open the doors to discharge on the
wharf. The doors were then cranked shut with a small windlass handle.
By this means a boat could be unloaded in about fifteen minutes. Any
containers requiring attention for jamming doors etc, were replaced in
the boat standing on the open doors. At Worsley Yard the offending
box would be spotted and replaced by an overhauled one. Two trips a
day were being achieved between Worsley or Astley and Trafford Coal
Wharf. At the termination of the Trafford box-boat traffic in 1952, there
were 117 box-boats and some 2000 containers in circulation.'
'Box-boats were also used on the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal,
and the Fletcher's Canal, where locks restricted the craft to 68ft length.
Under the colliery amalgamations these boats were consolidated into
one large fleet with the Bridgewater boats.'
An example of a box-boat and coal box were saved from Bury in the
1970's and can now be seen at the Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port.
'The box-boats, like the mine boats, were wooden boats with wooden
frames, and upright stem and stern posts. Latterly cast iron knees were
introduced to replace the wooden frames. The colliery name and boat
number were carved into the top plank at the stern, a feature which still
appeared on NCB craft until 1973. By this time the fleet included wide
boats off the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, both via the Inland Waterways
Executive and the Wigan Coal Corporation. Manchester Collieries Ltd.
had also some craft of a width between a narrow and a wide boat,
equipped with a narrow boat styled cabin.'
The coal boats were hauled initially by horses but tugs were
introduced, first in 1912 when the Bridgewater Collieries acquired the
steam tug 'Ellesmere'. In 1934 a Widdop diesel tug 'Phylllis' was built
in Northwich and the next year the 'Ellesmere' was converted to
Widdop diesel. Next the 'Bolton' was acquired from the canal company
and renamed 'Sir Harry'. A similar tug 'Broadheath' was purchased
after the war and the Widdop engine in that and 'Sir Harry' were
replaced with 4 cylinder 75hp Gardner engines. For box-boat traffic the
tug 'Fred' was converted in 1944 from an unpowered wooden narrow
boat. A 20hp Gardner engine was fitted. 'Fred' carried 6 coal oxes and
towed a further four or five box-boats behind. The 'William' was later
acquired from the Grand Union Canal Company to act as a tug for box-
boats, andtwo woooden motor narrow boats, 'Jupiter' and 'Rita' were
operated on contract by Joseph Prescott, towing box-boats from
Bedford Basin, Leigh, from the late 1940's.
I have placed on my website a photograph of Astley Green colliery
taken in the early 20th century when the pit was being developed. This
shows a number of box-boats at the wharf both loaded and empty,
along with a steam crane for transferring boxes from railway wagons
alongside. The wagons each contain three coal boxes.
http://www.brocross.com/temp/collieries/astleygreen.htm
I can remember a number that a number of box-boats were still lying or
sunk at the wharf at Astley Green in the early 1970's after the colliery
closed.
I would welcome a chance to see any photographs of these boats or
general coal traffic on the Bridgewater if anyone has any examples.
Cheers,
--
David Kitching
http://www.brocross.com
fearrmeox adlaž bręgen
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