Canal emptied by pulling plug - is it true?
MAB
chain found in the water was pulled and found to be attached to a "plug"
which was keeping the water in?
I'd love to find a reference, or hear the full story from someone who knows
all the details.
MAB
Jon
MAB <ma...@my-dejanews.com> wrote in article
<7crurt$ut1$1...@news8.svr.pol.co.uk>...
It sure is ... Many canals have 'Plugs' and they were regularly used for
dredging . Just stop-plank the section at both ends and pull the plug .
Instant dredge. In todays 'Green' society however this practice is no
longer allowed due to the environmental effects . ( Don't ask me what they
are but someone will know ).
As to the question of someone catching one yes it happened during the
rewatering of the Huddersfield Narrow at Stalybridge.
Just defore the newly opened stretch at Staly Wharf the canal crosses the
river Tame via a cast iron viaduct ( complete with sump plug ) whilst
clearing the silt a towpath based JCB ( excavator ) snagged an old chain in
the silt , upon raising the arm complete with chain suddenly the canal
started to whirlpool.As the chain was dragged clear of the water a plug was
discovered attatched to its end .( Not like yer bath plug more of a sheet
of iron 3ft square ).Within 1/2 hr or so the canal was emptied allong a
100mtr stretch to the embarasement of the workers , however it was due for
dewatering and just brought the schedule forward.
On a lighter note the plug at Mossley On the Huddersfield was deliberately
pulled to facilitate dewatering and was quite a sight to see.
Ceejay
Robin Nicholson
wrote:
>Is there any truth in the story that a canal in the UK was drained when a
>chain found in the water was pulled and found to be attached to a "plug"
>which was keeping the water in?
>Yes-it was on the Chesterfield Canal-East Retford I think
Brian L Dominic
wrote:
>Is there any truth in the story that a canal in the UK was drained when a
>chain found in the water was pulled and found to be attached to a "plug"
>which was keeping the water in?
>
>I'd love to find a reference, or hear the full story from someone who knows
>all the details.
>
I'm fairly certain it happened on the Chesterfield (by accident) when
it was being restored / dredged - the digger got hold of a chain,
pulled, and.......
Of course, Pontiwhatsit's got one, the pulling of which made the Press
and TV late last year.....
Brian
NB "Rumpus"
Web Sites:
"Rumpus": http://www.proweb.co.uk/~dominicfam/rumpus.htm
Golden Valley Light Railway: http://www.proweb.co.uk/~dominicfam/
Canals: http://www.proweb.co.uk/~dominicfam/canal.htm
Dral
/Canal emptied by pulling plug - is it true?/ was sent by *MAB*:
>> Is there any truth in the story that a canal in the UK was
>> drained
>> when a
>> chain found in the water was pulled and found to be attached to
>> a "plug"
>> which was keeping the water in?
>> I'd love to find a reference, or hear the full story from
>> someone who knows
>> all the details.
>> MAB
Yes it's true. BW engineer on the Chesterfield Canal in Retford
(1978??) There is no amazing story behind it but I wrote about
it in Routes & Roots - take a look at my sig below and follow
the link.
I've also seen it mentioned in one or two books (possibly the
"Chesterfield Canal & Cuckoo Way" by Christine Richardson).
Regards, Dral
--
** CANALS: Roots & Routes - Chesterfield **
http://www.blacksheep.org/canals/dral/neast/chestfld.htm
Featured in BBC Education Web Guide
Best Personal Canal Web Site 1998 (Canal & Riverboat Magazine)
Michael J Wooding
dejanews.com> writes
>Is there any truth in the story that a canal in the UK was drained when a
>chain found in the water was pulled and found to be attached to a "plug"
>which was keeping the water in?
I can certainly confirm that 'we' drained the Wyken basin on the
Coventry Canal back in the early 60's by pulling the plug out. Mind
you, I remember that it took a bit of finding in the mud :->
Mike
--
Michael J Wooding - nb DRACO http://www.g6iqm.demon.co.uk/draco.htm
NABO Webmaster http://www.clearlight.com/~nabo
email: na...@clearlight.com
The Cutpics site: http://www.vhfcomm.co.uk/cutpics.htm
The Springer Owners Club site: http://www.vhfcomm.co.uk/springer.htm
M.J.Powell
<domin...@proweb.co.uk> writes
>>chain found in the water was pulled and found to be attached to a "plug"
>>which was keeping the water in?
>>
>>all the details.
>>
>it was being restored / dredged - the digger got hold of a chain,
>pulled, and.......
>
>Of course, Pontiwhatsit's got one, the pulling of which made the Press
>and TV late last year.....
Pontcysyllte. Get it right, man.
>
Steve Blinkhorn
: On 18-Mar-99 the message entitled
: >> Is there any truth in the story that a canal in the UK was
: >> drained
: >> when a
: >> chain found in the water was pulled and found to be attached to
: >> a "plug"
: >> which was keeping the water in?
<Deeply interesting material sadly snipped to preserve bandwidth.....>
It also happened on the Rochdale Canal in Manchester some time during
the 1960s IIRC. Wonderful pix in the Manchester Evening News. Once
they realised it had a bathplug, needless to relate, many denizens of
Mrs Merton land tried to keep their coal in it.
--
Steve Blinkhorn <st...@prd.co.uk>
martinp
>
> In article <7crurt$ut1$1...@news8.svr.pol.co.uk>, MAB <mab01@my-
> dejanews.com> writes
> >chain found in the water was pulled and found to be attached to a "plug"
> >which was keeping the water in?
>
> Coventry Canal back in the early 60's by pulling the plug out. Mind
> you, I remember that it took a bit of finding in the mud :->
M.J.Powell
<st...@sole.prd.co.uk> writes
>Dral (dr...@hard.u-net.com) wrote:
>: On 18-Mar-99 the message entitled
>: /Canal emptied by pulling plug - is it true?/ was sent by *MAB*:
>
>
>: >> drained
>: >> when a
>: >> chain found in the water was pulled and found to be attached to
>: >> a "plug"
>: >> which was keeping the water in?
>
>It also happened on the Rochdale Canal in Manchester some time during
>the 1960s IIRC. Wonderful pix in the Manchester Evening News. Once
>they realised it had a bathplug, needless to relate, many denizens of
>Mrs Merton land tried to keep their coal in it.
You live some distance from Manchester, I assume?
Mike
Rog Guiver
<tro...@pickles24.freeserve.co.uk> writes
>>chain found in the water was pulled and found to be attached to a "plug"
>>which was keeping the water in?
>>all the details.
>>
>>
>>
>
It also happened on the "old" aqueduct over the north circular road, the
same site as the damage done during the war.
--
Rog Guiver
Dral
/Re: Canal emptied by pulling plug - is it true?/ was sent by
*Dral*:
Somebody told me they have no Web access but they want to know
what I said about "the plug", so...
From /Roots & Routes, The Chesterfield Canal./
In the centre of town [East Retford] is a basin on a stretch
which caused an infamous incident in 1978 when a BW maintenance
man discovered a loose chain on the canal bed which he then
attempted to remove. After much effort the chain came loose and
the maintenance man found that it was attached to a large
circular disk. As he inspected the disk someone suddenly noticed
that the canal was fast losing water - the maintenance man had
found the canal's plug hole! These were sometimes installed on
canals to allow water to be drained away quickly in times of
emergency but the emergency for this BW man was to put the plug
back before the whole canal ran dry!
================================================================
Christine Richardson says it was a gang of BW dredgers who
accidentally pulled the plug out. The water ran into the river
which the canal crosses near by on an aqueduct. Apparently the
story made world wide news and was recorded in Lloyds Shipping.
May I say (for anyone who has never been), that I was shocked when
I saw the canal in Retford. The town is nothing special and
(having seen Worksop) I expeced to find an indusrial canal. But
the passage through Retford is beautiful. Nice park alongside the
canal, nice stretch of river running through it. The canal water
is remarkably clear, full of fish and the west lock in Retford is
a /very/ pretty location.
Regards, Dral
--
** CANALS: Roots & Routes **
http://www.blacksheep.org/canals/dral/index.htm
Molly
<m.pat...@consunet.nl> writes
>Michael J Wooding wrote:
>>
>> I can certainly confirm that 'we' drained the Wyken basin on the
>> Coventry Canal back in the early 60's by pulling the plug out. Mind
>> you, I remember that it took a bit of finding in the mud :->
>And the Pontycyllyt aqaduct too
My, that must have been deeep mud!
--
Molly
Change nospam to orbs to email me
Steve Blinkhorn
: In article <7ctnlc$3la$1...@fastnet.prd.co.uk>, Steve Blinkhorn
: <st...@sole.prd.co.uk> writes
: >Dral (dr...@hard.u-net.com) wrote:
: >: On 18-Mar-99 the message entitled
: >
: >
: >: >> Is there any truth in the story that a canal in the UK was
: >: >> drained
: >: >> when a
: >: >> chain found in the water was pulled and found to be attached to
: >: >> a "plug"
: >: >> which was keeping the water in?
: >
: >It also happened on the Rochdale Canal in Manchester some time during
: >the 1960s IIRC. Wonderful pix in the Manchester Evening News. Once
: >they realised it had a bathplug, needless to relate, many denizens of
: >Mrs Merton land tried to keep their coal in it.
: You live some distance from Manchester, I assume?
: Mike
Well I do now, but at the time of the plug-pulling I travelled daily
between school in Rusholme and the Central Library in St Peter's
Square, crossing the Rochdale Canal in the process. Then again, I
was born within a couple of hundred yards of said cut.
And as a sometime denizen of Heaton Mersey with a sister who
was a schoolfriend of the patron saint of Heaton Norris (aka Mrs
Merton), I was of course born with a sense of humour....;-)
--
Steve Blinkhorn <st...@prd.co.uk>
Geoff Ward
showed pulling the plug on the Pontycsyllte Viaduct ( I think I've got the
spelling wrong again) the water descended into the river - v. impressive
Michael J Wooding
<mock...@nospam.demon.co.uk> writes
>My, that must have been deeep mud!
Well I was but a mere 15 or so at the time - and not very big :-> unlike
our Ash!
Brian L Dominic
<mi...@pickmere.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>In article <36f19734...@news.freenet.co.uk>, Brian L Dominic
><domin...@proweb.co.uk> writes
>>On Thu, 18 Mar 1999 22:25:49 -0000, "MAB" <ma...@my-dejanews.com>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>Is there any truth in the story that a canal in the UK was drained when a
>>>chain found in the water was pulled and found to be attached to a "plug"
>>>which was keeping the water in?
>>>
>>>I'd love to find a reference, or hear the full story from someone who knows
>>>all the details.
>>>
>>I'm fairly certain it happened on the Chesterfield (by accident) when
>>it was being restored / dredged - the digger got hold of a chain,
>>pulled, and.......
>>
>>Of course, Pontiwhatsit's got one, the pulling of which made the Press
>>and TV late last year.....
>
>Pontcysyllte. Get it right, man.
>>
Look, it was about 0100, and I wasn't going to pull a book out, find
the right spelling and still type it wrong.......
Besides, I wanted to see if someone would bite...... and you did!!
8-))
Dral
*Geoff Ward*:
> Not that many months ago there was a T.V. prog about the
> LLangollen and they showed pulling the plug on the Pontycsyllte
> Viaduct ( I think I've got the spelling wrong again)
You have. You seem to have put a V, & I, where A, Q, & U should
be.
martinp
Give him a quick bump and grind Brian, these aint know nusgrupe fer speeling
pedd ants :-)
martinp
-----Original Message-----
From: Dral <dr...@hard.u-net.com>
To: can...@blacksheep.org <can...@blacksheep.org>
Date: Saturday, March 20, 1999 09:18
Subject: Re: Canal emptied by pulling plug - is it true?
>On 19-Mar-99 the message entitled
>/Re: Canal emptied by pulling plug - is it true?/ was sent by
>*Geoff Ward*:
>
>
>> Not that many months ago there was a T.V. prog about the
>> LLangollen and they showed pulling the plug on the Pontycsyllte
>> Viaduct ( I think I've got the spelling wrong again)
>
>You have. You seem to have put a V, & I, where A, Q, & U should
>be.
I guess once the plug has been pulled he is right? :-)
Dave Mayall
>On 19-Mar-99 the message entitled
>/Re: Canal emptied by pulling plug - is it true?/ was sent by
>*Geoff Ward*:
>
>
>> Not that many months ago there was a T.V. prog about the
>> LLangollen and they showed pulling the plug on the Pontycsyllte
>> Viaduct ( I think I've got the spelling wrong again)
>
>You have. You seem to have put a V, & I, where A, Q, & U should
>be.
Which substitution gives us Aquaduct.
Cue the thread on the correct spelling of Aqueduct :-)
--
Dave Mayall
M.J.Powell
<st...@sole.prd.co.uk> writes
>M.J.Powell (mi...@pickmere.demon.co.uk) wrote:
>: In article <7ctnlc$3la$1...@fastnet.prd.co.uk>, Steve Blinkhorn
>: <st...@sole.prd.co.uk> writes
>: >Dral (dr...@hard.u-net.com) wrote:
>: >: On 18-Mar-99 the message entitled
>: >
>: >
>: >: >> Is there any truth in the story that a canal in the UK was
>: >: >> drained
>: >: >> when a
>: >: >> chain found in the water was pulled and found to be attached to
>: >: >> a "plug"
>: >: >> which was keeping the water in?
>: >
>: >It also happened on the Rochdale Canal in Manchester some time during
>: >the 1960s IIRC. Wonderful pix in the Manchester Evening News. Once
>: >they realised it had a bathplug, needless to relate, many denizens of
>: >Mrs Merton land tried to keep their coal in it.
>
>: You live some distance from Manchester, I assume?
>
>: Mike
>
>Well I do now, but at the time of the plug-pulling I travelled daily
>between school in Rusholme and the Central Library in St Peter's
>Square, crossing the Rochdale Canal in the process. Then again, I
>was born within a couple of hundred yards of said cut.
>And as a sometime denizen of Heaton Mersey with a sister who
>was a schoolfriend of the patron saint of Heaton Norris (aka Mrs
>Merton), I was of course born with a sense of humour....;-)
I bow to your superior knowledge of Mancunian habits.
Mike
>
>--
Martin Reed
>It sure is ... Many canals have 'Plugs' and they were regularly used for
>dredging . Just stop-plank the section at both ends and pull the plug .
>Instant dredge.
On the Brecon and Abergavenny near the Aqueduct over the River Usk if you
are up early in the morning when the canal water is crystal clear you can
see the plug in the bottom of the canal and the chain lying there waiting to
be fished up. On the towpath alongside is the remains of the old winch
which you attached the chain to and then used a bar to turn it to lift the
plug. At several other locations on the canal you can see the remains of
other winches.
Also on the B & A by the locks in Llangynidr where the canal crosses the
stream there is a 'plug hole', removed from the base of the canal and on
display on the off side. You can also work out the modern arrangement from
the huge plastic tube that sticks out of the side of the aqueduct.
All the best,
Martin Reed.
Brian L Dominic
wrote:
>a
>>>>>chain found in the water was pulled and found to be attached to a "plug"
>>>>>which was keeping the water in?
>>>>>
>knows
>>>>>all the details.
>>>>>
>>>>I'm fairly certain it happened on the Chesterfield (by accident) when
>>>>it was being restored / dredged - the digger got hold of a chain,
>>>>pulled, and.......
>>>>
>>>>Of course, Pontiwhatsit's got one, the pulling of which made the Press
>>>>and TV late last year.....
>>>
>>>Pontcysyllte. Get it right, man.
>>>>
>>Look, it was about 0100, and I wasn't going to pull a book out, find
>>the right spelling and still type it wrong.......
>>
>>Besides, I wanted to see if someone would bite...... and you did!!
>>
>>8-))
>Give him a quick bump and grind Brian, these aint know nusgrupe fer speeling
>pedd ants :-)
Nah - I'll sit 'im on the orbital sander - give 'im a quick thrill!
martinp
You can be so abrasive Brian :-)
M.J.Powell
<domin...@proweb.co.uk> writes
>On Sat, 20 Mar 1999 09:02:54 +0100, "martinp" <m.pat...@consunet.nl>
>wrote:
>>>>>On Thu, 18 Mar 1999 22:25:49 -0000, "MAB" <ma...@my-dejanews.com>
>>>>>wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>Is there any truth in the story that a canal in the UK was drained when
>>a
>>>>>>chain found in the water was pulled and found to be attached to a "plug"
>>>>>>which was keeping the water in?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I'd love to find a reference, or hear the full story from someone who
>>knows
>>>>>>all the details.
>>>>>>
>>>>>I'm fairly certain it happened on the Chesterfield (by accident) when
>>>>>it was being restored / dredged - the digger got hold of a chain,
>>>>>pulled, and.......
>>>>>
>>>>>Of course, Pontiwhatsit's got one, the pulling of which made the Press
>>>>>and TV late last year.....
>>>>
>>>>Pontcysyllte. Get it right, man.
>>>>>
>>>Look, it was about 0100, and I wasn't going to pull a book out, find
>>>the right spelling and still type it wrong.......
>>>
>>>Besides, I wanted to see if someone would bite...... and you did!!
>>>
>>>8-))
>>Give him a quick bump and grind Brian, these aint know nusgrupe fer speeling
>>pedd ants :-)
>
>Nah - I'll sit 'im on the orbital sander - give 'im a quick thrill!
Oooohhhh!!
Mike
Adrian Stott
adr...@enable.telinco.com
Tel. +44-956-299966 (from UK, 0956-299966)
MAB <ma...@my-dejanews.com> wrote in article
<7crurt$ut1$1...@news8.svr.pol.co.uk>...
> Is there any truth in the story that a canal in the UK
was drained when a
> chain found in the water was pulled and found to be
attached to a "plug"
> which was keeping the water in?
>
> I'd love to find a reference, or hear the full story from
someone who knows
> all the details.
I suspect the story you have heard is the famous (true) one
which happened on the Chesterfield Canal. A BWB crew
member found a bit of chain in the cut, and pulled on it.
There was a large plug on the end (this one was round).
Gurgle, gurgle, dry canal. This must have been 15 or 20
years ago, but a picture of said crew member holding up the
plug next to an almost-dry ditch made it into newspapers
all around the world.
Plugs in canals are not uncommon. The Brecknock &
Abergavenny, for example, has (had?) them regularly,
complete with little chain winches on the canal (off) side
to pull them out with. The winches (last time I was there,
which was about ten years ago) are all now much decayed.
I had understood that the plugs were simply to drain the
canal in an emergency or for maintenance. I hadn't heard
the story that they were a dredging aid. It seems a little
unlikely to me, as the current they would have created in
the canal would have been fairly small. After all, their
area is only about that of a large paddle.
Adrian
Michael Houlston
wrote:
>
> Is there any truth in the story that a canal in the UK was drained when a
> chain found in the water was pulled and found to be attached to a "plug"
> which was keeping the water in?
>
> I'd love to find a reference, or hear the full story from someone who
> knows
> all the details.
>
>
We took a walk along the Mon and Brec when it was de-watered for repair of
the Brynich aquaduct.
In the middle section of the aquaduct was the pulled up plug.
Actually in this case a large steel plate on a cantilivered arm.
This lead to a pipe about a foot in diameter.
If you keep an eye open going along the canal you can sometimes spot the
remains of wooden rollers about two foot long by six inches or so in
diameter. They are mounted on a cast iron frame about 18 inches high.
As far as I know this is the original plug pulling mechanism.
Connect it to the chain and wind away.
Must have take a fair bit of effort.
Mike
--
Mike Houlston. Wilderness Beaver "KESTON"
Canals are more fun than working !!.
mhou...@argonet.co.uk
John Norris
<URL:mailto:mhou...@argonet.co.uk> wrote:
> In article <7crurt$ut1$1...@news8.svr.pol.co.uk>, "MAB" <ma...@my-dejanews.com>
> wrote:
SNIP
> We took a walk along the Mon and Brec when it was de-watered for repair of
> the Brynich aquaduct.
> In the middle section of the aquaduct was the pulled up plug.
> Actually in this case a large steel plate on a cantilivered arm.
Agreed, though it is different from others I have seen on the Mon & Brec.
> If you keep an eye open going along the canal you can sometimes spot the
> remains of wooden rollers about two foot long by six inches or so in
> diameter. They are mounted on a cast iron frame about 18 inches high.
The 'frame' is actually composed of two uprights of old bullhead rail,
with a horizontal iron spacing rod and another horizontal rod supporting
the roller.
Most of the rollers are much decayed, as has already been mentioned in
another posting. Apart from the restored windlass at Brynich the best
example is a mile south of Goytre wharf, just below bridge 72 at
SO 3158 0505. The roller on this still has the hook for attaching the chain.
John Norris
Ian McCarthy
north. The Rochdale, Ashton, Peak Forest, Macc I think all have them.
They can normally be spotted by the large cooping stone with 4 stud
sticking up, on the towpath edge (now bent over to people don't trip on
them). In some cases there is also a roller at the edge and the block is
at the far side of the towpath. The trunk is normally about 3ft square,
and sealed in clay. They are used to dewater the canal for maintenance.
In days of yore they would position a load of boats, pull the plug and
then shovel the mod into the boats and re fill the canal.
Ones I instantly know are
Dunkinfield Tip on the Lower Peak Forest
Between Locks Blue Pass (3)90 lock and Tib(4)89 lock on the Rochdale
Butler St Trunk on the water channelled Rochdale
In the new basin on the old M&SJC outside the Bridgewater Hall
One in Bugsworth Basin
Lumb Lane on the Ashton? may be a side trunk. i.e. one with a paddle and
stop planks on the side of the canal.
Cheers Ian Mac
Matthew Bradwell
wrote:
>Dral (dr...@hard.u-net.com) wrote:
>: On 18-Mar-99 the message entitled
>: /Canal emptied by pulling plug - is it true?/ was sent by *MAB*:
>
>
>: >> Is there any truth in the story that a canal in the UK was
>: >> drained
>: >> when a
>: >> chain found in the water was pulled and found to be attached to
>: >> a "plug"
>: >> which was keeping the water in?
><Deeply interesting material sadly snipped to preserve
bandwidth.....>
>
>It also happened on the Rochdale Canal in Manchester some time during
>the 1960s IIRC. Wonderful pix in the Manchester Evening News.
Once
>they realised it had a bathplug, needless to relate, many denizens of
>Mrs Merton land tried to keep their coal in it.
I have seen this one, there is a mark on the stonework at the side of
the canal to show where it is.
Allegedly there is one in Skipton which would flood the railway
station if pulled
--
Matthew
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/MatthewBradwell/
for a history of Melton Mowbray church bells.
Tony Clayton
I recakl seeing a similar arrangement on the K&A near Avoncliff Aqueduct in
the days when you could walk across dryshod.
--
Tony Clayton
'Linton', Godalming Wharf
Home Page http://www.tclayton.demon.co.uk
... A clean desk is a sign of a -sick- mind
A.J. Clarke
> Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 20:26:14 GMT
> Subject: Re: Canal emptied by pulling plug - is it true?
>
> Allegedly there is one in Skipton which would flood the railway
> station if pulled
And imagine what would happen to Birmingham New Street (tunnelling
70ft below IIRC) if someone put their pole through the bottom of Gas
Street Basin...
Tony Clarke
Michael J Wooding
A.J. Clarke <aj...@cus.cam.ac.uk> writes
>And imagine what would happen to Birmingham New Street (tunnelling
>70ft below IIRC) if someone put their pole through the bottom of Gas
>Street Basin...
Some pole!
Geoff Monk
the Chesterfield Canal in the 70's where a BW dredger driver tried to
remove a length of chain from the bed of the canal and found a plug on
the end of it which drained the canal into a culvert? It made the
national press and the TV. IIRC the "plug" was an unrecorded device
which Brindley had designed, but no one knew how it was originally
intended to work before the JCB type of arms were fitted to dredgers.
Geoff
PS Whilst name-dropping - a boy in one of my maths classes about 20
years ago said, "I know that you are keen on canals. My Mum thought
that you might be interested to know that I am James Brindley's great
great - -(I forget how many) - - -grandson."
r30p...@aol.com
> Is there any truth in the story that a canal in the UK was drained when a
> chain found in the water was pulled and found to be attached to a "plug"
> which was keeping the water in?
>
> all the details.
>
> MAB