--- In [email protected], "clive6799" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], Arthurnaylor2802@ wrote: > > > > Which is the most notorious stand-alone lock (not affected by > other waterway > > factors) on the system? > > My vote is for Colwich. > > On Wednesday afternoon this week I approached Colwich Lock from > Great > > Haywood to find a long queue of boats waiting for the lock. At one > point I was > > eighth in line of thirteen waiting boats. This came as no surprise > as this lock > > is notoriously slow to fill, has heavy, ill balanced bottom gates > one of which > > can (and usually does) swing open in the time it takes > the 'lockwinder' to > > walk from the bottom gate to the top gate and an inadequate length > of lock > > landing (considering the queues that often form) at the southern > end. For those > > of us who have queued for two to four hours at this lock, a few of > the > > bollards that are being sprinkled around the system would be > usefully located along > > the banks to remove the necessity to stand holding a centre line > for hours on > > end. Rumour had it that the inoperative ground paddle at the top > of the lock > > had been recently repaired (within the last 24 hours), but had > failed again. > > Quote from one frustrated ancient mariner standing waiting was: > Why have > > they (BW) put in a plastic paddle which is not reliable, when > wooden ones has > > been satisfactory for 200 years? Even when the lock is working 'to > spec.' > > queues form quite regularly, especially at weekends (one holiday > weekend some > > years ago I was about 15th or 16th in the queue trying to head > north, and had a > > 3.5 hour plus wait). > > On the plus side, apart from the railway junction overhead, it is > in a > > pretty location. > > > > Arthur Naylor > > > Arthur & all others commenting on this lock may be interested to > note that I raised it with BW at Fazeley directly after I saw your > post. They came back to me today saying: > "arranged for the lock to be inspected last weekend. It seems some > loose bricks have dropped into the paddle chamber causing the > problems that boater have pointed out for us, consequently arranged > for someone to go to the lock this week to see if the problem could > be eased in the short term and have also arranged for some > permanent work to be programmed. > > I apologise for the delays that have arisen at the lock and the > inconvenience caused. Hopefully you can appreciate we can't get the > permanent work done immediately, but we try to ease the situation > and sort it out ASAP." > > It seems they do venture out from the Fazeley office at times. As > Bruce has pointed out "It experiences a LOT of traffic at peak > times" but, I would suggest that if users do not point out problems > to BW directly they may never find out about them, they do not > appear to read this site so posting here will not get problems fixed > (unless I take them up on your behalf as in this instance where I > have a contact point). > Clive
Keens family - please note re ypur problems at Dukes - 92 on the Rochdale canal. Regards Pete www.thecanalshop.com
