Issue 68 Winter 2010/2011

The journal of the Russell Newbery Engine Owners & Enthusiasts Club

Dive Dive Dive! Potty Woes Crank it Up Rally Update

www.russellnewbery.co.uk/Register WHO’S WHO CONTENTS

Front cover: Stourbridge Bonded Warehouse. (Photo Rob RUSSELL NEWBERY REGISTER LTD Davies) Back cover: Hoar frost at Whittington. (Photo Rob Davies) Vice Presidents: Lady Carol Stamp, Mrs Susan Gibbs, Dav- id Thirlby 3 CHAIRMAN’S CHAT Web site: www.russellnewbery.co.uk/Register The Russell Newbery Register is a non profit distributing company limited by guarantee. FROM THE EDITOR Founded: 1994 Registered in England No: 346943 Officers: 4 DON’T FORGET THE DIVER Chairman (Director): David Kay Phillips t: 01562 700365 m: 07831 285559 From Norman Woolley [our own Jacques Cousteau] Secretary (Director): Kevin McNiff m: 07866 424988 [email protected] PLANT TALK Director: Norman C Mitchell t: 01452 415420 [email protected] Administration (membership, finance): Rob Davies 5 POTTY WOES! 55 Noddington Lane, Whittington, Lichfield, Staffs. WS14 We’ve all been there - full toilet and service point out of 9PA order. Jim Storey regales BW for poor information t/f: 01543 432079 m: 07801 842337 [email protected] 6 CRANK IT UP Administration (newsletter) Revisiting Graham Pearson’s look at crankshaft develop- Editor: Kevin McNiff (as above) ment Production: Andrew Laycock m: 07870 294580 [email protected] 8 BOAT FOR SALE Administration (merchandise): Neil Mason Member Mark Welch profiles NB Albert No.3 Hillcrest, Chapel Lane, Westhumble, Surrey. RH5 6AH t: 01306 889073 [email protected] 9 LETTERS PAGE Rally Organiser: Kevin McNiff (as above) Webmaster: Andrew Laycock (as above) Kevin McNiff asks “Is BW really fit for purpose?” 10 2011 RALLY UPDATE RUSSELL NEWBERY REGISTER PROPERTY LTD With a bit more detail or an explanation

A non profit distributing company limited by guarantee 11 MORE BEER? Founded 2004 Registered in England No: 5316384 Some insights on the problems of providing real ale at Directors: Stephen Burt, Clive Henderson, Rob Davies the rally bar

RN DIESEL ENGINE CO LTD Unless otherwise noted, Copyright © Russell Newbery Register, 2011

With the changes in fuel and additives, the prospect of a breakdown may 4 Oak House, Royal Oak Way North, Royal Oak Industrial have potentially increased. Estate, Daventry NN11 8PQ t: 01327 700023

The Register’s associate Company provides new engines, Remember that RNR members benefit from a spares and re-builds. discount on all levels of cover so why not join up this year. Managing Director: David Kay Phillips t: 01327 700023 Field Engineers: Ian Crompton m: 07831 841108 And while we are on the subject, filters are avail- Richard Milligan m:07973 826260 able from the RN Diesel Engine Company. General Enquiries: [email protected] Sales Enquiries: [email protected] Engineering Enquiries: [email protected] Next edition

All contributions for the Spring 2011 edition will be gratefully received. Do not worry about format — in true RN fashion the editorial team can cope with almost anything!

Copy deadline is 15th April 2011 Corporate Member 2 RNR Newsletter : Winter 2010/2011 Chairman’s Chat

The crystal ball must have worked well as I decided to drain the whole system in October instead of keeping the central heating running, so I hope that when we do go to the boat all the pipe work will still be in working order.

At home we were a good advert for central heating. One evening the house suddenly felt cold and we realised that the heating had packed up. The new condensing boiler had frozen at the external outlet pipe but, after consultation with the installer, a kettle of boiling water was drizzled over the pipe to thaw the ice and all was well. So that was the order each evening – to warm the external pipe work!

With best wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year, and trouble free boating.

Christmas comes but once a year, except in our house. Our daughter and family went down with a cough virus A word from ‘er indoors: Indoors being the operative word – and they didn’t want to risk bringing any infection here, so who wants to be outdoors in this cold weather! kept away. The presents are in a pile in the corner, looking rather forlorn without the Christmas tree. However, David is progressing well after his surgery; it is going to be we shall be having the celebration the last weekend in the a slow job. His Consultant is reluctant to do anything month, (January) complete with turkey etc., not that I am about his voice until healing is complete, as such a tiny bit affected as I am still ‘nil by mouth’. My claim to fame – no of surgery could cause a lot of problems if healing is alcohol for about 22 months! incomplete.

We have not done any boating since the Rally at Thank you all for your good wishes; they certainly do help Ellesmere Port, which we thoroughly enjoyed. A big thank and give us a boost. you to all who helped us at the locks. We did go out for a day with Eleanor’s relatives from Canada, just to give them a taste. From the Editor New Members

Welcome to the winter 2010/2011 edition of A net increase of just 2 takes the total membership up to the Russell Newbery Newsletter. December 248 – 250 looms nearer. My apologies to Peter & saw some of the coldest weather in Britain Christine Yarde for omitting the name of their boat – Empress of Blandings - in the last welcome list. Since for many a year with a total freeze of the the last Issue we have signed up 4 new members so it is canals reminiscent of 1962/3. It’s over for the a very warm RNR welcome to: moment but maybe not done with? Mike Thornton, Milton Keynes NB Denmark With David making steady progress, I’m sure we can look forward to seeing him and Eleanor at Stourb.ridge in June Tim & Lorna Wooding, Rugby NB Anonimity If you filled your diesel tanks before January, the changes imposed on the UK by the EU will Lucy & Gerald O’Donnell, Burton on Trent NB Sweet not be of a worry yet about about low Liam sulphur or “FAME”. Just as well as with all Michael Beales, Henfield NB William such impositions, there is still a lot of confusion amongst suppliers and retailers. I’m sure this will be a topic for discussion at the rally. Before you set out, maybe its time to check your fuel system and clean or change the filter? Did I mention rally? Please read all about it and get those entry forms into Pauline Mitchell as soon as possible. See you there!

RNR Newsletter : Winter 2010/11 3 Don’t Forget The Diver Norman Woolley writes: “Now for to search for a missing person in grav- around. Instead you had to hop something entirely different, reminis- el pits around Heathrow Airport. around like a demented kangaroo. cences from my youth. That’s chal- Thank goodness we did not find the The recompression chamber was an- lenging your memory I hear you say!” body. Not a good experience to come other interesting experience. As the across a corpse in the nil visibility of pressure was increased it got much I used to be in the school swimming the water through which we were warmer and your voice assumed a team and when I left school, way back swimming. higher pitch, then as the pressure in 1953 I got interested in under water dropped the air got colder and gener- swimming using a mask, flippers and The winters in those days were severe ated a swirling mist. snorkel, one of those with a ping pong and lakes were often frozen over giv- ball on the top of the tube. In a mood ing us the opportunity of diving under Before our two club expeditions to the of unbridled generosity towards my the ice. We went in on a line from the Mediterranean I had dived with the younger brother, I had bought these edge of the lake, otherwise we may owner of the diving school in Corsica. for him, but as he showed no interest I not have been able to find our way out On one dive we explored the wreck of thought I would try them out. Until and been trapped under the ice. I had a flying fortress which had been shot then I had swum underwater without taken a small coal axe in the water down in the last war. Quite an eerie such aids, as I thought it was a rather with me in order to hack a hole in the experience as it sat on the sea floor, sissy thing to do. I was astounded ice. It took a good ten minutes of 100 feet under water, looking as what a new world was revealed to me hacking to make a hole the size of though it was ready to take off. I had after all the years in which I had en- your fist, as every time you hit the un- an alarming incident down there, as I joyed swimming. I told one of my derside of the ice it pushed you away. was about to swim out of the wrecked neighbours, where I was living with Remember you are floating in water fuselage I got caught up on loose ca- my parents, about this experience and and hitting a solid object, so I can ap- bles inside the aircraft. I worked out it turned out he belonged to a nearby preciate why space astronauts carry that as I had turned inside the fuse- sub aqua club. He suggested I out their training in a large pool of wa- lage the tap on the top of my air cylin- should come along with him to one of ter. der on my back had become tangled their sessions in the local pool. Well I in those cables, so by reversing the was hooked from the start, passed all Our club organised a visit to the Royal way I had turned I worked loose. the exams associated with the use of Naval diving school, HMS Vernon, at Rather a nasty moment when 100 feet an aqualung and latterly organised Portsmouth giving me the opportunity under the sea. In any event my two club expeditions to the Mediterra- to try out the frogman diving gear they ‘buddy’ (you never dive alone) was up nean, one to Corsica and another to used, by swimming in Portsmouth Har- in the cockpit so would have been Sardinia. bour. I found it very hard going until I able to release me on his way past to realised that I was trying to swim leave the aircraft. Our club was formed before the exist- through the silt on the harbour bottom ence of the British Sub Aqua Club, rather than the water. I also tried out There are many more tales associated now the recognised organisation for the traditional hardhat diving gear, in with the years I enjoyed diving, but such activities, and even before the a tank this time. With those heavy perhaps we will leave that for another regular police force had their own weights on your chest and back and time. divers. In fact our club was employed the lead boots, you could not walk

PLANT TALK! - Plant = Works Continuing his headlining voyages, Brian Jarrett has has been helped by us being able to resell the DM3 that made several attempts to reach Canal Transport Services we have stored for a member over the last 4 years. The on the Anglesey branch of the BCN for a repaint. Beaten engine has been upgraded to the latest alternator back to Gas Street Basin by ice, he brings us up to date bracketry (the Kay Bracket which was designed by David with the Works – instead! [He’s finally made it! Ed] Kay Phillips) utilizing a poly multi V belt running directly off the flywheel. The gearbox has also been changed to the I did not expect to be still overseeing the activities of RN PRM 500 so as to give a 1.5:1 ratio. Diesel Eng Co Ltd in 2011. However, with David having to undergo further surgery for his throat cancer, it was Finally to clarify the situation with regard to Allister Denyer, inevitable that I had to assume the mantle to ensure Allister has applied to emigrate to Canada and whilst this continuity of the business and to maintain a positive cash is being processed he is still using the plant to carry out flow during these very difficult times. subcontract engineering work for himself and also any other work required relating to register members and the In view of the current business levels the decision has RN engine. been taken to deregister from VAT. Whilst this means we will be unable to recover VAT on purchases, the I would hope to be able to report in the next newsletter the adjustment of sale prices negates this and does not effect positive progress of the Company during these very the overall price paid by members for product. Once again difficult times. it is the support of members that enables us to still offer a full spares operation for the D series engine and cash flow 4 RNR Newsletter : Winter 2010/2011 Potty Woes For any member who missed the November “Towpath Wolverhampton '21' but I have not checked this personally Talk”, Jim Storey has given permission for this letter to be on this occasion. reproduced in RNR News. The issues are the basis of an official complaint which received a response from BW We therefore have the situation where, taking the BW no- shortly after. tice at face value and failing to find a facility at Autherley and at Compton, a boater is expected to reverse from On Sunday 24th October 2010 I passed through Penk- Compton to Alderley junction and navigate up 21 locks to ridge, southbound, leaving domestic rubbish and taking empty a Porta Potti (or equivalent) and then navigate onboard potable water at the BW facilities there. I was back down the same 21 locks and back along the lower unable to use the Elsan disposal or the toilet as these pound to Compton. Furthermore let us assume (a) that it were both marked as "Out Of Order". The BW notice apol- is a weekend so that any call to a BW office will find it ogised for any inconvenience caused and gave alternative closed and (b) that it is winter so that there are few private locations of: Great Haywood (northbound), Autherley, boats with experienced crews about from whom to seek Compton and Broad Street Basin at the top of Wolver- further guidance. Plainly this is a very distressing and dis- hampton. turbing circumstance with public health ramifications!

I say again: the date was 24th October 2010 not 1st April! For the record it was, in fact, not the weekend so I could, and did, consult BW West Midlands who eventually estab- Great Haywood: There is no BW Elsan disposal facility at lished that they think there is an Elsan disposal facility at Great Haywood junction. There is such a facility within the Greensforge. jurisdiction of Anglo-Welsh at that location but on the last occasion that I was there (a) the company made a charge Let us assume that this is correct. There is therefore no for its use and (b) the facility stank from 50 feet away and Elsan between Etruria and Greensforge on this route. If I would accordingly not approach any more closely on the facility at Penkridge is shut down for more than 1 hour health grounds. In any event, on this occasion Great Hay- I suggest that it is only reasonable on the grounds of pub- wood was already behind me. lic health that a 'Lavender Boat', or alternative, be brought immediately by truck or helicopter crane and launched at Autherley: There is no BW, or other, Elsan disposal facility this location until the facility is re-opened. at Autherley junction. There is a privately-owned pump- out facility only. Attaching a pump-out machine to a Porta- I further suggest that a BW facility be re-established at Potti would likely implode it! There used to be an Elsan Great Haywood junction. I am certain that there used to disposal some 5 or more years' ago before BW removed it. be one in the existing canal buildings 30 or so years' ago It was not located at the junction but at the first bridge or less. north of the junction bridge and, were it still there, it would have been an inordinate distance over which to expect I also suggest that the Autherley facility be re-established any boater of limited experience to reverse a narrowboat if only to provide a reasonable alternative to Penkridge to regain the Staffs & Worcester canal. and Greensforge and avoid the cost of helicopter cra- neage. A 'Lavender Boat' in the Autherley area might be a Compton: There is no BW, or other, Elsan disposal facility cheaper but workable alternative. An old-style dumb at Compton. There is a privately-owned pump-out facility barge or workboat could be converted into a 40 cubic me- at Limekiln Chandlery but, I say again, a pump-out is not tre capacity 'Lavender' boat and towed out for pumping- an Elsan. Do we have the situation where the employee out by (say) Canal and River Services tug. Were it an- of BW who wrote the Penkridge notice cannot tell the dif- chored at a suitable location on the offside with simple ference between a manhole cover (a hole in the ground) float sight gauge visible from the towpath and a telephone and a suction pump, I wonder? number for a visiting boater to ring when full then vandal- ism would be minimised and bank staff monitoring largely Broad Street, Wolverhampton: There may be an Elsan avoided. disposal facility at the maintenance yard at the top of the

Even More 2010 Rally Pictures Online Was it you? It was mentioned in the last newsletter that Jim Storey had some of Bob May's Rally photos on his website. John Adams would like whoever was at Glasson on the You may have browsed these on the internet. Jim had Lancaster Canal last summer to get in touch with him. used image manipulation software to try to correct He has had a call from a BW man who saw you there some camera malfunctions. Bob has since replaced his and was very enthusiastic about the the hinged chimney camera! Jim's site has now been re-vamped and updat- you had - so much so that he wants one or maybe two. ed with ALL of Bob's (and some of Rob’s) Rally photos. So even if you looked at it before, Jim suggests that Unfortunately, the man did not leave any contact details you do so again as there are now over 100 photos but if you can remember, John may have a small job to which may show you, your friends and/or your boat and keep him busy! if you didn't attend the Rally then you can see what you missed! The address: http://www.jim-storey.com/rnr2010.htm

RNR Newsletter : Winter 2010/11 5 A Look at Russell Newbery ‘D’ series crankshafts It’s a Weighty Problem

A search of the Newsletter archives revealed this article by founding Chair- man, Graham Pearson, which featured in July 2000 – Issue 26. The su- perb drawings are also by Graham.

Before you think ‘hello, this is going to be another article where Graham is going to look at another component and its variations’, I would like to em- phasise that this is a weighty problem in more ways than one.

This little seen component that is at the heart of the engine and is what the piston and connecting rods are all about, is no lightweight. A two cylinder crank is just about manageable by one fairly strong person. A three cylin- der crank, because of its length, really needs two people to move a it around, and with a four cylinder crank thoughts are centred around ‘what a good idea it was putting that overhead trolley in the workshop’.

Having taken out a number of crankshafts from their engines we (we be- ing Graham and Allister) started to appreciate that not all Russell Newbery crankshafts are the same. At one point earlier this year we had six crank- shafts of a variety of dates scattered around the workshop. Removing the balance weights so that the crankshafts could go off for a re-grinding we noticed that not all the balance weights are the same. Not only were there variations in the shape but also the weight. This gave us a bit of a puzzle – but we had a cunning plan! The bathroom scales were acquired and meas- urements taken, textbooks were taken off shelves and dusted down and a series of telephone calls made. We have identified three distinct types of crankshafts and their manufacture dates co-incide with distinct periods of the company’s history. Although we have a good selection of crankshaft drawings we somehow ended up with only one balance weight drawing, and that was for an F4. This meant that we had to do some working back- wards, piecing together the facts that made the question while holding the answer.

By the nature of the beast our Russell Newbery two throw crankshafts need balance weights, it seems that only the mighty E6 and F6 engines did not have them. The balance weights smooth out the opposing forces acting on the crankshaft. Excessive vibration in rotating machinery can cause unacceptable levels of noise, but more importantly reduce the life of the shaft bearings. Dagenham did a lot of experimental work in the mid ‘50s into methods of reducing internal engine vibration and from a few sheets of type written calculations that we have, it appears that they had a test rig to trial engines under varying loads and speed ranges.

The ideal would be to remove all the causes of vibration and in theory it is possible to do this. Books and paper, and no doubt, the odd computer pro- gram have been written to explain how this can be done, but in practice this cannot be achieved. What has to be aimed for is a reduction of the imbalance to a level that will not adversely affect the life of the bearings and the process for doing this, would you believe, is called ‘balancing’. This involves the removal or addition of weight to the crankshaft so that the effective mass will run as near as possible to the true centre or axis of the unit.

At Dagenham, Russell Newbery crankshafts were balanced by the static method. This involved bolting on the balance weights and clamping bob weights around the pins to simulate the piston and connecting rod, then

6 RNR Newsletter : Winter 2010/2011 A Look at Russell Newbery ‘D’ series crankshafts

placing the assembled unit into pairs of low friction bearings. The unit is rotated and it will settle with its heaviest point falling to the bottom. Material is then removed from this point and the unit is again rotated to find the next heavy point. The process is then repeated until there is no obvious heavy sp

It was while having difficulties balancing a crankshaft in the late ‘40s that Bill Lambert (the ‘Mr RN’ of Dagenham, sadly no longer with us) met Jack Bradbury (Frederick Russell’s co-director) for the only time. He was able to help Bill out and perfectly balanced the crankshaft. We assume, because of Jack Bradbury’s detailed knowledge of static bal- ancing that Altrincham crankshafts were balanced by this method. In recent years other more accurate balancing machines have started to be used that are electronically able to pin point heavy spots over the length of the crankshaft. This dynamic balancing gives a readout in the same way that the tyre balancer does at your local garage. Thanks to Julie and Charles at Dynamic Balancing Servicing and their wonderful high tech. machines, we have been able to unravel some of the calcu- lations that were used to work out the balance weights on our Russell Newbery cranks. The formula that was used appears to have originat- ed from Rolls Royce. All very interesting, because Frederick Russell and William Newbery spent the last three years of their apprentice- ships at the Derby works.

Looking at the construction of the Altrincham crankshaft, the main shaft and offset pins were cut from a single billet of steel and ma- chined to size. This was a highly skilled job as the tolerances were very tight. The sprocket for the timing chain and its key were then add- ed along with the balance weights. So far we have only the two throw Altrincham cranks that have two balance weights, one at each end. However, Bill Lambert has told us that some two throw Altrincham crankshafts had four weights and that would agree with a 1935 sec- tioned drawing that we have.

Moving on to 1950, when Dagenham undertook its re-tooling in prepa- ration for the increased engine production, their crankshafts were shaped by drop forging. A very expensive process to set up as the dies for the drop forging cost a great deal of money to make, but this is offset by the greatly reduced machine time. The RD1 and D2/DM2 en- gines had their balance weights forged into the crank, but the three or four cylinder engines had balance weights added to their crankshafts. A couple of years ago I tried to locate the drop forging dies that were probably last used in the ‘70s. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then, and although some of the older employees remem- bered Russell Newbery, the dies, along with their drop forging ma- chine, are probably in that great scrap yard in the sky.

The early ‘70s saw a modified return of the Altrincham crankshaft cut from a single billet, but this time the two throw crank had four weights. The only difference between the late Dagenham/Vero cranks and the Altrincham versions is the larger chamfer on the cheeks each side of this pin. The new R N Diesels crankshafts – the steel for them has ar- rived at the machine shop as I write – will be of this later pattern.

The little tale ends as it started – with the bathroom scales. They were returned to the place from whence they came – but unfortunately a small, very small trace of black oil betrayed that they might, just might, but only for a few moments, have been in the workshop. RNR Newsletter : Winter 2010/11 7 RN DM2 For Sale [Includes 70’ Narrowboat] - £58,000 Reluctantly now on tors, heated by a the market - little Hurricane diesel used but much boiler. There is loved “Albert No. 3” also a Pither coal a 70’ 1981 Malcolm stove fitted in the Braine design and main saloon and build trad style NB a small cast iron with an interesting stove situated in history, having been the boatman’s originally commis- cabin. sioned by an archi- I had to look again, too, as the original picture aspect ratio makes Albert No.3 tect and then bought look like a wide beam! Ed The hull was sur- by the then chair- veyed and man of NCP, Sir Donald Gosling. blacked in 2008 and in December “Albert” is powered by an RN DM2 and 2010 I again had the boat out of the comes complete with much of the orig- water at Sunbury dry dock, in order to inal paperwork relating to the design pressure clean, inspect and re-black and build! the hull. The boat is to be sold with a mid-stream pile mooring (paid up until Having owned this boat since March end December 2011), situated close 2008, I have extensively refurbished to Kingston upon Thames town centre the boat, inside and out. Whilst retain- and will also have a new boat safety ing the original boatman’s cabin and certificate and 2011 Thames licence. engine room I have completely I would be happy to discuss the cost stripped out the saloon area, back to of the mooring and Thames licence if the metal work, in order to have the any prospective purchaser is interest- hull and superstructure treated and ed in relocating ‘Albert’ away from the foam sprayed, along with the fitting of Thames. all new ‘Worcester Marine’ windows. The saloon area has a solid tongue Should anyone be interested in this and grooved oak on plywood floor 12 volt vacuflush toilet with china bowl boat, I would be happy to supply more throughout; the galley area has oak and china basin. The shower com- information and pictures and obvious- work surface, large stainless steel partment is a separate travertine tiled, ly meet up at the boat for a viewing sink and is fitted with a full 4 burner walk-in unit with bi-fold door. Hot wa- and trial run. Contact details: Mark Spinflo gas cooker and a free-stand- ter & central heating is provided by a Welch, mobile 07771-736746, e.mail – ing 12 volt Shoreline fridge. The toilet 12 gallon Calorifier and cast iron radia- [email protected] compartment is fitted with a Leesan The Stratford River Festival — July 2011

The festival this year is being held over the weekend of 2nd/3rd July. Steve Burt reports that several RN members have already signed up to attend. Anyone interested can get full details on the web site www.stratfordriverfestival.co.uk

Membership Matters Two favours please which will make the administration of Secondly, please do consider completing a Banker’s Or- the membership a little easier and save me quite a lot of der when renewing. I am aware that many, with some justi- time, effort and guesswork. fication, do not trust the Direct Debit system. However, Banker’s Orders are slightly different in that your Bank Firstly, if you put your boat up for sale or when you sell it, sends the payment to our Bank. With Direct Debits the please, please let me know, particularly if you are letting beneficiary claims the payment so they are more or less in your membership lapse. You would be surprised at the control. Either way, be assured that, in the event of a re- number of times it is only when a renewal is sent out that fund being required, it will be made without delay. It avoids the news of the sale is advised, or the renewal is even ig- a lot of paperwork: I send you the reminder, you send me nored as the boat has been sold. a cheque (given that the reminder doesn’t sit in your in- tray), I have to Bank it etc. My grateful thanks to those We are, of course, quite happy to advertise the sale in the who do pay by Banker’s Order, an advice is sent out when Newsletter free of charge. [Only too happy to oblige – look the payment is due, end of. up! Ed. ] Why advertise it to members who already have an RN engined boat, I hear you say. Because quite often P.S. One other matter that can be overlooked is when you people that you meet/know will ask to be advised if you change your address. hear of an RN that is for sale.

8 RNR Newsletter : Winter 2010/2011 Letters from our Readers Got something to say about water- through lack of maintenance. Manag- Link – access to the Lancaster Canal ways issues and events: - Diesel; ers at BW refuse to listen to their [70ft length] restricted by locks on the Licence Fees; Overcrowding; Boating engineers on the ground who point Rufford Branch. While I am not critical Etiquette; Toilets [well it does crop up out potential expensive failures. They of regeneration per se I do question in the end!] Do you have a technical strait-jacket their workforce under why so much of the rest of the system question or good idea? reams of paperwork and the real job is still £30m short of funds for essen- of fixing the problems just does not tial maintenance. Send all contributions by email to the get done. They re-organise their editor. business units, remove engineering And closer to RNR while at the Saul staff and outsource to contractors who Rally – local managers switching off To start a debate, here goes: don’t have a clue - or care. And to bridge traffic lights – but that was won make sure, they engage consultants in the end after a classic U-turn! to tell them what they already know. if The New Waterways??? they don’t, they shouldn’t even be in With the exception of a few, the BW We are told we are at a crossroads post! management team know little, or care with the abolition of the BW Quango about, real boaters’ and other users’ and the creation of a new age for the Robin Evans, who aims to hang onto needs. They “talk the talk” but do not Inland Waterways. The vision of his position, even says that when BW “walk the walk”. To many, me included, Robert Aickman is on the horizon. But becomes a new third sector organisa- they are not fit for purpose and should wait, when the new body comes tion, all staff will be even more motivat- not be appointed to any new organisa- online, everyone from the present ed to succeed in April 2012 than tion. It will fail! CEO down will transfer under TUPE March 2012 if they “feel appreciated, and retain all existing salaries and valued and respected” Oh Yes? Why! To date, BW management have pulled benefits!. Waterways Minister Richard the wool over their political paymas- Benyon has pledged that “it will not be Seriously large amounts of money ters’ eyes. It must change if we have British Waterways by another name”. have been wasted on eye catching any chance of an inland waterways But remember he is, after all, a politi- projects which should have been system at all in the future. cian. invested in keeping the main cruising routes open. I refer to the Liverpool Take a good look around our canal Link – 6 boats per day at a cost of system. It is crumbling in many places £20m as an example. Or the Ribble

Strange but True

We received a note from Heather Lunnon which has recently surfaced in the paperwork at RNR. Her husband, Mike, born on 14th June 1935, has a medical card which states he was born on 27th April 1898!

Heather also tells us that they now have a campervan christened Demoiselle having sold their boat Damselfly.

Just goes to show you that humans, not computers, are the only ingredient required to get it wrong!

Merchandise News

Neil Mason reports a very slow Christmas for orders. This may have been due to the appalling weather but whatever the reason, he is still very much Open for Business!

Some items are kept in stock for immediate delivery but clothing is supplied direct from the supplier. See last edition merchandise insert for more details.

Are your RN mugs chipped or covered in engine oil or bilge water? What about a new sweatshirt or body warmer?

Contact Neil on 01306 889073 [full details inside front cover]. RNR Newsletter : Winter 2010/11 9 2011 Rally News – Stourbridge Bonded Warehouse June 16-19

While looking for signs that we may soon see an end to the long winter, I can confirm that the organisation for the rally is progressing. [Andrew Laycock gives you an idea of what he gets up to when sorting out the real ale bar on the next page]. Along with workshops, talks and the usual RN forum, our guest entertainer on Saturday is Harvey Andrews. Born in Birmingham, Harvey should feel quite at home with us in Stourbridge and is a legendary “writer of songs”. Supporting Harvey will be Trish Pink, who some of you will remember sang at the Atherstone rally. If there is enough support, we’ll also have a re-run of the Ukulele Orchestra [RN] and of course the usual suspects known as the RN ensemble!

Andrew Phasey, who will be talking to us about the BSS, is available to do 2 surveys while on site. If your BSS is due, call Andrew on 07850 753633.

Although a great deal of work goes on behind the scenes, the success of any rally is in your hands and long may it be so. Will we top 51 boats this time? There is space for 70 so why not!

Inside this edition is a Rally Entry Form which should be returned to Pauline Mitchell at the address shown. Do it sooner rather than later [Pauline was getting phone calls last year while actually en-route to Ellesmere Port]. Pauline will confirm receipt within 7 days so if you don’t hear back when expected-call her!

Do remember to fill in your boat length including fenders as we are on a linear mooring. Tell us if you have any spe- cial requirements particularly access to the land for less able crew and/or pets. [We cannot guarantee to accommo- date all requests but the harbourmasters will endeavour to fit them all in!]. And of course indicate the workshops you are planning to attend – important for me to schedule them in. Remember to confirm your workshops with Clive and Jill field aboard nb Witcombe – all details are supplied with your Rally Pack when you arrive.

As Rob mentioned in the last newsletter, the BCNS are holding their rally at Pelsall on June 11-12. For more details contact the BCNS via their website www.bcn-society.co.uk. We are also investigating the possibility of navigating the Droitwich Canals, if they fully re-open on time, as a post rally cruise. So there is plenty of cruising options on the wa- terways of the midlands this summer.

Navigational Notes

Seasoned rally goers will already know the drill - arrive with full water tank and empty toilets. There are facilities including pump out at the end of the arm which has 70 ft winding but space is limited. I recommend that all boats wind before you moor up at the start. Our harbourmasters, Ian McKim Thompson and Brian Jarrett will let you know the ‘holes if you need them pointing out!

Rally moorings are against concrete and have rings. The moorings beyond the Neville Garrant bridge into the end of the arm are for permanently moored boats only.

The Huddersfield Narrow Canal By Keith Gibson & David Finnis Published by Horizon Press in softback at £12.99 ISBN 978-1-84306-522-7

This book has been compiled by Keith Gibson, who led the Huddersfield Canal Society’s restoration company, and RNR member David Finnis O.B.E., the Society’s former Press Officer.

The canal celebrates its bi-centenary this year and the book outlines the story from birth to restoration. The canal was legally abandoned in 1944 and, some 30 years later, a group formed the Huddersfield Canal Society. A further 30 years elapsed before the canal was re-opened on 1 May 2001. The story is told in words and almost 150 pictures, divided into four parts – ‘Building the Canal’, The Working Canal’, ‘Left to Rot’ and ‘Restoration and Re-opening’.

A full review by Hugh potter is featured in the February Issue of Water- ways World.

10 RNR Newsletter : Winter 2010/2011 More Beer, Sir? (Or Madam) Like many institutions, the RNR rally rally bar was essential. The marquee er consideration is whether the brew- has over it's history undergone some and gazebo only just fitted into the ery is able to supply racked beer and changes. Most of these have been spit of land between Baddesley Basin are we able to collect in the mornings evolutionary, as both the size of the and the Coventry canal. of the rally days. attendance and the experience of the organizers grew. Very few of these With real boaters attending the rally in Choosing the range of beers is almost changes have been radical, perhaps real boats with real engines, one thing as fun as drinking them. Most brewer- reflecting that the original concept and the bar has to have is real ale. And ies produce seasonal or special brews. format were correct. The most radical that is a challenge. Real ale needs to We like to include one or two of these, change in recent years has been the settle, in a undisturbed cask at a con- so that even the most avid beer drink- provision of a rally bar. stant temperature of 10 to 14°C for at er in the RNR family will find some- least 24 hours before serving. Ideally thing new or unusual. The first rally to have a proper bar was longer if possible, some beers are the 2007 event at Atherstone. Howev- best left for weeks. In a marquee Occasionally the best laid plans do go er, the origins lie two years earlier. erected the day before opening in the astray. On a couple of occasions we heat of a English summer (hopefully) have had to substitute beers as the In 2005 the rally site was Parkhead, at this is just not possible. originally ordered one was not availa- the western end of the Dudley tunnel. ble. Once this resulted in the bar serv- One of the evening events was a trip The solution is to use "racked" beer. ing two stouts - one each from the two through the tunnel on one of Dudley This is a bit like an enormous take breweries selected. Canal Trust's electric boats. As these away. The cask of beer is setup in the are based at the eastern end at Tipton, cold store of the brewery for a couple Also we have learnt that it is best to the RNR party had to return by coach. of days. When we collect, the beer is keep in contact with the breweries. The original idea was to stop at The transferred or racked into another Orders are usually placed in March or Old Swan in Netherton for refresh- cask. This leaves the yeast and other April, and we follow that up with ment. This is a famous old Black sediment in the original cask. As long checks in May and immediately be- Country pub, known to many as Ma as the beer is consumed within a day fore setting off on the cruise to the Pardoes after a long serving landlady. or so and the temperature does not rally. We have not yet turned up at a Another attraction is the pub has its rise too much, the quality does not brewery to find our order missing - not own brewery. But this was not to be - suffer. With a four day rally, obtaining quiet! the function room was already booked supplies on Thursday, Friday and Sat- for that evening and fitting in a coach urday has enabled us to keep quality Now for this year at Stourbridge. We load of boaters into the bar was too up and temperature down - even in a will be stocking some traditional Black much of a tight squeeze. hot tent! County beers, including a mild and most probably some of the award win- Instead we collected a cask of beer Planning for the rally bar usually starts ning stronger beers from the Kinver earlier in the day and set it up in the as soon as the rally site is determined. Brewery. If any member has a particu- DCT building at Parkhead ready for We like to support local breweries, and lar request, please let me know. Al- our return. Within 45 minutes of the reduce the beer miles. So first we though we are not in a marquee this party returning, all 72 pints were gone. make a list of local breweries and year, the layout of the Bonded Ware- So the following day we setup three what beers they brew. Another aim is house and the probable position of casks, there was just some left for a to have a range of beer styles and the bar does pose some interesting Sunday pre-AGM drink. strengths available. Light, not too problems. Or perhaps an opportunity strong and easy to drink beers go well to do something a little different. To Atherstone was the first "green field" at lunchtime, whilst something a little find out you will have to be there! rally site, well away from civilized facili- more stronger or robust makes a ties such as public houses, So the good contrast for the evening. Anoth-

The main hall at the Bonded Warehouse on the first floor. It has seating for 200 in “theatre” style so will be an excellent auditorium for all main events. It even has a resident piano!

As we have full use of the building over the weekend, the ground floor will house the bar and refreshment facilities and there is a smaller room for use as work- shops and general relaxing.

RNR Newsletter : Winter 2010/11 11