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[raflaunches]

Simply WOW!


There are some brilliant model makers out there, wish we could have attended but we had other arrangements for that weekend.


Please, Please more pictures!

[Steven.T]

Was the Canal Diorama a working model? Just curious as to what the tub of water was for if not?
Cheers,
Steven

[Stavros]

Yes it was a working model and it was a very interesting one as well
 
Dave

[Rottweiler]

Was the Canal Diorama a working model? Just curious as to what the tub of water was for if not?
Cheers,
Steven

Yes it was a working model as such,in that the locks did fill up and empty of water.The dear old chap who made it opened and shut the gates by hand,and when the lock equalised, again opened them by hand (using a long stick) and manually pushed the boat through to the next section.He then turned the boat around by picking it out of the water,turning it and putting it back in facing the right way for the next operation.
A lovely little detailed model,but a great shame it was not done electronically.
Mick F

[Skimmer Fan]

It was a very interesting model and it was only on the way home I began to wonder how he got the lock gates water tight enough to empty the lock should have asked when I was there! 

[TheLongBuild]

but a great shame it was not done electronically.
Mick F

Are not most lock gates of this type not done Manually ?..   Not sure about picking up a boat and turning it however..

[dave301bounty]

Alfred basin will open your eyes ,and the river entrance ,

[TheLongBuild]

Alfred basin will open your eyes ,and the river entrance ,

Yes but are they not Modern Lock gates ?.

[yewgarth]

Nearly the last of the Pic's

[yewgarth]

Last one's

[yewgarth]

Great photos martin, thanks for putting them on for all to see.

Regards Dave.

Thanks Dave, we had a nice day 

[Rottweiler]

thanks for putting the photos up.hope there are more.they do give a good idea of the  great standards on show
Mick F

[ma1308]

Thank you for the photo's

[Neil]

Are not most lock gates of this type not done Manually ?..   Not sure about picking up a boat and turning it however..

NOW!!!....there in lies a tale, lol
 
On my first Narrow boat holiday across the Worcester ring many years ago, we had sailed from Stratford and had come across some meaty locks, all hand worked.....until we came to the first in a flight at Tewkesbury.......we locked up the first of them, with my great bulk pushing and heaving on one of the gates..........when suddenly a chap came running from n adjacent hut yelling and screaming,     
 
Stop!      Stoppp!!    Stoppppp!!!!
 
What's wrong says I looking to see if someone had fallen into the lock pit....................No! you B****** idiot......these gates are all hydraulic..............You've just forced out all the b***** oil.................to which I looked down and finding a pool of oil on the canal side........we hastily took the boat to the nest set, let him lock us up and retired to a local pub called The Tudor House and set about trying to forget my embarrassing escapade in that fair town.
 
Needless to say, when we got back to the narrow boat, the lock keeper was still working on his gate.............whoooopppppzzzzzz!!!
 
We left quietly in the morning.
 
 
so yes, there are mechanical gates, but I stay clear of those these days, lol

[derekwarner]

Sorry Neil.....I just don't understand how the strength of an individual such as yourself  could overcome a locked hydraulic valve/cylinder actuator.......like the weight of water in the lock acting on the same gate surface area would for the gates open............ .......laws of fluids & pressures leads me to think the hydraulic system was faulty. ..........Derek

[Neil]

oh, we'd levelled the water in the lock to the canal, by opening the sluices and paddles..........and the gates had done their initial movement of separation due to levelling......just like on manually operated lock gates.....just my eagerness to get the gates open, and was forcing against the mechanism of the hydraulics   

[Circlip]

So once clear of the lock and after you've re shut the sluices and paddles, how are the lock gates closed?
 
  Regards Ian

[malcolmfrary]

So once clear of the lock and after you've re shut the sluices and paddles, how are the lock gates closed?
 
  Regards Ian

Probably shut the gates first then close sluices and paddles.  Unless there's somebody waiting to go the other way.
The "great hand from the sky" is a long standing convention with model railways in hidden sidings that represent the rest of the world, no problem there.  Quite likely a lot of boats get pulled manually as well.  Or is there an equivalent word for having a horse do the work?  Lovely guy, really likes his real water displays.  Anybody remember the tidal harbour from last year?  Mayhem prize winner.

[Skimmer Fan]

Is there any link to a pic of tidal harbour

[Circlip]

No Malcolm. When you've exited the lock, you always drop the paddles and close the sluices first and then close the gates behind you. You don't have to refill but it does ensure that if someone behind has to refill an empty lock, there's no dashing about cos some prune has forgotten. Same t'other way round, open paddle and sluices to fill lock and then lower paddles and sluices on top side before opening lower ones.
 
  Regards  Ian.

[Netleyned]

Don't forget to open top gates and put boat in and close top gates
before opening lower sluices and paddles

Ned

[Norseman]

The Norfolk Broads has no such problems to overcome ...oops I forgot about tieing up at Great Yarmouth and getting through the bridge at Potter Heigham (spelling ?)

Dave

[Circlip]

Don't forget to open top gates and put boat in and close top gates
before opening lower sluices and paddles

Ned

  Doh, That's what we were doing wrong
 
  Regards  Ian