Bye Bye Gates

[teddington_lock]

So , today our barge lock tail gates went away to be re-sheeted. The structural timbers ( 12 x 12's ) are sound , it is just the planking that has had it. So , no new steel ones are needed.

The more eagle eyed among you will have spotted that there is only one tiny sluice in each gate , that is because the barge lock at Teddington drains through culverts that are approximately 8 feet in diameter. ( 1.75 million gallons would take ages through gate sluices ). The tiny gate sluices are strictly for emergencies and have a little wheel that you have to turn on top of the walkway to operate. The gates are approximately 23 feet high by 15 feet wide and weigh 11 tons each ( without the walkways in place ) hence the big crane !

The work is being done in-house at Sunbury yard , and we expect to have them back in 4 weeks or so.

We can still use the top half of the barge lock , so no reduction in service !

 

[Mirror Painter]

Thanks for the interesting post.

How long had the planking been on there?

 

[teddington_lock]

I'm not sure , but somewhere in the region of 15-20 years i would suspect.

I've been at Teddington Lock for 8 years now , and they haven't been done in that time , and i've been in Teddington itself ( on the river ) more or less my whole life , and i can't remember them being done.

The planking to be honest seems pretty sound , i was watching them as they were cutting holes in it with a chainsaw in order to lift it , its probably 2 1/2 to 3 inches thick. There is rot in a few places though.

Incidentally , the tail gates of both of our locks are the only ones on the river that the EA barge cannot lift

The crane had a puncture while it was there ( bolt through the side of one of the tyres ) and the tyre man came to fit a new one , the tyres on it are £1400 each !!!!

 

[Mirror Painter]

And do you know what gates themselves are made of? I'm guessing Oak...

 

[teddington_lock]

The structural timbers apparently are Greenheart , and i think you may be right , the planking is oak.

Not sure what it will be replaced with as oak from an FSC source ( as all EA wood must be now ) is extremely expensive.

I will ask when i see one of the fitters and let you know.

 

[Captain Coochie]

Tell your bosses to speak to hunny suckle bottom saw mill in guilford . Itll save them a few quid .
Even better . Tell them to speak to the forestry department at Windsor castle .

 

[dash300]

Greenheart is a fantastic wood which will last almost for ever in water.
Nasty if you get a splinter as it will go septic instantly.
Have used it wood turning but its hard work and blunts the gouges very quickly
as many oily woods do.

 

[Mirror Painter]

Even better . Tell them to speak to the forestry department at Windsor castle .

I managed to get a Cortina stuck in a stream one evening in Windsor Great Park. I was with a young lady and we walked to that cottage on the long road, (the road that goes in a straight line to the castle). The man who answered the door was in a dinner suit - as were his guest who we could see in another room.

He did let me use his phone to call for help but it was clear he consdiered me on oik. For some reason.

Sorry for off topic post but they used to chop trees down near where the car sank.

 

[shades]

The structural timbers apparently are Greenheart , and i think you may be right , the planking is oak.

Not sure what it will be replaced with as oak from an FSC source ( as all EA wood must be now ) is extremely expensive.

I will ask when i see one of the fitters and let you know.

Didn't your original post state that the gates were being replaced with steel ones? Or is that the long-term plan?

 

[teddington_lock]

Didn't your original post state that the gates were being replaced with steel ones? Or is that the long-term plan?

No , original post states that steel ones are not needed , just the planking to be replaced.

 

[TrueBlue]

No , original post states that steel ones are not needed , just the planking to be replaced.

IIRC that nice Mr. Power said that timber gates generally need re-sheeting after 15 years and relpaceing at 30.

Tin ones are good for 25 years bfore reconditioning and 50 years overall life.

Worth having a chat with him - although he thinks boaters are a pain (might have been a throwaway line...)

 

[boatone]

When I first saw the title of this thread I was concerned that a certain forumite might have left us !

Anyways, I take it these are your gates sitting on a barge at Sunbury when I passed on Saturday morning, Howard ?

 

[teddington_lock]

Those are the ones !