Well done EA

boatone

boatone

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 Jul 2001
Messages
12,845
Location
Just a few cables from Boulters Lock
www.tmba.org.uk
Arrived at Bell Weir lock yesterday just before lunch time to find lock out of order due to a hydraulics leak in the upper gates. Had only juts happened. Relief locky very helpful and informative and said engineer had been called and that should be in attendance by 1:30. Sure enough it was sorted and we were through by 1400. Good show and worthy of comment - good to meet you Andrew.

I tried to post a message of warning but wadayaknow..... NO COVERAGE from EE mobile !!!!
 
boatone said:
Arrived at Bell Weir lock yesterday just before lunch time to find lock out of order due to a hydraulics leak in the upper gates. Had only juts happened. Relief locky very helpful and informative and said engineer had been called and that should be in attendance by 1:30. Sure enough it was sorted and we were through by 1400. Good show and worthy of comment - good to meet you Andrew.

I tried to post a message of warning but wadayaknow..... NO COVERAGE from EE mobile !!!!
Click to expand...

Rather than intending to damn with faint praise - response to hydraulic problems is usually fast. Perhaps they have lots of practice! (Ooh, nasty) Some locks keep spare hoses on site.

As to EE - well you should have gone to Three.


Edit: I understand that Andrew - the relief lockie - was very efficient and phoned other locks to alert other 'customers' that there might be delays. The staff on the ground often go the extra mile to help boaters but don't get the recognition that they deserve.

If boaters engaged more with the staff and volunteers at locks, they'd learn a lot more about the River whilst making the staff feel that they were valued.
 
Last edited:
On our wander up the river yesterday to lunch at Runneymede, the lockie at PH advised us of the problem at Bell Weir. Put plan B into operation and lunch at the Swan in Staines. Was going to go onward but the lockie at BW went for a late lunch at 1430 ish, understandably. As we had a time limit we had a slow cruise back instead.

I am all in favour of engaging more with the lock staff, but not sure I agree with being held up in the lock whilst someone wants to chat. But thats not as bad as standing waiting in a shop queue while someone chats to the cashier!
 
I got caught in Bell Weir Saturday evening in self service. A lady had hung her boat due tied lines and hit the emergency stop. Couldn't get the gates working again and it was an hour before a relief lock keeper arrived and sorted it.
 
We were held up at Bell Weir on our way upstream 2 weeks ago due to a hydraulic leak in the upper gates. A bit of preventative maintenance may have prevented this more recent incident. (Either that, or the last hose wasn't replaced properly)
 
My experience of hydraulic hoses, is when one goes you check the lot. is there a record kept of when and where hoses are replaced and their life expectancy? I appreciate that equipment can fail at any time BTW.
 
It's not practical to have them on site for ages checking every single hose after one failure , some locks have miles of them , with unions everywhere.

Most hydraulic leaks are dealt with pretty sharpish to be honest.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top