The Coal Boat and an Engine Disaster! Part 1

The past few weeks, we have enjoyed relative calm in our lives, selling coal from our boats to the good people of the eastern section of the Trent and Mersey Canal (Alrewas to Sawley).   Meanwhile, I have been busy replenishing my hand painted canal art stock for the gift shop /website (and commission work) whilst Richard has been working a couple of days a week to keep things on an even keel.

Recently, a deeper, more intense sound had developed from the engine room, just on one piston culminating in an unscheduled abort of our journey from Willington village last week.

Richard decided to take the fuel pump to Walsh Engineering in Manchester, (Gardner specialists) to get it repaired, (on their advice) as that was suspected of causing the problem.  So, Richard cycled the 2 miles or so back into Willington village, where he jumped in the van and sped to Manchester and back again. Quite soon we received the news that the pump was in normal condition for it's age and use etc. and it had been refurbed for our collection!! 

That evening we 'stern hauled' the motor and butty back about a mile using the moonlight.   The next morning, we repeated the process to get us back to Willington and the van, where we could get the engine seen to, hopefully...

1st Willington road bridge, nearly there.  Wow were we tired (Richard mainly as I was steering the motor  with ropes, rather than pulling it)

2nd Willington road bridge, time to put the boys in the boat out of danger.

Waiting under the bridge.  Richard went and knocked on all the boats lining the mooring past the bridge, asking the occupants to move the boats along  bit, so we could get in (breasted up)

Luckily, everyone saw how knackered we were and the predicament we were in and shuffled up.  Thanks people, you helped in our hour of need!

The rest of that day, Richard systematically took the engine to bits, down to the main block where the big crank lives......