BrumTug Pictures - BEAVER in 1986

At Easter 1986, Mike Stevens hired one of the BrumTugs from Brummagem Boats' hire fleet, and he's kindly given me permission to reproduce some of the pictures he took here. He said "These Brumtugs were delightful little boats. The engine was under the counter, driving the prop-shaft by a belt. There was a traditional back cabin then, where the engine room would be on a traditional motor boat, a small gallery and a toilet compartment. In front of that was a hold which was sheeted up in the cold weather."

Lapworth locks
We are tied up between locks 18 & 19 - probably taking on water.

Camp Hill Top Lock
Here the broad Grand Union Canal suddenly shrinks to the original narrow dimensions of the Warwick & Birmingham Canal. The reason that Camp Hill locks weren't replaced by broad ones is probably that the main destination in the Birmingham area for GUCCCo cargoes was Samson Road depôt, the building in the background here with the canopied wharf.

Down the hatch!
Peter is dealing with the weed-hatch while we are stopped at Ogley Junction.
(Notice you can just see the top of the engine, which sat on the swim.)

To read Mike's own account of his trip, click here.