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Documents on file

Millner Notes

9/12.11.1895 T       Please send a set of 16” blades for the tug PILOT, those present at work cracked and the SPIDER’s blades have a broken bolt hole.  Millner GC Thomas

17.1.1896                Re Tug PILOT  I will arrange a day’s stoppage for the inspection of this tug but it will be very inconvenient for the traders and  a loss to the company.. I would be glad if the inspection could be postponed until until the new tug is built.  I would suggest that when the spare tug is out, I may be allowed to send  each of the working tugs alternately to Bulbourne say  every three month to be thoroughly examined and any repairs fouind necessary could be put in hand.  I believe you would find this an improvement on the monthly inspection at the tunnels..  Millner / G C Thomas

21.1.1896                Mr Thomas has made arrangements with the Boiler Insurance Co for a thorough examination of the tug PILOT on Monday next 27^th January so be good enough to arrange on Sunday after the last trip to cool down and wash out boiler and have everything in readiness for the inspector who will arrive at about  9am Monday morning. And to work as soon as possible in the afternoon Millner/Bull

.7.1905                    HASTY for inspection at Bulborne. SPIDER at Braunston and spare tug  Millner/Thomas

10.10.1905              PILOT for inspection Millner/Thomas

28.9.1905                Boiler examination PILOT  Thomas/Millner

26.5.1906                SPIDER needing repair, spare tug PILOT lying at Stoke Bruerne  Millner/Beasley

56.3.1907                SPIDER, HASTY and PILOT for inspection Thomas/Millner

11.3.1907 L             Sending fitter by train to Stoke with link motion for PILOT Beasley/Millner

11.4.1907                Inspect SPIDER and PILOT  Thomas/Millner

31.8.1907                PILOT and SPIDER to Bulbourne  Warren/Millner

23.2.1908                PILOT leaking again.  Have HASTY got ready asap  Beasley/Millner

14.4.1908                PILOT is leaking badly  Beasley/Millner

19.1.1910                the new tug (PILOT No 2) to Stoke Beasley/Millner

20.1.1910 L             PILOT No 2 left here with new propeller fitted. Please test.  Beasley/Millner

7.2.1910                  PILOT No 2 in full work

26.4.1910 L             Beedle propeller will not go on HASTY; returning you PILOT No 2 having replaced the old propeller Thomas/Millner

26.9.1910                HASTY to Stoke Bruerne…PILOT No 2

9.12.1910                Patent propeller on  PILOT No 2  Beasley /Millner

24.10.1910              ….boiler of tug PILOT…Thomas/Millner

14.1.1912                Send PILOT No 1 to Bulbourne for new propeller Beasley/Millner

9.5.1912                  Send PILOT No 2 to Bulbourne to check reason for washing wrong way  Beasley/Millner

24.5.1912                HASTY repairs for Whitsun.  Let you have the new PILOT back

15.1.1913                Tug PILOT No 2 to Braunston on Monday Millner/Beasley

2.1.1914                  PILOT No 1 or PILOT No 2 boilers for examination  Beasley/Millner

29.9.1915                …..to fetch the tug PILOT…..

21.1.1916 L             PILOT No 1 boiler examined   Yates/Millner

14.3.1917 L             SPIDER, PILOT No 1 and PILOT No 2 due for boiler examination

11.4.1917 L             Re boiler tests for PILOT No 1, PILOT No 2 and SPIDER  Yates/Millner

6.11.1918                As we are docking HASTY. Changing propeller from PILOT No 1 and exchanging.  Rodley/Millner

1.4.1919                  Glad to receive HASTY as PILOT No 1 is getting very weak in the hull  Millner/Yates

7.5.1919                  PILOT No 1 Now in such a condition both engine and hull that it is not advisable to keep same on active service.  I propose sending her back to Bulbourne.  The hull and engine are past repairing.  We shall require a new tug at the tunnel.  I would suggest a wooden hull, iron plated and a 15/20 hp compound steam engine with a boiler suitable for using Welsh steam coal   Millner/Yates

7.11.1919 L             PILOT No 2 for inspection on 20.11.1919 at night after working as we have no spare tug  Millner/Yates

12.12.1919              PILOT No 2 for boiler test  Millner/Yates

23.2.1920                Tug PILOT and tug HASTY  Millner/Yates

24.2.1920 L             I wired you that I would try to manage without spare tug HASTY for a fortnight.  I hope the split tube gets no worse on PILOT

27.4.1920 L             HASTY will leave tomorrow for Stoke Bruerne having fitted another propeller to the new shaft with a coarser pitch……give good test before sending PILOT for repairs…Davey Paxman will supply ferrules for SPIDER  Rodley/Millner

10.5.1920                HASTY’s new propeller much better and faster.  PILOT No 2 we will not send to Bulbourne until after the Whitsuntide stoppage   Millner/Rodley

13.9.1920                HASTY leaking, PILOT

12.10.1920 L           HASTY and SPIDER are leaking at their hulls and require docking.  I understand it will be 3 weeks before PILOT at Bulbourne is ready to come down.  I propose sending the Braunston tug SPIDER back to Bulborne to have the hull made tight.  On the return of this tug HASTY can go for repairs and be got ready for Paddington Arm icebreaking.  I shall then have no spare tug at the tunnels and must risk a breakdown.  Millner/Yates

20.10.1920              PILOT, SPIDER and HASTY Yates/Millner

29.10.1920 L           Send PILOT down to Stoke and take the HASTY on to Braunston, to remain there until the SPIDER returns from Bulborne, then the HASTY can go straight to Bulborne for the winter   Millner/Rodley

18.1.1923                Inspect SPIDER (1/164518) and PILOT No 2 (1/94506) Yates/Millner

19.1.1923                Boiler examination for tug SPIDER’s boiler 25.1.1923

                                Ref SPIDER, she will be able to carry on in place of PILOT during boiler inspection. The periodical boiler cleaning of the two tugs in commission will have to be carried out during the absence of the spare tug in the same way as was done before the DE SALIS was commissioned.  Please arrange a boiler inspection for PILOT.  Yates/Millner                

9.1.1925                  HASTY will be inspected 12.1.1925 and will send to Bulbourne. PILOT can be inspected any time after 17.1.1925 Millner/Vulcan

15.1.1925                PILOT No 2 boiler 1/94056 for inspection 19.1.1925  Millner/Peacock

16.1.1925                PILOT No 2 (1/94056) for inspection  Vulcan/Millner

9.4.1925 L               Sending fire bricks to Stoke for DE SALIS send spare tug PILOT to cover Millner/Rodley  

30.11.1926              DE SALIS broke down (Blisworth) , spare tug PILOT Millner/Yates

9.11.1928                PILOT is at Braunston for inspection Millner/Vulcan

9.11.1928                re PILOT No 2 Millner/Rodley

10.11.1928              Hydraulic test on PILOT No 2 at Braunston Vulcan/Millner

6.12.1928                Spare tug PILOT Millner/Yates

Note from Charles Hadlow:  The last tugs in use were of timber construction, built by Bushell Brothers of Tring.  They were 49 feet long, 6 feet 11 inches wide and 4 feet 5 inches deep and were called ANSLOW, DE SALIS, HASTY and PILOT.  They ceased operations (through the tunnels) on 30 September 1936.

GJCC Minutes (PRO)

PRO RAIL 830/21

23.10.1878              165.   Letter from Mr Thomas stating that the boilers of the steam tugs Spider and Pilot require renewing and he proposed a different class of boiler to that now in use and had obtained tenders for one of the portable type as an experiment from Ransome, Sims & Co, Fowle & Co and Rushton, Proctor & Co and recommending the tender of Messrs Rushton, Proctor as the most suitable and least expensive for the purpose, the price being £125 and extra fittings £13. 10/-….Resolved accepted

8.10.1879                260.   Letter from Mr Thomas stating the boiler of the steam tug Pilot requires renewing and recommending a similar one to that lately put in Spider which is working very satisfactorily and that he had obtained a tender from Ruston Proctor who supplied the former one at £128 without fittings….Resolved accepted.

PRO RAIL 830/24

13.6.1894                306.   Report of the 9^th inst from Mr G C Thomas that the engines and boilers of the Company’s steam tugs Pilot , Spider and Hasty were very much out of order and suggesting that the necessary repairs were put in hand at once….Approved

PRO RAIL 830/25

8.1.1896                  29.   Report from Mr G C Thomas that repairs to Spider and Pilot had been carried out at £462. 15. 4 and Hasty was now at Bulbourne and found to be past repair.  He therefore recommended the building of a new tug, it being absolutely necessary to have a reserve in case of accident. …Resolved that a new tug be built at a cost not exceeding £500

PRO RAIL 830/80     EXTRACTS FROM THE TUNNEL TUGS EXPENSES BOOK

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