Count

<< FMC Index	Explanation & Abbreviations
<< Main Index

Page 2

Post-FMC History

Date	Action	Owner	Name	Source

10.1947	To E Thomas. Renamed Enterprise No 1. Engine 1931 Gardiner	E Thomas	ENTERPRISE No 1
22.4.1961	at ET wharf at Old Birchills as ENTERPRISE No 1	E Thomas	ENTERPRISE No 1	AB
2.11.1962	at Walsall as ENTERPRISE No 1 (50-55' long)	E Thomas	ENTERPRISE No 1	BERNARD HALES
2.7.1965	at Walsall	E Thomas	ENTERPRISE No 1	BERNARD HALES
3.7.6195	at Walsall	E Thomas	ENTERPRISE No 1	BERNARD HALES
8.8.1972	at Calf Heath	E Thomas	ENTERPRISE No 1	AB
1971	To MB in poor condition but running	M Braine	ENTERPRISE No 1	MB
2.1973	To John Heap (Chairman IWA) of Wilmslow. Repossessed in favour of "Birchills" and then resold	John Heap	ENTERPRISE No 1	MB
3.1973	To Hales and Partners (Bernard Hales of Solihull) with Gardner 5LD 29748 (Mfd 1931). 52' x 7 x 3'3 for �1500	B Hales	ENTERPRISE No 1	AB/MB
1973-1977	at Peter Keays yard being rebuilt	B Hales	ENTERPRISE No 1	BERNARD HALES
7.10.1977	Seen	B Hales	ENTERPRISE No 1	AB
26.8.1978	at Titford Rally	B Hales	ENTERPRISE No 1	AB
6.9.1978	at Cowroast	B Hales	ENTERPRISE No 1	AB
13.9.1980	at Boxmoor Rally	B Hales	ENTERPRISE No 1	AB
1981	Engine overhaul	B Hales	ENTERPRISE No 1
18.9.1982	at Saul Junction	B Hales	ENTERPRISE No 1	AB
23-25.8.1986	at Brentford Rally	B Hales	ENTERPRISE No 1	AB
28.5.1995	at Braunston Boat Show	B Hales	ENTERPRISE No 1	AB
2000	Photographed at Crick, as ENTERPRISE No 1 BW 78865		ENTERPRISE No 1	RT

Sightings

Ref	Date	Source	Captain	Crew	Butty		Notes
COUNT	6.1899						Launched Saltley
	18.7.99						Inspected
Bm 1036.	4.8.1899	Reg	R Ralph
WH 14057	27.4.1900						Gauged
	2.1902						Maintenance Docking
	3.1902						Maintenance Docking
	9.1903						Maintenance Docking
	3.1904						Maintenance Docking
Bm 1036.	5.2.1906	Dav CIJ	T Hawson	4--
Bm 1036.	29.3.1906	Dav CIJ	T Hawson	4--
	6.1906						Maintenance Docking
Bm 1036.	3.8.1906	Dav CIJ	H Drakeford	413
Bm 1036.	23.8.1907	Dav CIJ	H Drakeford	3--
Bm 1036.	5.9.1907	Dav CIJ	H Drakeford	4--
Bm 1036.	20.1.1908	Dav CIJ	H Drakeford	4--
Bm 1036.	4.5.1908	Dav CIJ	H Drakeford	4--
	11.1908						Maintenance Docking
Bm 1036.	15.1.1909	Dav CIJ	J Barker
Bm 1036.	15.9.1909	Dav CIJ	H Drakeford	4--
Bm 1036	7.9.1910	Heston CIJ
GJ 11675	26.1.1911						Gauged
Bm 1036	13.6.1911	Heston CIJ	J Worrall
Bm 1036.	24.8.1911	Dav CIJ	J Worrall	3--	Tipton
Bm 1036	28.12.1911	Heston CIJ	J Worrall
Bm 1036.	12.9.1912	Dav CIJ	J Worrall	4--	Tasmania
11675 11675	6.2.1914 10.3.1915 17.4.1915	Millner L Brent Toll Brent Toll	Worrall Worrall		Iver		not using sidelocks 15t 16c 16t 6c with 27t 10c on butty
Bm 1036. 11675 11675	6.5.1915 25.4.1915 4.6.1915	Dav CIJ	J Worrall	3--	Iver		- 16t
Bm 1036. 11675 11675 11675 11675 11675 11675 11675 11675 11675 11675 11675	5.10.1915 27.7.1915 22.8.1915 27.8.1915 10.9.1915 15.9.1915 23.9.1915 1.10.1915 9.10.1915 19.10.1915 8.11.1915 25.5.1917	Dav CIJ Brent Toll Brent Toll Brent Toll Brent Toll Brent Toll Brent Toll Brent Toll Brent Toll Brent Toll Brent Toll Brent Toll	E Griffiths Worrall Court Wenlock	2--	Una		14t 15c 15t 18c 14t 16c 13t 12c 14t 7c 14t 16c 13t 10c 15t 3c 13t 6c 15t 19c
11675 11675 11675 11675 11675 11675 11675 11675	26.5.1917 14.12.1921 2.1.1922 31.5.1922 14.6.1922 17.8.1922 21.12.1922 13.1.1923 7.2.1923	Millner L Brent Toll Brent Toll Brent Toll Brent Toll Brent Toll Brent Toll Brent Toll Brent Toll			Dawley Dawley Dawley Dawley Dawley		at Buckby 12t 11c 18t 15c 12t 11c
Bm 1036.	18.12.1924	Dav CIJ	Huff (sic)	11-
	7.1925						Converted
BCN 1162	23.4.1926						Gauged
GJ 12155 12155 12155 12155	23.11.1926 17.12.1927 12.3.1928 20.11.1928	Brent Toll Brent Toll Brent Toll			Grimsby Ipswich Rugby		Gauged
Bm 1036.	18.4.1932	Ches CIJ	C Rowe	413	Kineton		Motor Cargo Boat
Bm 1036.	19.1.1933	Nott CIJ	Mrs Jane Morton	225	Kineton		b12 b5 b4 g10 g8
Bm 1036.	15.8.1934	Bm CIJ					Inspected for Registration (Bm 212)
Bm 1036.	17.8.1934	Nott CIJ	Mrs Jane Morton	125	Kineton		b13 b7 b5 g11 g10
Bm 1470	24.1.1935	Bm CIJ					Bm 466 Ptg
Bm 1036.	11.3.1935	Bm CIJ	J Morton	113	Kineton
Bm 1036.	24.3.1935	Wv CIJ	Mrs Morton	2--	-
Bm 1036.	10.4.1935	Bm CIJ	Mrs Morton	2--	-
Bm 1036.	21.5.1935	Bm CIJ	Mrs Morton	5-3	Kineton
Bm 1036.	24.6.1935	Bm CIJ	Mrs Morton	322	Kineton
Bm 1036.	5.10.1935	Bm CIJ	J Morton	313	Kineton
Bm 1036.	15.11.1935	Bm CIJ	Mrs Morton	323	Kineton
Bm 1036.	10.12.1935	Nott CIJ	Mrs Jane Morton	223	Kineton		b9 b7 g12
Bm 1036.	27.1.1936	Bm CIJ	J Morton	232	Kineton
Bm 1036.	24.3.1936	Wv CIJ					Signed 2 comp Mcr 20 Wv 56
Bm 1036.	22.4.1936	Bm CIJ	J Morton	2--	-
Bm 1036.	4.6.1936	Bm CIJ	Mrs Morton	232	Kineton
Bm 1036.	21.7.1936	Nott CIJ	J Morton	213	Kineton		b9 b7 g13
Bm 1036.	13.8.1936	Bm CIJ	J Morton	232	Kineton
Bm 1036.	5.12.1936	Bm CIJ	Mrs Morton	232	Kineton
	12.1936						Docked Saltley
Bm 1036.	4.1.1937	Wv CIJ	Mrs Morton	233	Kineton
Bm 1036.	14.1.1937	Bm CIJ	Mrs Morton	141	-
Bm 1036.	29.1.1937	Wv CIJ					Signed 2 comp Wv 23 & 24
Bm 1036.	9.2.1937	Bm CIJ	Mrs Morton	142	Kineton
Bm 1036.	28.4.1937	Bm CIJ	Mrs Morton	133	Kineton
Bm 1036.	20.5.1937	Bm CIJ	J Morton	142	Kineton
Bm 1036.	29.5.1937	Bm CIJ	Mrs Morton	132	Kineton
Bm 1036.	21.6.1937	Ell CIJ	Mrs Morton	142	Kineton		b10,8 empty
Bm 1036.	29.7.1937	Wv CIJ	J Moore	131	Sandbach
Bm 1036.	18.8.1937	Bm CIJ	Mrs Morton	-2-	-
Bm 1036.	9.9.1937	Ches CIJ	Ernest Wood	22-	Dorothy
Bm 1036.	23.9.1937	Wv CIJ	Ernest Wood	22-	Dorothy
Bm 1036.	14.9.1937	Bm CIJ	E Wood	2--	-
Bm 1036.	21.10.1937	Wv CIJ	Ernest Wood	22-	Dorothy
Bm 1036.	4.4.1938	Wv CIJ	J Tolley	223	Elsie
Bm 1036.	7.4.1938	Wv CIJ					Reg Cert not prod
Bm 1036.	20.6.1938	Ell CIJ	E Wood	22-	Dorothy
Bm 1036.	16.8.1938	Wv CIJ	J Tolley	2-1	-
	4.1940						Docked Saltley
Bm 1036.	28.5.1940	Wv CIJ	J Morton	13-	Tasmania
Bm 1036.	27.6.1940	Wv CIJ	J Morton	13-	Tasmania
Bm 1036.	10.1.1941	Bm CIJ	W Littler	211	Tring
Bm 1036.	8.2.1941	Bm CIJ	W Littler	22-	Tring
Bm 1036.	28.2.1941	Bm CIJ	W Littler	22-	Tring
Bm 1036.	9.4.1941	Bm CIJ	W Littler	22-	Tring
Bm 1036.	15.5.1941	Wv CIJ	W Littler	121	Tring	Noted death from diphtheria (Inquest)
Bm 1036.	20.5.1941	Bm CIJ	W Littler	41-	Tring
Bm 1036.	3.6.1941	Bm CIJ	W Littler	2--	-
Bm 1036.	16.6.1941	Bm CIJ	J Tolly	222	Irene
Bm 1036.	4.7.1941	Bm CIJ	J Tolly	222	Irene
Bm 1036.	4.9.1941	Bm CIJ	J Tolly	22-	Tring
Bm 1036.	1.10.1941	Bm CIJ	J Moore	221	Natal
Bm 1036.	21.11.1941	Bm CIJ	W Littler	22-	Tring
Bm 1036.	11.3.1942	Bm CIJ	J Tolly	222	Irene
Bm 1036.	4.4.1942	Bm CIJ	J Tolly	222	Irene
Bm 1036.	27.5.1942	Bm CIJ	J Tolly	212	Irene
Bm 1036.	9.11.1942	Bm CIJ	W H Anderson	212	Venice
490	5.3.1943	Ban TR	Anderson		Venice	Goods W&NJ to Oxford
Bm 1036.	24.5.1943	Ches CIJ	W Anderson	11-	Venice	Chester 7: Cabin leaky requires external painting reb 25.8.1943
Bm 1036.	16.6.1943	Bm CIJ	W H Anderson	212	Venice
Bm 1036.	21.8.1943	Bm CIJ				Chester 7 Rep & ptg; Manc 121 Ptg;
	8.1943					Docked Saltley
Bm 1036.	6.9.1943	Bm CIJ				Bm 475 Lks & reps; Bm 476 Ptg; 477 Ltg; 405 Ptg & Lttg
Bm 1036.	31.7.1944	Wv CIJ	J Morton	1--	-
Bm 1036.	18.8.1944.	Bm CIJ	W H Anderson	212	John
Bm 1036.	25.9.1944	Bm CIJ	W H Anderson	212	John
Bm 1036.	14.10.1944	Bm CIJ	W H Anderson	122	John
Bm 1036.	4.11.1944	Bm CIJ	W H Anderson	122	John
Bm 1036.	30.11.1944	Bm CIJ	W H Anderson	212	John
Bm 1036.	15.1.1945	Bm CIJ	W H Anderson	21-	Madeley
Bm 1036.	18.1.1945	Bm CIJ	W H Anderson	1--	-
Bm 1036.	19.2.1945	Bm CIJ	W H Anderson	212	Madeley
Bm 1036.	17.3.1945	Bm CIJ	W H Anderson	212	Madeley
Bm 1036.	23.4.1945	Wv CIJ	W H Anderson	121	Madeley
Bm 1036.	24.4.1945	Wv CIJ				Wv 17 Counter deck defective Ab 29.8.1945
Bm 1036.	10.5.1945	Bm CIJ	W H Anderson	131	Madeley
Bm 1036.	12.7.1945	Wv CIJ	W H Anderson	112	Madeley
Bm 1036.	13.7.1945	Wv CIJ				Wv 30 Counter & cabside def & lkg Ab 29.8.1945
Bm 1036.	11.8.1945	Bm CIJ	W H Anderson	212	John
Bm 1036.	18.8.1945	Bm CIJ				Whptn 20 L&R; Whptn 17 Reps; Stoke on T 222 Fd Lkr Rep
Bm 1036.	27.9.1945	Wv CIJ	W H Anderson	111	Madeley
Bm 1036.	29.10.1945	Bm CIJ	W H Anderson	212	Madeley
Bm 1036.	25.1.1946	Lei CIJ	W H Anderson	112	Madeley
	3.5.1946	Regauged				+53cwt (note on GJ11675
Bm 1036.	11.7.1946	Wv CIJ	W H Anderson	121	Madeley
Bm 1036.	6.8.1946	Ell CIJ	Anderson	112	Madeley	b10 g11 pipes
Bm 1036.	12.8.1946	Wv CIJ	W H Anderson	121	Madeley	Signed comp notes SoT 255
	11.9.1946	EP	Anderson		Madeley	43t flour EP to Wolverhampton
	16.9.1946	EP	Anderson		Madeley	43�t steel Autherley to EP
	20.9.1946	EP	Anderson		Madeley	42t copper EP to B'ham
Bm 1036.	8.10.1946	Ilkeston CIJ	J Smith		Madeley
Bm 1036.	17.1.1947	Bm CIJ	J Anderson	112	Gosport
Bm 1036.	1.8.1947	Bm CIJ	J Anderson	112	Taurus
Bm 1036.	19.6.1947	Wv CIJ	J Anderson	112	Gosport	Wv 22 Cert prod did not identify boat. Ab 1.9.1947
ENTERPRISE No 1	10.1947					Sold to E Thomas

History of Count by Bernard Hales

BLACK COUNTRY TUG - ENTERPRISE NO. 1- 110 YEARS OLD formerly Fellows, Morton & Clayton steamer Count, built June 1899.

Registered at Birmingham No.1036. 4th August 1899.

BCN No. 1162

Sunk by the 'Luftwaffe' during the Birmingham `blitz' 1944

Shortened by 20 ft on conversion to tug after World War II

ex - Ernest Thomas (Walsall) Ltd.

Enterprise retains the internal machinery and external appearance from the period following World War II when she became the most powerful tug in the fleet of Ernest Thomas (Walsall) Ltd. The exception is a 9ft. extension of the cabin added in 1974.

Count was built by Fellows, Morton & Clayton at Saltley, Birmingham, for their own use. The composite hull was fitted with an FMC-built Haines Patent steam engine and a coke fired Danks boiler. In 1925 FMC converted her to a motor boat with a 15hp Bolinder semi-diesel. She carried general cargoes until damaged by a World War II incendiary bomb dropped on the Fazeley Street Depot, Birmingham.

Ernest Thomas salvaged a number of hulls. With many business interests he was one of the main "Black Country" canal hauliers and saw the potential in this shapely hull for a powerful and manoeuvrable tug. The reconstruction resulted in Enterprise No.1 being shortened to 52ft. but retaining the early 'Josher's' fine bow and stern swims with thrust provided by a massive 35in. diameter x 25in. pitch propeller.

Power was provided by a second-hand Gardner 5 cylinder 'L2' diesel engine originally supplied in 1931 to Walker's of Wigan to fit their prototype Pagefield Paladin 7 ton lorry (registration no. JJ 950 supplied to J. Lyons Ltd., Park Royal), from a breaker's yard at Shoreham-by-Sea and reconditioned by Sam Satterthwaite at Streetly Garages Ltd. The Parsons 'HRG' forward/reverse box with 2:1 reduction was bought from another local canal carrier Leonard Leigh, to whom it had been supplied new in 1939.

The commissioning test load for Ernest Thomas was 10 laden wharf boats (or 'hamptons), a payload of 400 tons. Apparently boat trains were limited to 6 for safety although she was once seen hauling 14 'empties'. Most of the tug's working life until the early 1960s was spent moving coal from the Cannock, Holly Bank and Hatherton collieries to Birchills Power Station, Walsall. Enterprise was No. 1 in the fleet of 14 tugs run by Ernie who had over 400 boats at the peak of the trade.

By the late 1950s supplies were transferring to rail and Enterprise was laid up for increasing periods. She lay virtually untouched for about 10 years until Ernest Thomas

disposed of some of his notable boats including this tug and its sister Birchills No.2. Bernard Hales and a group of friends purchased the former in March 1973.

The hull sides were found to be very thin in places, with a hole in the bows and clay puddle covering a weak spot on the stern bottoms. The front deck was full of dry rot and the cabin cladding was disintegrating. Despite neglect, the Gardner engine still ran and everything else worked! A prolonged period of rain caused her to sink twice in the deepest part of the Cannock Extension Canal. Once refloated she was moved to Peter Keay & Son's yard at Pratt's Bridge Dock, Walsall, for major repairs lasting almost 4 years.

The fore, front and stern decks were completely removed together with the condemned 200 gallon diesel tank and very worn elm bottoms from the front half. The wrought iron plates in the previously inaccessible areas were badly scaled. The thin areas were cut out and 3/8in. mild steel plates were hot formed to shape in-situ and welded into position. Both the fore-end and stern swim sections had this treatment so retaining their double curvature. The counter sides were replaced in mild steel, re-using the original guard irons. A weed hatch was made in the uxter-plate with a corresponding lift-out section in the new oak deck. Gunwales alongside the cabin were subsequently renewed by Jim Forrester in 1984 prior to replacement of the cabin sides to incorporate a double skin. After over 20 years the oak deck was replaced 1998/9 with more traditional ash on top of new keruing frames. It was 1991 before the engine room bottoms needed replacing. New 3in. thick elm bottom boards were fitted in the stern half. Alan Williams (who rebuilt the Severn trow Spry) performed this operation sealing with traditional 'chalico' and pitch.

In 1974 the owners performed an engine top-end overhaul whilst Walsall bus garage serviced the fuel injection system. The gearbox needed a minor casing repair, a few bearings and seals. By 1981 the engine showed its age with low oil pressure and increasing smoke so was given a complete top and bottom end overhaul, including crankshaft regrind, the re-metalling of the 6 main and 5 big-end bearings plus fitting new 'LW� pistons and rings. Measurement of strategic components at this time indicated wear equivalent to 1 million road miles. The reversing gear had to be rebuilt in 1983 when a worn input shaft bearing and loose planet gears led to increasing noise and near failure. It was not necessary to fit new cylinder liners until the end of 1988. The fuel injection pumps, cam-box and governor assembly were rebuilt by Lucas CAV in 1989. More work on the engine was carried out early in 2000 following the discovery that most of the cooling water passages between the cylinder blocks and heads were blocked with corrosion. Cylinder bores and valves were found still in good order.

The engine has run over 10,000 hours since 1980. The fore-end and counter decks were reconstructed between 2000 and 2004 replacing all the remaining oak structure with keruing and the deck surface with ash.

Enterprise travels many hundreds of miles each year (over 900 miles in 2000) and, with her 3 feet draught end to end, makes a major contribution to keeping the channel clear for others by locating submerged obstacles and shifting silt from the channel.

Bernard Hales

Documents on file
Port of London Gauging 14057	pc	27.4.1900
GJ Gauging 11675	pc	26.1.1911
BCN Gauging working sheet	pc	23.4.1926
BCN Gauging 1162	pc	23.4.1926
GJ (OC) Gauging 12155	pc	23.11.1926
Letter & drawings geometry of Count	pc	18.5.2001

Millner Letters
9.2.1914	In reply to your letter of 6^th inst I am sorry to hear that your steamer SULTAN met with a mishap below Buckby last week��the bend below Brockhall shall receive attention. I am having reports from our lock keepers that the men on your steamers are refusing to work the sidelocks at Buckby and on the 11^th January and 6^th February EMPEROR and COUNT were reported. As we are short of water this is now a serious matter.
28.5.1917	I am obliged for your wire and letter of the 26^th inst respecting steamers DUKE, SPEEDWELL, MARQUIS � but none have cleared the Buckby stoppage although I gave instructions for the locks to remain open until 6am. The steamer COUNT was probably the last steamer to clear the stoppage�

Current Owners: Janet and Bernard Hales

<< Page 1

Post-FMC History

Action

Sightings

Notes

History of Count by Bernard Hales