Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal
1843 'STEAM POWER APPLICABLE TO CANALS. ..... A series of experiments have been carried on, during several months, upon the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal, under the superintendence of the company's skilful engineers, by which it is clearly proved that steam-power can be safely and economically applied to boats of ordinary form upon narrow canals, and without the much-dreaded wear and tear of the banks. For these experiments a double-cylinder condensing disc engine, of 14-horse power, constructed by the Birmingham Disc Engine Company, to which were attached propellers of a novel form, and most ingenionsly adapted to this purpose, was placed in a light iron tug-boat of a shape adapted to give it great buoyancy and facility of cutting through the water, the whole weight of boat, engine, boiler, fuel, &c., not exceeding 11 tons; to the tug boat was attached a train of six common canal boats, each containing a load of 20 tons, the train being connected by an extremely simple and beautiful contrivance for the purpose of keeping the boats in line; and the train was, on repeated trials, during several hours each, propelled at three miles per hour. It appears that, in consequence of the peculiar mode of connecting the boats, by which each follows in the wake of that preceding it with perfect precision, only two men are required to each train, viz., an engineer and a steersman, who is stationed in the tug boat. This interest, great problem, affecting the whole canal interest, has been solved, and the successful result of these experiments is about to be followed up by the adoption of steam-power as the ordinary means of transit upon the Birmingham and Liverpool Canal. Contracts have been made for tug-boats with engines and propellers, upon the same principle as those used in the experiments, and it expected that they will be in full operation in a few months; and this example will doubtless be followed by canal companies throughout the kingdom. — Midland Counties Herald.'[1]
1843 'Steam Tugs on Canals.— The Birmingham and Liverpool Canal Company has establised steam vessels for tugging loaded boats, in lieu of horse power; and on Saturday they dispatched to Liverpool from the junction of their canal at Atherley, near Wolverhampton, a train of sixteen loaded boats, containing an aggregrate weight of 380 tons. One small vessel, with engine of 16 horse-power, tugged the immense train steadily and safely from its resting-place, and other engines were stationed at different parts of the voyage, which was performed in good style throughout.'[2]