Slipway to Success
maid of the loch crew start work to restore Balloch Steam Slipway
Everyone knows by now that the slipway carriage was considered beyond repair after it failed while the Maid was being slipped. At the time we needed to carry out a hull survey of the ship. Almost two years later that need is still pressing.
Due to the lack of funding out there it was decided that a small group of volunteers would make a start in clearing away the remains of the carriage – which had been recovered by divers at the end of the rails in 4m of water.
With a tiny budget and a load of skill and enthusiasm, the first phase of the work was begun and completed in September 2020. With the help of a telehandler the carriage was cut up using chainsaws, recovering the historic metal parts as we went. The bogies, with their hundreds of wheels were all saved except two, which will have to be replaced. The public played their part by collecting and removing around 40 tonnes of timber, cut into manageable pieces, to warm them this winter!
The design for a new carriage is now complete, with its core being steel rather than the original timber design, although timber will still play a role in the structure to comply with listed building consent.
The A listed winch house, steam engine and winch, as well as the triple track date back to 1901 and is the only one of its kind surviving in the UK – probably Europe.
The site is now cleared and ready for a new carriage, whenever funding can be secured, and will be rebuilt by our volunteers to a professionally designed standard. The slipway is a heritage asset in its own right but is also vital to the survival of the Maid.
Jim Mitchell, Conservation Engineer
Film and images: Jim Biddulph
Hardcore gets delivered
Following on from dismantling the carriage and clearing the site, the next phase of work has focused on moving and layering hardcore on the site. This will help with drainage and to bring the above-water levels up. This has been achieved thanks to the work and support of Robert McKendry, contractor from Milton.
The success of the project will depend on external funding. Make a contribution or become a friend. Thank you.
Film and images: Ross Bremner
