A boat powered by a steam engine. President was built as part of a fleet of 31 such boats in 1908 for Fellows, Morton and Clayton, local canal carriers. The steam engine, boiler and coke fuel took up valuable cargo space on the boat, but provided enough power for the steamer to tow several unpowered boats behind carrying extra cargo.
Steam boats normally worked 'fly' - day and night, on the route between London and the Midlands. Fly boats worked to a fixed timetable and were crewed by teams of four men who worked continuously in shifts.
President's boiler and engine were replaced with an oil engine in 1925 which took up much less space and thus greatly increased her carrying capacity. In 1976, however, a steam engine was re-installed as part of the restoration of the, by then, derelict boat.
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| Reference: | 523 |
| Keywords: | Steam Engine 1908 Fellows Morton Clayton Cargo Fly BCLM |
| Archive Ref: | Marketing Photogrpah Collection |
| Updated: | 6/9/2001 11:25:30 |