I TOO have seen this type of lock inspections, (Victor on the Four Counties track) but last week moored above Compton Lock (Staffs & Worcs.) having come from Wolverhampton I saw a Cart operative inspect a lock how it should be done, writes Alan Baker.
He'd come up from below the lock (carrying a windlass) then with a boater rising up in the lock, he started making notes on tablet, then helped the boater with the paddles and opened and then closed the gate.
Checking
He then walked all round the lock checking winding gear etc. then checked all the beams by pushing against them, raising and lowering the paddles he'd had not worked for the boater. He also looked at all the collars and made sure none of the wedges were loose by giving them a good kick.
I walked down to talk to him and say thanks because it was the first time I'd seen somebody inspect a lock like that for ages. He told me he had been seconded from the construction team, where amongst his jobs he used to fit lock gates, and he took a minimum of 10 minutes to check round the lock to do the job properly.
Let's hope this practice starts to spread as the standard and put ticks in the box to indicate the asset is still there.