Aire and Calder Navigation Engineering Department Drawing BW 375/80 dated 19 January 1877

This drawing shows the key dimensions of the compartment boats, Tom Puddings, to be built  under a contract placed with the builder of that same date. Note that the drawing number looks suspiciously as if it had been allocated at a much later date by British Waterways. 

An interesting feature on the drawing is the statement “The Dimensions underlined shews No 106 as finished at LAKES, 21st JAN 1880”. That’s telling us that the drawing was amended to reflect the actual built dimensions rather than the planned dimensions. 

There is also a “Note” recording changes to the specification following an inspection by William Bartholomew on 8 September, 1880 of the unloading of compartments at Goole.

Thanks to the eagle eyed Chris Mead of Wakefield Railway Model Club we have realised that the drawing describes the dimensions and fittings for a tarpaulin cover which could be placed over each compartment to presumably stop it admitting rain or snow in bad weather. To the best of our knowledge no photographs exist of tarpaulin covered Tom Puddings. We can imagine that the engineers would have thought that was a great idea, but would the tug crews have enjoyed handling and stowing 19 tarpaulin covers for every trip? 

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