Since the mid 19th century coal had been transported in bulk by canal from Yorkshire’s pits to the port of Goole. The famed engineer William H Bartholomew had invented and patented a system which would serve the canal owners for over 100 years.  Steam tugs towed trains of empty compartment boats, nicknamed “Tom puddings” or just “pans”, to loading points, staithes, near coal pits in West Yorkshire. Loaded with coal, they were then towed back along the canals to Goole docks where ingenious mechanical coal hoists were used to lift the pans then tip the coal down a chute into the waiting colliers for onward transportation by sea to customers in the UK and Europe. Once emptied, the tug would repeat the journey. One only has to look at a picture of a tug and its train of pans to see why the expression “Railway on the Water” was used to name what was a revolutionary new system. It would later become the title of the definitive books on the subject by Harold Crabtree and Mike Clarke.

This collection of photographs shines a light on the entire system – the tugs, compartment boats and the unique coal hoists – which in the hands of the hardworking Aire and Calder Navigation Company’s watermen, were used to transport the coal.

Where possible we have described what you see in the photographs and when they were taken. If you can add to that knowledge please get in touch using the form below. 

Hover your cursor over the photograph and you will see a short title. Click on the photograph and you should see a larger version and more information.