Ex-working boats

This page is devoted to ex-working boats from fleets such as Fellows, Morton & Clayton and Grand Union Carrying Co.

Vulcan seen below at Braunston was new to Fellows, Morton & Clayton.

Also new to Fellows, Morton & Clayton (FMC) and seen below is President, which is towing an ex-FMC butty. President was built new with a steam engine, later converted to deisel. She was rescued in a semi-derlict state for preservation, and returned to steam power. She is seen near Leamington Spa on the Grand Union canal recreating a fly run from Birmingham to Braunston as part of her 100th birthday celebrations.

Saturn seen below is an ex-Shropshire Union Carrying Co fly-boat. She was built for non-stop services which ran through the night for urgent goods deliveries, using a crew of four and changing horses every few hours.


Vesta seen below is a Tug which was built for Stewarts & Lloyds of Birmingham. She spent her working life in the Black Country towing trains of up to four day boats delivering coal to Steart & Lloyds steelworks. 

In the 1930s. The Grand Union canal company set up a new fleet of boats in an attempt to increase the trade on the canal which had been slowly dying out. Dover seen below is an example of the new 'Town' class of motorboat, which would normally have been paired with an un-powered butty.