Hullgate incident at Irlam Locks.

Cadishead and Irlam Guardian July 1974

 

A total of £100,000 worth of damage is estimated to have been caused when a mechanical malfunction caused a ship to plough into Irlam lock gates. This was the second time in a few years that the gates have been out of action through an accident and the last time the canal was closed for a month.But this time the giant gates were expected to be back in action yesterday (Thursday) a week after the accident took place.

 

Disaster struck when the 2,847 'Hullgate' lurched uncontrollably forward into the two gates wrecking them. Fortunately a small set of gates alongside the main lock gates were undamaged.

 

Since then men have been working frantically both against the clock and around the clock to get the locks back into working order again. Their hardest job came on Wednesday evening and the early hours of Thursday morning when they were rushing to ensure that the gates could be repaired by yesterday.

 

Because the smaller gates are still working much ship canal traffic has still been able to pass between Manchester Docks and the Mersey estuary. But two big ocean going ships, unable to use the small gates, are held up in the estuary while another is unable to leave Salford.

 

Second crash.

 

Although damage is estimated at £100,000 loss in trade and earnings could swell the bill considerably. And Thursday was not the first time that the Irlam Locks bogey has struck. In March 1969, navigation along the whole 35 mile length of the canal was affected when the 12,300 ton computerized ship the Manchester Courage ploughed into the gates causing immense damage both to the locks and to the ship itself.

 

On that occasion 15 ships were trapped in Manchester Docks and estimated damage to the locks cast £250,000. Loss of earnings, damage to the ship and loss of trade swelled the total to more than £1 million.

 

Although the latest accident is not as dramatic it has still posed problems for the Manchester Ship Canal Company who refused to let Press interview employees who were at the scene of the accident.

 

Divers were sent into the lock and it was discovered that the main damage was not to the lock gates themselves but to the installations which hold them in the wall of the lock.

 

In some cases these huge metal housings had been sheared off by the impact of the crash and the weight of the ship. Cranes and tugboats have travelled from as far away as Runcorn along the canal to help deal with the situation.

 

Earlier in the week, a Ship Canal spokesman told the Guardian: "We are hoping that we can get this straightened out by Thursday afternoon. "We have had to replace the lock gates and the crash also caused some damage to the lock walls. "It is this work which is really taking the time. Damage is about £100,000. "We have had to have divers down into the locks on a number of occasions."

 

"I think that the accident was caused by a malfunction of the ships engines which are operated from the bridge. They were put into the astern position to stop the ship but nothing happened."

 

Divers.

 

"Not many ships are being held up because the small locks at Irlam, alonside the damaged locks, are still fully operational. But larger ships have not been able to use it and they are stranded - two coming in and one waiting to go out. But this accident cannot really be compared to the size of the last one."

 

"Main damage was to installations in the quay wall, called collar straps, which hold the gates in place. These were sheared off and had to be dug out of the wall to be replaced."

 

"Divers went down to check that there had been no underwater damage to the pipeline which the lock gates rest in. Work continued all through the night on Wednesday but there has always been somebody at the locks on every night since the accident".

 

 

National archives.

Damage at Irlam Locks caused by m.v. "Hullgate" at 02.08 on 28th June, 1974

Done