Apollo

Originally owned by Midlands & Coast as a horse drawn boat, sister ship to Spade.

1929   Built by Chrichtons at Saltney Dock (nr Chester, R. Dee)

1936 (July)  Converted to a motor boat at Fisher’s dockyard, Old Hill. 18hp Petter engine fitted

1937 (July) M&CCC Ltd sold to Fellows, Morton & Clayton Ltd, fleet no 349

1943  (February)  Forecabin removed at FMC Saltley Doc

1946  (May)  Sold to Ernest Thomas (Walsall) Ltd, fleet no 4. 11^th September Re-gauged for BCN no 2257.  Ran with butty ‘Birchills’ - skipper Frankie Dumbelow, mainly coal from Brownhills to Birchley Rolling Mills, Oldbury

The boat was registered three times:
Wolverhampton 1130 on 08/07/1929
Wolverhampton 1147 on 15/09/1936
Birmingham 1626 on 19/02/1943

It was also registered three times with BCN:
1490 on 15/05/1929
1917 on 17/07/1936
2257 on 11/09/1946

1951  (January)  Shortened (by Harris’s at Netherton) to 56ft tug and re-gauged (10^th Jan - same no.) Fordson engine fitted. Now a tug, No 5 in fleet.

1968  Approx  Sold to Norton Canes Dockyard, Pelsall, Walsall

1970  Purchased to operate on L&L Canal (‘Apollo Canal Cruises’) and converted to a 34 (later 48, then 39) seat passenger boat.  Ailsa Craig RL2 20 hp diesel engine fitted. Replaced 1973 by Ford 4D, 57 hp diesel, and in 1974 by present Lister HRW2MGR2  29 hp diesel

1989   New steel bottom fitted at Leeds

1998 August.  On charter to new owners of Apollo Canal Cruises. To  A&G Passenger Boats, Sheffield from Sept 2003, to Bluewater Experience Ltd, Yeading,  from 2007, to J. Bosomworth (Pooley Hall) from April 2008,  to Dream Achievers Ltd at Shipley wharf from 2009, to Leeds River Trips from 2012 (12 seats), then (2014) Canal Connections of Leeds as a Community boat

2024 restored as a tug in 1950s Ernest Thomas livery

For more details of the photos, please click on the i top left