Starting an Old Canal Boat Engine - Will It Start?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- Click here for a playlist of the Tour and Cruising videos of this boat • Historic Narrowboats
Join me in this 'extract' from my recent Travels by Historic Narrowboat series of videos - in this video I demonstrate the starting procedure of a 1950's Ailsa Craig RL2 - a vintage twin-cylinder narrowboat diesel engine . . . but will it start?
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#narrowboat #canal #travelsbynarrowboat #historicboat #lancastercanal #britishwaterways #vintageengine #enginestart #ailsacraig
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Nice engine, delightful and charmingly archaic. Classically British.
A couple of ideas from a retired diesel mechanic. If for some reason you run short of those starting wicks make your own. Some cotton that you impregnate Vaseline with by dipping in the Vaseline and rolling between your fingers to get the desired diameter, then roll up using cigarette rolling paper to the correct size. Second but try this without the wicks is with the air cleaner off spray some WD40 in the intake port while cranking the motor over. I’ve started numerous diesel engines in cold winter conditions where the preheat-glow plugs systems did not work. WD40 is a awesome starting fluid for diesel engines and I never use conventional starting fluid in them.
Wow… absolute music to my ears..! I have an old BMC 1500D in mine which I’ve nursed for 24 years.. oh how I wish for one that sounds like that…! Thank you for sharing 👍🏻
She sounds great. I love old engines and I’m absolutely chuffed that she runs that well!
Finding 4” long and ½” thick cotton wicks soaked in saltpeter must be difficult!
❤ from all the way across the pond and the Colonies on the CA Central Coast!
OMG what a beautiful engine and sound. My father used to build and maintain these old engines and had a passion for anything beam, steam and diesel, as long as it was classic and not a modern one. He had old Listers in his workshop hooked to our electricity supply , in case of power cuts too. Brings back so many happy memories, just hearing it.
What a lovely engine. I used to have a Kelvin K3 in a fishing boat, lovely old,engines will go on for ever.
Don’t ever stop using that engine. It’s amazing. Kind of reminds me of the field marshal tractors. They use a wick as well. And instead of cranking, a shotgun shell is used.
Of minor interest. My wife and I have different ways of watching Mr. Gent during the days but we save him to watch together in the evenings. All caught up. EVERY episode ever transmitted across the pond.
Cool looking engine, great sound. Old marine diesel expert here.
If Wikipedia is correct, the Ailsa Craig Company began as a bicycle manufacturer in Glasgow in 1891. In 1904 they produced the world's first V12 engine, intended for a Russian airship, and a petrol engine vacuum cleaner in 1904. I like the TH-cam marketing strategy you are putting to use. Hope you get many more viewers, which you deserve, so they can experience the time and effort you put in to your meaningful videos.
Imagine havin gto fire up your petrol powered vacuüm cleaner in the livingroom 😂😂 i sure hope they had a Route for the exhaust fu,es to go to!!
I seem to recall these engines being mentioned by Hammond Innes in some of his books, or was it a place?
Or, even more intriguingly, A WOMAN????
Impressive that vintage diesel engines are still relevant, going strong and in service to this day. Seems like it took innovative knowledgeable mechanical engineering to developed strong workhorse power plants that are very dependable with endless longevity. Although I would say their long service life depends on quality care and maintenance, which you demonstrate performing quite well. Good job on the presentation and detailed explanations Kevin. Cheers.
Pure music - Thank you...
Joy upon Joy! What a wonderful noise, took a while to prepare, but that's all part of success very many thanks for posting. Enjoy your Festive season in your own special way
Love these type of old engines ...
What a nice boat!
Cute diesel engine lugs write down with the big Caterpillar C15s!
Showroom condition paint job!
A fascinating video of a beautiful engine, but the engine is only part of the tale - your knowledge and skill enables the engine to run so sweetly. There is probably another video to be made showing how those wicks are made and the shop that sells them.
Thank you so much David. Fabulous to hear you enjoyed the video and the engine. It's certainly an involving process running and maintaining it. If I could figure out how to make salt peter, I'm sure there's money to be made manufacturing those wicks.
What a wonderful palaver 😃
Bloom’in marvellous 👍🏻
Ailsa Craig built a vrry nice engine. I worked at the Ashford factory back in 1957/58
I vaguely remember the Ailsa Craig factory in Ashford, seem to recall it was maybe at Cobbs Wood? I served my apprenticeship at Stanhays not far away. 1967 - 1972. How come a factory/ engine named after a Scottish Island ended up in Ashford?
Betrayal intriguing and a government betrayal of ww1 compensation.
Interesting history, then change of bank manager who called in an overdraft with no notice!
The Rimmel!
You really know what you are doing . I am American and would love to try life on the canals. I watch videos about it and it looks like a fine life and Beautiful country .
Thanks for the video.
From Tennessee.
That start up is an adventure.
Runs really nice
Hi Kevin! One would be hard pressed indeed to find a more stylish and curiosity filled engine room. Very nice!
Fascinating!
Thank you Kevin! The motor is music to my ears...🎶
I’m very happy to watch it again. Like that you made this a vid on its own. Thank you.
Beautiful simple engineering
Beautiful engine, boat, landscape!!!
yep i give you that it sounds fantastic
A beauty. Had no idea about all involved.
That is a sweet running Engine. ☮️
MAKES YOU REALLY APPRECIATE HOW EASILY A MODERN ENGINE STARTS.
Makes me smile to hear that engine coming life...and the smells ...Alway nice to refresh my memory on the staring sequence... Thanks for the time to make this vlog ........................................Robbie
Beautiful.
Thanks for cutting this out of the first video. Again she is a lovely sounding old girl chugging along. A bit of work to make her get up and go. Once she is started - she will take you where you wish to go. Hope you are doing well. Take care - Be safe and God Bless
He's getting away! Start the engine and follow that boat!
That sounds beautiful. Love the boat.
Thank you Jake.
Thanks had to watch it again so good to hear.
Gorse may be a beauty but Aslan still wins hands down with the melody . Thank you for sharing, but I will be happy to hear Aslan chugging away again
Thanks for posting. The sound of that engine is one I haven't heard in at least 50 years or so. Grew up next to the Grand Union Canal at King's Langley and can remember as a child the barges still being worked on the canal carrying coal and goods.
Sounds beautiful
I had in a Libery ship steel lifeboat a single all alloy engine made on the Isle of Wight , indirect injection Ricardo cell , what a sod to hand start ! No decompressor !
You would need to be popeye to start that engine
Lovely jubbly enjoyed thanks 🏴👍
What a great piece of British engineering history still doing the job it was designed to do. I love the copper pipe work on the engine.
You make it so simple evan this 73 yr old can understand some of it.Amd ive never been on a boat.just like your cooking your good at explaining things well done😄
I've learned more about the workings of the older generation of narrowboats from you than anyone else....that is a beautiful boat ,and the engine is wonderful.....Aslan is still my favorite though...lol...stay safe and cheers !!!
Shrimp is a beauty.
A good reason to keep our wicks dry! Brilliant and I wish I lived near enough to go for a ride. The sound of the engine is sublime to my ear.
Great video! Motivates me to service my tractor. I'm so glad engines were invented. :)
Great video.
Listen to that to good,love that sound and away you go cheers 🇦🇺✌️👍🏴☠️
Absolutely bloody fascinating Kev; and Yes, she is a beauty.
A beautifully kept engine, a credit to you sir.
Utterly fantastic.
Thank you Philip. Happy you enjoyed it. 🙂
Thanks Kevin, for showing us the again the starting procedure of this lovely beast of an engine in a mansion of an absolutely mint engine room, (a place I'd gladly spend time in). Take care and all the best. Stevie
What a lovely old girl, and such a sweet sound. Well done, and Thanks!
It might get a little old sometimes for you, but when I watch your show its like a mini vacation for me. just know I appreciate you and the time you take to make it An A1 show. And it is a very good show
That's a beautiful sounding engine. 😊
Chug chug chug chug, if only Timex could make a watch tick this good
Smoothly done... that's white noise I could fall asleep to!
Great little vlog about a lovely old diesel engine start up 👍
I Really enjoy your videos about the mechanics of the boat and engine... well done Sir..
Wow rare engine very rare for it to still run!! Great video Sir thanks for sharing and giving me some education because I had no idea about the glow plugs are in your case lack thereof
Just as beautiful the second time seeing it.
Interesting. I have had Norwegian Sabb engines in fishing vessels, which used Zundfix start cartridges in holders like this. They didn't need lighting, as the heat built up by compression when hand-starting the engine was enough to ignite them. Later Sabb versions of these engines (G, 2HG etc) with electrics substituted the cartridge holders with Bosch glow plugs. An occasional problem with cartridges was that they sometimes didn't burn off completely, which could allow unburnt residues to get into the intake valve seats.
Very nice clean looking engine and boat.
What a lovely engine + boat too
, I am watching this on ballantrae beach and can see Ailsa Craig from here right now 😁🏴🇬🇧
I'll keep an eye out for Ailsa Craig, Peter. Have driven passed before but didn't know what it was at the time. Enjoy the beach life. 🤗😎
What a treasure. You and the boat and it's wonderful engine. Thanks so much for sharing.
What is it about engines like this that makes older blokes (and ladies I imagine) love to see and hear them run?
Probably for the same reasons people enjoy classic cars or old songs. Takes you back to better times and/or happy memories.
No, it's because it sounds alive. Being able to almost count the firing on a slow running engine like my old dumper and the way it trembles and the revs drop even more when it takes up drive...ah music
Fantastic. Worth watching just to hear it run.
Just loved this, I'm an engineer.🙂
Kevin I did some research; Ailsa Craig Engines was a manufacturer of marine and specialist made-to-order engines from 1891 to 1972. Ricardo came joined about 1958-64, found this interesting because the marine engine is a beautiful piece of equipment! Sounds relaxing 😊
I wish I could smell that.
CB 2925 ...........very Melodic ?????
I enjoy watching videos like this. I would be interested in seeing the variety of engines that are in narrow boats, from the old to the newest technology diesels.
Yes.
Beautifully polished brasswork - I was trying to work out the pipework functions. Love the classic red oil handpump!
It makes sense to have this sequence separated out for the old engine enthusiasts.
Wow! That’s a lot of knowledge to keep in order but sure makes beautiful music in the end. Happy travels!
absolutely a beauty Kevin as you say, hearing each piston complete a stroke, they were really built in the days of old! a very interesting and absorbing few videos of "Gorse" thank you 😁😁
What a beautiful thing - thanks for showing us the process, most satisfying and such low revving.
Fabulous as ever Kevin. What a sound. The real thump, the real theang! Thank you.
Very interesting engine to start. I totally expected glo plugs. Glad you know your engine very well.
Thanks for sharing !! The oil lamp "flame" wick start is great !! ...they had it figured a long time ago and simple
I like the way he has ever part of the clean with no oil leaks
I love everything about this. That little engine looks like it could brew up a mug of Christmas
What a beautiful sound, 70 plus years old and no doubt will still run as nicely in another70.
Thanks and cheers from Australia..
Wonderful explanation! Thank you 👍
Ahhhhh……
That most glorious sound…….
Music for my soul😊
Every time I watch one of your videos I want to go boating on the canals on an old boat with an old diesel engine chugging away.
Good thing it was only two cylinders and not 8 or the the wicks would burn up before you got to the last one. That's a cool motor, with a great sound
Fantastic video, thanks for sharing
No chance of getting away in a hurry. So we're not likely to see a Jason Bourne type chase anytime soon. But what a great thing of beauty
😍 Beautiful engine, great video and what an absolute gem of a boat. The engine room os marvellous.
Sounds lovely.
Beautiful old engine 👍
I'm never keen on talking peoples TH-cam business - it's for them to run as they like, but taking segments from your main video is a brilliant idea... a lot of TH-camrs set up a second channel and call it "[Insert channel name here] Clips" for such things. Making little 5min vignettes satisfies viewers tendancy to only stick around for 5 minutes while also increases upload frequency.
You are living a unique life and have a brilliant knack to storytelling we dont get from most Canal TH-camrs. Why not also clip up the meal making?
Total bliss. Now let’s look and see if I can get a mamod engine based on it :)
Great to see this gem again
i loved the mechanical workings of this engine .if there were ever a emp or cme this engine would continue to run and work perfectly . i would like to bottle the scent of that engine and have it recorded , it would be a wonderful sleep aid . thanks for sharing cheers . i love aslan .
Not exactly a getaway vessel!
Super -cool.
Thanks.
Very true 😆
What a great little engine. Thanks for showcasing its intricacies for us. Very well done.
You're very welcome Alex, thank you. Great to hear you enjoyed it.
That was a shock to the system,,, 😳 seeing this engine made in Ashford Kent, I live here and known the area for 60 years, I will have to do my homework. 😊
Brilllllliant Kevin - love that oil filter! Thanks for sharing 👍
I've never even heard of anything like that.