Name Tipton

Built as part of the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company fleet in 1937, TIPTON was first captained by Albert Beechey, but was operated by the Holt family during the war years. They worked her on the gruelling 'Guinness fly run' carrying barrels of the stout between Aston Royal in London to City Road Wharf in Birmingham. At that time she was still powered by a National engine which may have been the original. The only other captain was Jack Wilson who was the last to regularly steer her as a cargo carrying boat for British Waterways, the nationalised successor to GUUCC. When the fleet was dismantled in the 1960s, TIPTON was converted to a maintenance boat and her traditional cabin was replaced and the Lister engine fitted. At some point she was also cut down from 70 feet in length to 56.5 feet. After a brief spell carrying domestic coal on the Grand Union Canal, she began work on the laying of fibre optic cable throughout the canal system. She was loaded with drums from which the duct pipes and cable could be pulled under the towpath. After that she worked on a contract for weir works short hauling wet cement in a purpose built box. Since then TIPTON has returned to domestic fuel deliveries on the Kennet and Avon Canal and is fitted with a 2600 litre diesel tank for this purpose.