# Mystery "Rea Tug"



## bob2bob (Mar 2, 2009)

There is a short clip of a Rea tug towing a barge past the Transporter bridge at Runcorn, 1950`s I think but I cannot see the name. Click on 
http://www.runcornhistsoc.org.uk/bridges/postcards_bridges_transporter.html
and folllow the link


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## Cobbydale (Jan 12, 2009)

bob2bob said:


> There is a short clip of a Rea tug towing a barge past the Transporter bridge at Runcorn, 1950`s I think but I cannot see the name. Click on
> http://www.runcornhistsoc.org.uk/bridges/postcards_bridges_transporter.html
> and folllow the link


This is the CAIRNGARTH.


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## bob2bob (Mar 2, 2009)

Thanks for that. Spent my early years watching shipping on the banks of the MSC, down Ferry Hut as locals called it, I can remember the Cherrygarth towing barges but this one must have been before my time. I know when I joined the MSC tugs the Barge traffic was always very busy.


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## Cobbydale (Jan 12, 2009)

bob2bob said:


> Thanks for that. Spent my early years watching shipping on the banks of the MSC, down Ferry Hut as locals called it, I can remember the Cherrygarth towing barges but this one must have been before my time. I know when I joined the MSC tugs the Barge traffic was always very busy.


She was one of 3 sisters, Cain, Gray. and Yewgarth, also the smaller Fell and Edengarth and even the smaller Ullsgarth all worked the MSC, all were coal fired steam tugs, in later years they were replaced with 3 diesel tugs Elm,Pine and Cherrygarth, also the smaller Incegarth which was a sister to the MSC 'D' class tugs. I spent some time on these tugs in the 'good old days'
Cheers
Alan.


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## bob2bob (Mar 2, 2009)

Alan if you go to this link you can see a lot of the old docks etc on 1890 and 1910 maps (before the canal was dug.
http://maps.cheshire.gov.uk/tithemaps/TwinMaps.aspx
John


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## ianhayden (Mar 31, 2007)

My 91 yr old father has been telling me about his days on Raes tugs in 1935-36. He worked on the Ullsgarth, Minegarth, Poolgarth, Fellgarth and Edengarth. It was nice to find photos of some of those tugs on the website.
thanks, Ian


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