20 Years of Shire and the first engine is still running

Published on: 10/04/2017

The Rose of Hungerford today

2017 is a year of milestones as in addition to the Barrus centenary, the Shire brand of canal and riverboat engines is celebrating 20 years.

We have found the first Shire engine to be supplied by Barrus that is still in operation powering the Rose of Hungerford, a purpose-built, 55-foot long wide-beamed passenger trip boat. The Shire 40hp was originally an ex-demonstrator that had been displayed by Barrus at exhibitions to promote the new engine brand.

The Rose of Hungerford is owned and run by the volunteers of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust (KACT), which led to the restoration of the canal which connects Bristol to London. The boat was launched into the canal in 1982 and it was not until 1990 that the complete navigable length of the canal was officially re-opened with Her Majesty The Queen on board The Rose of Hungerford.

The launch of the Rose of Hungerford 

“The original power for the Rose was an engine acquired from a crashed ex-London taxi,” commented Mike Rodd, Chairman of the Hungerford Branch of The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust. “When it became unreliable, a Shire engine was chosen and installed in 1997 and with various modifications along the way; the engine has proved to be very reliable over the last 20 years. Mike goes on to explain, “The engine has led a tough life driven by numerous helms and used extensively in the training of newcomers and regular on-going crew refresher training so it has been put through some very tricky situations. The original hour meter failed some time ago so the estimated hours that it runs are over 1000 hours with some years reaching as many as 1500 hours,” Mike concluded.

The Rose of Hungerford has a maximum capacity of 50 passengers and is one of a fleet of 9 public trip boats, including 4 specially designed boats designed to carry disabled passengers. The Rose undertakes over 200 public trips including scheduled and charters and carries over 6000 passengers each year. Totally operated and maintained by volunteers, this results in an income to the Trust of approximately £40,000 per annum. To find out more about the Rose of Hungerford and the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust visit www.rose.katrust.org.uk.

The current Barrus Shire Canal Collection comprises ten engines with a power range from 15hp to 90hp, suitable for narrow boats, wide beam boats and Dutch barges. The range is continually being improved and modified to maintain its position as a leader in the market place.

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