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. 11th 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 (10th Jan - same no.) Fordson engine fitted. Now a tug, No 5 in fleet.
Apollo is now listed under the Tugs section
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