TNC On Tour 2010 Page 15

The Tuesday Night Club Official Web Site

The Tuesday Night Club on Tour

Tour 2010

15 - Cambrai to Vitry en Artois, Escaut Canal, Canal de la Sense, Scarpe Superior.

Friday 11th June 2010

08:35 departure from Cambrai, now on the Escaut Canalisee. 10:30 saw us stuck above the entrance lock onto the Escaut Canalisee, two reds was not good. We soon found the cabin Interfone and got VNF, a VNF van appeared after only 5 minutes. The VNF bod relieved us of our Telecomander and locked us through. Interesting to note, that if the lock was working, you could use the Interfone to tell of your presence, then VNF could, by remote control drop a Telecomander through a vending machine type hole. There was also another hole to drop off your Telecomander. 11:20 saw us turn left out onto the mighty Dunkerque - Escaut - Waterway, the up-rated Canal de la Sensee. We declined to exit by the backwater at Pont Malin, as there was a sign claiming only 0.9m depth. The Sensée was surprisingly quiet, not much coming the other way and nothing caught up with us, until we past the entrance to the Nord (13:15), where we left the Sensee a week of so before. At 15:15 we swung off the Sensee and headed up to the first lock on the Scarpe Supérieure. Next followed a "comedy" hour as we attempted to get a zapper for the Scarpe Supérieure. There was no one about and no instructions at the new cabin by the first lock (Corbehem). A friendly Belgian Spitz captain told us that we should go up, round the corner on the Sensée to the Corchelettes Lock and get a telecomander from the locky. This we did, Peter got a trip up the stairs to the lock control cabin, where the locky, showed him an empty box! He soon foned up a VNF bod, who said he would meet us at Corbehem Lock, with a zapper. After we arrived, it was only 5 minutes wait until he arrived. Fortunately had to do some paper work in the cabin, when Peter was still in "assent" mode and pushed the wrong button on the Telecomander. The bemused VNF bod assumed control, re-set the lock and locked us through. Boy are the Scarpe Supérieure locks slow, in fact so slow there was no need to bother with ropes. Interesting bit of industry above Corbehem, the large paper works was being rationalised and quite a bit being pulled down. The only commercial traffic on the Scarpe Supérieure, was China clay, to just above Corbehem lock. After ploughing on we managed to get out in the open countryside, just beyond Vitry En Artois. It was a hot humid evening, overcast with some spots of rain.

Cambrai, Lock No2 Selles. Escaut Canal.

Cambrai, Looking back at Lock No2 Selles. Escaut Canal.

Cambrai, Pont Rouge and railway bridge. Escaut Canal.

Escaut Canal.

Lock No3 Erre. Escaut Canal.

Escaut Canal.

Lock No3 Erre. Escaut Canal.

Looking back at Lock No3 Erre. Escaut Canal.

Elegant concrete towpath bridge over old backwater. Escaut Canal.

Lock No4 Thun-L'Evêque. Escaut Canal.

Escaut Canal.

Lock No5 D'Iwuy. Escaut Canal.

Étrun Bridge. Escaut Canal.

We are now on the old line of the Canal de la Sensée.

Old dry dock. Old line of the Canal de la Sensée.

Old line of the Canal de la Sensée.

Old line of the Canal de la Sensée, about to turn left onto the Dunkerque - Escaut Waterway (uprated Canal de la Sensée).

Looking right down to Pont Malin Lock, on the up-rated Escaut.

We have turned left onto the Dunkerque - Escaut Waterway.

Looking back up to the other end of the old course of the Canal de la Sensée (shallow, 0.9m). Dunkerque - Escaut Waterway.

Hem-Lenglet village and footbridge. Dunkerque - Escaut Waterway.

Looking back at Hem-Lenglet village and footbridge. Dunkerque - Escaut Waterway.

Aubigny-au-Bac Bridge and railway bridge. Dunkerque - Escaut Waterway.

Wheelhouse view of Abbaye du Verger Bridge at Oisy-le-Verger. Dunkerque - Escaut Waterway.

Back to the junction with the Canal du Nord. Dunkerque - Escaut Waterway.

Two Brit tin boats, by the junction with the Canal du Nord. Dunkerque - Escaut Waterway.

Arleux Bridge. Dunkerque - Escaut Waterway.

Dunkerque - Escaut Waterway.

Goeulzin Lock. Dunkerque - Escaut Waterway.

At Douai, we turn left onto the Scarpe Supérieure.

Corbehem. Scarpe Supérieure.

Lock No9 Corbehem. Scarpe Supérieure.

Looking back at Lock No9 Corbehem. Scarpe Supérieure.

Rationalisation at Corbehem paper mills. Scarpe Supérieure.

Corbehem paper mills. China clay, the last commercial traffic on the Scarpe Supérieure.

Corbehem paper mills. Scarpe Supérieure.

Brébières. Scarpe Supérieure.

Lock No8 Brébières-Basse-Tenue. Scarpe Supérieure.

Looking back at Lock No8 Brébières-Basse-Tenue. Scarpe Supérieure.

Brébières. Scarpe Supérieure.

Lock No7 Brébières-Haute-Tenue. Scarpe Supérieure.

Lock No6 Vitry. Scarpe Supérieure.

Looking back at Lock No6 Vitry. Scarpe Supérieure.

Vitry-en-Artois. Scarpe Supérieure.

The Tour Continues...

Home Page | "Earnest" | "Beatty" | Canal Restoration