The Bantam IV Tug

The Bantam class of tug was produced in the late 1940's and the 1950's and 1960's by E.C. Jones and Sons of Brentford. In 1994 London Canal Museum was given number 4 of the class which is preserved as a floating exhibit, normally moored outside the museum, but sometimes taken to canal events during the summer season. The Bantam tugs are unusual in that they are designed to push, not to tow. This is a more energy efficient way of moving an unpowered barge. The tugs were used most frequently for canal maintenance and in gravel pits and other non tidal waterway situations.