Stage 4 · sound & video

Hear a Bolinder

Still photographs freeze the iron. These public films let you hear the thudding beat of a hot-bulb Bolinder and see starts and narrowboats on the cut.

Curated third-party YouTube videos for education and atmosphere. They are not owned by this site — credit the uploaders, and use the official YouTube player only. For type history and hit-and-miss character, see History; for still images, see the Gallery.

Hero — start and sound

The best single introduction: a 15 hp hot-bulb hit-and-miss Bolinder starting on narrowboat Spey, with engine-room close-ups and the live soundtrack.

Starting Spey’s Single Bolinder 15 hp hot-bulb hit-and-miss Bolinder on narrowboat Spey. Credit: Myk Askin on YouTube.

How a Bolinder starts

Hot-bulb engines need heat and care before the flywheel takes over. These shorter films show starting procedure on named craft and an E-type installation.

Narrowboat Tug — hot bulb start Starting procedure for a Bolinder hot-bulb engine on narrowboat Tug (Caldon Canal, July 2017). Watch on YouTube
Starting a Bolinder 15 hp E Type Start sequence after installation of an E-type — useful with the hot-bulb chronology on History. Credit: Mark Adrian on YouTube.

On the cut — narrowboats

Pair boats, locks, and canal atmosphere: Bolinder power in motion, including reverse by changing engine rotation on early types (no modern gearbox story).

Bolinder Pair boating Dane and Clara at Marsworth Locks. Direct reverse and hit-and-miss character. Credit: Myk Askin on YouTube.
Bolinder Engine Narrowboat Historic pair Kangaroo and Australia on the Oxford Canal. Credit: Isisbridge on YouTube.

Just the beat

Short clips and a creative montage for the sound alone — the thud many boaters recognise long before the craft comes into view.

Bolinder Engine on Narrow Boat William A short sound-forward clip. Title names William; the uploader description also mentions hotel-boat context — enjoy the soundtrack either way. Credit: jennywiom on YouTube.
What a Beautiful Noise (bolinder chorus) Creative montage of early narrowboat semi-diesel engines with music — entertainment, not a technical documentary. Watch on YouTube

Related Bolinder–Munktell sound

The thumping cold-start sound of large Bolinder–Munktell engines is famous among enthusiasts. These are primarily land / industrial engines, not UK canal installations — included only as related family sound.

Big old Bolinder–Munktell engines — cold start and sound Cold starts and heavy thump. Not a canal narrowboat film. Credit: Cars and Engines on YouTube.

Credits & notes

  • All players are official YouTube embeds (privacy-enhanced youtube-nocookie.com).
  • Copyright remains with the original uploaders and YouTube; this site does not rehost the media.
  • No autoplay with sound. Lazy-loading is used so the page stays light until you watch.
  • These films are for atmosphere and education. They are not workshop manuals — see Manuals for document hubs.

Photo gallery History Boat stories