@Smithyards All seemed OK as we began to leave the harbour . I was up on deck and suddenly the engine lost power, we began to head towards the wall As I got to the engine room the cheif was using the speaking tube so the bridge did know there were problems down there The main concern then was to get the condenser working again before the ship got out into the sea and taken by the tide
Wow, glad that didn't happen in Weymouth the other week when we were on board, the sea currents were pretty strong that day, we'd have been swept back quicker than you can say oh damn the Engine's not working! ;-)
Yes currents there are I believe the worst in the country The tide rises faster than anywhere else. It was bad enough in Ayr The wall was comming up fast and the engine stopped alarm bells were ringing in the engine room so I went to see what was going on It was lucky the wind was not too strong that day or I am sure we would of hut the wall Since then a lot of work has been done in all areas of the ship
I presume you mean the cloud of steam that engulfed us It was not hot just warm like when you leave a pan boiling and fill the kitchen with steam As for the main steam. That is very hot I would not like to be around if that white pipe from the boiler room cracked open
Thanks for that I knew it was superheated but no idea how hot it gets The first year Waverley was preserved they had a scare when they ran low on water and a couple of boiler tubes blew They said it did a good job of cleaning the funnels though
@cedarcam yeah pretty close. These boilers have a safety feature if they run out of water. A lead plug in the base of the boiler will melt when the boiler gets too hot and the water will escape and put out the furnace. They also have an emergency release valve so they can release the steam pressure from the boiler. This is based froma coal fired boiler. As this ship is oil fired i don't know if it works a similar way. If fire tubes break then the boiler will begin loosing steam pressure.
The same as a railway locomotive boiler then. I think Waverleys new boiler may be more like a central heating boiler (Water Tube Type) Once there was an alarm and all pressure was lost very quickly From what I heard the oil burner went out for some reason In only a short time it was relit and pressure was soon up again The old boiler was similar to a coal burner. I do not know what happens if they get low on water but it seems it was still being fired for a tube to burst
@cedarcam yeah. There is a long history of boiler explosions through the 19th and early 20th centry. They require strict routine maintainance in order to ensure they operate safely. 150PSI may not sound like much but if a boiler under that load explodes it is like a 500Kg bomb going off.
It was the same with the railways and with traction engines Sometimes they would screw down the safety valves to get a bit more power for that heavy load to get moving In USA a couple of years back a traction engine boiler exploded killing 3 people That boiler had not been properly checked Seems the regulations are not as strict as we have here. I have not read up much on steam ship accidents but it sounds like their owners also learnt to respect their boilers after explosions
@cedarcam yep very much so. Sometimes it will take an accident to get new laws passed to ensure safe operation of boilers. A few years ago there was a boiler explosion on the Noregian owned ship (NCL) the SS Norway which killed 4 people. After the explosion NCL scrapped the ship (It was towed to a breakers yard in Allang India) the cause was a heavy lack in maintainance.
I read about that explosion Yes I had forgotten about that What a shame the ship was scrapped It must of caused huge damage to the hull though I expect like other boilers in UK Waverley will have a hydrolic pressure test at regular intervals
@cedarcam Most boiler explosions are caused by faults of the stokers and not by metal or structural problems. So they are not fully prevented by tests.While filming the novel "Riddle of the Sands" the engine crew of the German tugboat "Woltman" had the water gauges under control, but the cocks to them were closed by mistake. They believed the boiler was full when indeed it was almost empty and the metal of the fireboxes was already redhot- ! It was a close shave and a new boiler was needed.
@Jeansschwimmer Many years ago I used to ride on an industrial locomotive in a brick works They always left the guage glasses empty for fear of one breaking. As a kid I did not know the danger of doing that. Now I wonder how low the water went some days as some of the gradients in there were very steep. Running bunker first up hill the firebox crown could easily of been overheating
Good and very interesting video. Thanks cedarcam. Also on the Como's Lake (Northern Italy) there is still operating a Padle Steamer with a triple expansion, double effect engine. But the engine adopted the "Arturo Caprotti" distribution of the steam. Watch the "Piroscafo Concordia" video on you tube if you wish.
Thank you for directing me to your film I enjoyed it You were even able to get right into the engine room and see the paddles close up which was interesting to see
I think that must be why the chief engineer called for the steamer to be started I was very surprised when I saw the cloud of steam coming at me. I think the general service pump cylinder drains must be directed straight into the bilge and as it is not normally used would of been cold on starting. It soon cleared the back pressure in the condenser allowing the main engine to turn over and get us away from the harbour wall The reason why there was so much going on down there on that departure
Waverley has a triple expansion engine Live steam is used in one cylinder then passes to the second and then the 3rd before entering the condenser at low pressure. Inside there are pipes with sea water in which cool the steam to condense it The water then returns to the boiler to be heated again The sea water gets hot so has to be pumped through the condenser by a steam driven pump The problem was this pump failed so the sea water got too warm to condense the steam
This caused back pressure in the 3rd cylinder and that was enough to stop the engine turning The harbour has a strong current flowing across the entrance and without the engine Waverley was being pushed towards the wall The solution was to use the general service pump which as its name suggests can be used for various things to pump sea water into the condenser and once that happened we were quickly on our way On my film Down To See The Engines there are more details about the engine
I guess not too After the condensed steam leaves the condenser it goes into a tank called the hot well and a pump forces it back into the boiler from there Because it is a closed loop system I think the pressure must build up until the whole thing becomes hydraulically choked up. In the main film you can see the low pressure cylinder gauge showing a build up of back pressure instead of the usual vacuum reading
Yes The crankshaft has a flange at either end. The short axles to the paddles are bolted onto them so there is a direct connection with no gearbox between. One is visible in Down To See The Engines where more details about the engine room operation can be found
Quite an old piece of film, certainly predates the rebuild in 2000. I'm guessing late 80s from the identity of the chief engineer (name remaning confidential).
You are right the film was taken on 19th July 1989. Before the refit we spent many hours cruising in Scotland on our annual holidays during the 80's. I hope to get some complete films copied from VHS in the future
The engines on these old steamers were always open to the public and the engine room crews took great pride in keeping them in prestine condition A tradition which is carried on to this day on board the Waverley
Yes you cannot beat the old tube system Works every time When I posted this I did not have the programme to convert the file There is a little more film with the vacuum gauge showing no reading and the engine stopped with telegraph showing Full Ahead
Yes if you visit the engine room today it looks almost the same as back then but I bet over the years it has seen a lot of different hair styles come and go. One day the film could well appear right up to date again
It Would have been nice if the cheif had let the bridge know about the issue :/
Smithyards 6 months ago
@Smithyards All seemed OK as we began to leave the harbour . I was up on deck and suddenly the engine lost power, we began to head towards the wall As I got to the engine room the cheif was using the speaking tube so the bridge did know there were problems down there The main concern then was to get the condenser working again before the ship got out into the sea and taken by the tide
cedarcam 6 months ago
All sing "MacAndrew's Hymn"-who can recall it?
Squarerig 10 months ago
did it sink ,oh well least it was,nt a new one
MrCharcharchar 10 months ago
Wow, glad that didn't happen in Weymouth the other week when we were on board, the sea currents were pretty strong that day, we'd have been swept back quicker than you can say oh damn the Engine's not working! ;-)
Great vid
J
Firrboxfryup 1 year ago
Yes currents there are I believe the worst in the country The tide rises faster than anywhere else. It was bad enough in Ayr The wall was comming up fast and the engine stopped alarm bells were ringing in the engine room so I went to see what was going on It was lucky the wind was not too strong that day or I am sure we would of hut the wall Since then a lot of work has been done in all areas of the ship
cedarcam 1 year ago
What temperature is that steam?
- A
ibook133 1 year ago
I presume you mean the cloud of steam that engulfed us It was not hot just warm like when you leave a pan boiling and fill the kitchen with steam As for the main steam. That is very hot I would not like to be around if that white pipe from the boiler room cracked open
cedarcam 1 year ago
@ibook133 arround 275 to 375 degrees, most engines like this were designed to run on superheated steam.
krehall 1 year ago
Thanks for that I knew it was superheated but no idea how hot it gets The first year Waverley was preserved they had a scare when they ran low on water and a couple of boiler tubes blew They said it did a good job of cleaning the funnels though
cedarcam 1 year ago
@cedarcam yeah pretty close. These boilers have a safety feature if they run out of water. A lead plug in the base of the boiler will melt when the boiler gets too hot and the water will escape and put out the furnace. They also have an emergency release valve so they can release the steam pressure from the boiler. This is based froma coal fired boiler. As this ship is oil fired i don't know if it works a similar way. If fire tubes break then the boiler will begin loosing steam pressure.
krehall 1 year ago
The same as a railway locomotive boiler then. I think Waverleys new boiler may be more like a central heating boiler (Water Tube Type) Once there was an alarm and all pressure was lost very quickly From what I heard the oil burner went out for some reason In only a short time it was relit and pressure was soon up again The old boiler was similar to a coal burner. I do not know what happens if they get low on water but it seems it was still being fired for a tube to burst
cedarcam 1 year ago
@cedarcam yeah. There is a long history of boiler explosions through the 19th and early 20th centry. They require strict routine maintainance in order to ensure they operate safely. 150PSI may not sound like much but if a boiler under that load explodes it is like a 500Kg bomb going off.
krehall 1 year ago
It was the same with the railways and with traction engines Sometimes they would screw down the safety valves to get a bit more power for that heavy load to get moving In USA a couple of years back a traction engine boiler exploded killing 3 people That boiler had not been properly checked Seems the regulations are not as strict as we have here. I have not read up much on steam ship accidents but it sounds like their owners also learnt to respect their boilers after explosions
cedarcam 1 year ago
@cedarcam yep very much so. Sometimes it will take an accident to get new laws passed to ensure safe operation of boilers. A few years ago there was a boiler explosion on the Noregian owned ship (NCL) the SS Norway which killed 4 people. After the explosion NCL scrapped the ship (It was towed to a breakers yard in Allang India) the cause was a heavy lack in maintainance.
krehall 1 year ago
I read about that explosion Yes I had forgotten about that What a shame the ship was scrapped It must of caused huge damage to the hull though I expect like other boilers in UK Waverley will have a hydrolic pressure test at regular intervals
cedarcam 1 year ago
@cedarcam think it it carried out once every 3 months, not sure for certain :)
krehall 1 year ago
OK Thanks :)
cedarcam 1 year ago
@cedarcam Most boiler explosions are caused by faults of the stokers and not by metal or structural problems. So they are not fully prevented by tests.While filming the novel "Riddle of the Sands" the engine crew of the German tugboat "Woltman" had the water gauges under control, but the cocks to them were closed by mistake. They believed the boiler was full when indeed it was almost empty and the metal of the fireboxes was already redhot- ! It was a close shave and a new boiler was needed.
Jeansschwimmer 1 month ago
@Jeansschwimmer Many years ago I used to ride on an industrial locomotive in a brick works They always left the guage glasses empty for fear of one breaking. As a kid I did not know the danger of doing that. Now I wonder how low the water went some days as some of the gradients in there were very steep. Running bunker first up hill the firebox crown could easily of been overheating
cedarcam 1 month ago
Awesome! I'd love to stand next to this engine while it's operating! Great sounds!
Larsky1010 1 year ago
Wow thanks!
TimeTravellersGirl 1 year ago
@TimeTravellersGirl Thank You for watching I am pleased you enjoyed the film
cedarcam 1 year ago
@cedarcam Waverley is a thing of beauty. Hope she keeps on going.
TimeTravellersGirl 1 year ago
THAT IS FRIGGIN COOL !!
KB3MMX 2 years ago
Yea The most action I have seen down there while filming. It was a bad moment for the crew with the tide pushing us towards the harbour wall
cedarcam 2 years ago
A surface condenser can definately eat yout lunch.
PistolPete2 2 years ago
Good and very interesting video. Thanks cedarcam. Also on the Como's Lake (Northern Italy) there is still operating a Padle Steamer with a triple expansion, double effect engine. But the engine adopted the "Arturo Caprotti" distribution of the steam. Watch the "Piroscafo Concordia" video on you tube if you wish.
ediunicko 2 years ago
Thank you for directing me to your film I enjoyed it You were even able to get right into the engine room and see the paddles close up which was interesting to see
cedarcam 2 years ago
It was possible only thanks to the enginemen and the crew of the "Concordia" steamer. I'm happy that you enjoyed my Concordia's steamer videos. Ed.
ediunicko 2 years ago
Impresive.
Beutiful.
Thank you for show us this.
Fabian
faboledesma 2 years ago
Thank you for watching I have loaded more film showing a more detailed look at the engine as well if you are interested
cedarcam 2 years ago
Quite surreal with that cloud steam, normally you see very little steam in evidence.
JimTLonW6 2 years ago
I think that must be why the chief engineer called for the steamer to be started I was very surprised when I saw the cloud of steam coming at me. I think the general service pump cylinder drains must be directed straight into the bilge and as it is not normally used would of been cold on starting. It soon cleared the back pressure in the condenser allowing the main engine to turn over and get us away from the harbour wall The reason why there was so much going on down there on that departure
cedarcam 2 years ago
What happened exactly?
was condenser blocked?!
tpvalley 2 years ago
Waverley has a triple expansion engine Live steam is used in one cylinder then passes to the second and then the 3rd before entering the condenser at low pressure. Inside there are pipes with sea water in which cool the steam to condense it The water then returns to the boiler to be heated again The sea water gets hot so has to be pumped through the condenser by a steam driven pump The problem was this pump failed so the sea water got too warm to condense the steam
cedarcam 2 years ago
This caused back pressure in the 3rd cylinder and that was enough to stop the engine turning The harbour has a strong current flowing across the entrance and without the engine Waverley was being pushed towards the wall The solution was to use the general service pump which as its name suggests can be used for various things to pump sea water into the condenser and once that happened we were quickly on our way On my film Down To See The Engines there are more details about the engine
cedarcam 2 years ago
wouldnt it just work as a compound and push exhausted steam out through LP piston and condenser?
I guess not!
tpvalley 2 years ago
I guess not too After the condensed steam leaves the condenser it goes into a tank called the hot well and a pump forces it back into the boiler from there Because it is a closed loop system I think the pressure must build up until the whole thing becomes hydraulically choked up. In the main film you can see the low pressure cylinder gauge showing a build up of back pressure instead of the usual vacuum reading
cedarcam 2 years ago
Is the engine couple direct to the paddles on the Waverley ?
mayhem001boats 3 years ago
Yes The crankshaft has a flange at either end. The short axles to the paddles are bolted onto them so there is a direct connection with no gearbox between. One is visible in Down To See The Engines where more details about the engine room operation can be found
cedarcam 3 years ago
Oh dear, hope it was not too mcuh trouble.
TitanicExpert 3 years ago
Quite an old piece of film, certainly predates the rebuild in 2000. I'm guessing late 80s from the identity of the chief engineer (name remaning confidential).
rankinblackmore 3 years ago
You are right the film was taken on 19th July 1989. Before the refit we spent many hours cruising in Scotland on our annual holidays during the 80's. I hope to get some complete films copied from VHS in the future
cedarcam 3 years ago
that is a beautiful engine
IanCash88 3 years ago
The engines on these old steamers were always open to the public and the engine room crews took great pride in keeping them in prestine condition A tradition which is carried on to this day on board the Waverley
cedarcam 3 years ago
Is this a FGW local service.
peak45 4 years ago
Ha Ha Well despite the delay the rest of the days cruise went well As for First Great Western Fury Grows Waiting
cedarcam 4 years ago
no its national express!
Sephy69 3 years ago
Loss of vacuum, but communications maintained, well done the ginger beers.
shis35kine 4 years ago
Yes you cannot beat the old tube system Works every time When I posted this I did not have the programme to convert the file There is a little more film with the vacuum gauge showing no reading and the engine stopped with telegraph showing Full Ahead
cedarcam 4 years ago
There's nothing to fix this video in time - until you see that haircut.
imbecile2000 4 years ago
Yes if you visit the engine room today it looks almost the same as back then but I bet over the years it has seen a lot of different hair styles come and go. One day the film could well appear right up to date again
cedarcam 4 years ago