Boatnerd Discussion Forum

by **captrmetz** » January 22, 2017, 9:40 pm

Yes that big stern added bigger quarters for the crew, some even had their own rooms

by **Guest** » January 20, 2017, 11:40 am

Capt did the big stern have extra accommodations or was it just a bigger engine room?

by Al » January 19, 2017, 6:08 pm

Capt., I reread your story. You, Chief Ralph and the crew did a fine job beating the storm, but I got to say, getting scolded by Glenna must've made all the problems seem secondary, haha!

by **captrmetz** » January 19, 2017, 5:29 pm

The high stern was a wind catcher she would "Dog Leg" in the rivers and had to keep her into the wind. Her new pilot house never carried any pasengers.

by **Guest** » January 18, 2017, 8:57 am

Capt how was the Beachglen to sail with her being long and narrow and shallow she looked like she would be a handful, and after they rebuilt her forward accommodations she was definitely a one of a kind. Im sure the new forward quarters were for company guests.

by **Pete in Holland MI** » January 18, 2017, 1:00 am

Continuing on the Crosshead, it's true purpose was to keep the side-to-side action of the connecting rod from affecting the packing gland on the lower end of the cylinder.

The cross head, with several different general designs, is simply a linear bearing. Most steam engines are double acting, and kinda resemble an air or hydraulic cylinder. On the rod-end is a packing gland to seal the steam around the piston rod. The force of the throw of the crank shaft, especially at the 9 & 3:00 positions, would put a lot of side thrust on the packing gland without some form of bearing to absorb this side-to-side thrust.

Pete

by Al » January 17, 2017, 11:27 pm

Guest wrote: Is this what would be called a crosshead engine with an intermediate sliding part that was connected to the crankshaft and that in turn was fastened to the piston?

Very close Guest. The crosshead is what joined the piston rod to the connecting rod of the crankshaft.

by **Paul A** » January 17, 2017, 10:14 pm

In light of Al's comment, that was some really great engineering to "re-plumb" a reciprocating steam engine to run at all is quite impressive!

by **captrmetz** » January 17, 2017, 8:28 pm

P&H only kept the larger's ship The Willowglen, Beechglen, Oakglen, & the Mapelglen. Then they laid up the Willowglen I was the last skipper on her, then I went on the Beechglen and while entering a lock I rang up 1/2 astern and the engine room gave me full ahead and the bow hit the concrete sill and damage the bow. We had the damage repaired just to get her to Owen Sound were she was tied up for good. That left only the Oak and the Mapleglen left till P&H sold out to CSL. in 2000. A few years later they were both scrapped. .

by Al » January 17, 2017, 6:59 pm

Thank you for the kind words Capt.! I along with many others here certainly enjoy all that you share with us! Sounds like you and Chief Ralph worked quite good together.

by **Guest** » January 17, 2017, 6:20 pm

Paul A wrote:A little insight on engine balance. I don't know what the Oakglen had for a main but only high speed engines (ie cars, trucks) need even cylinders. Low speed (100rpm) are built as hp/cylinder so you may have a seven cylinder engine.

A lot of high speed gas and diesel engines have odd numbered cylinders.
3 cyl. Geo Metros, 5 cyl. Mercedes Benz diesels, lots of 3 cyl. small diesel tractors. Many others.

by **Guest** » January 17, 2017, 3:22 pm

Al wrote:The Oakglen had a triple expansion steam engine. This type of engine had three pistons: a small piston, intermediate piston, and large piston. The expansion of steam energy to drive the engine began with the small piston, then to the intermediate piston to expand again, then to the large piston for final expansion. The depleted steam was directed to either a condenser for reuse or simply up an exhaust pipe adjacent to the smokestack. Keep in mind that the pistons were driven by steam in both the downward and upward motion. This was achieved with the engine having piston rods that moved only up and down with the pistons which drove the connecting rods on the crank for the circular force to the propeller. It was a remarkable task that the Chief Engineer and his men still made the engine operate with a piston removed.

Is this what would be called a crosshead engine with an intermediate sliding part that was connected to the crankshaft and that in turn was fastened to the piston?

by **Pete in Holland MI** » January 17, 2017, 2:48 pm

OK. I'm still confused.

First off, I do have a long background in small factory steam engines, and steam tractors. I own & fully restored a steam tractor, and have restored several stationary steam engines. So I have some experience.

I have seen & observed several triple & quadruple steam engines from ships (ST Crapo, EM & JB Ford, Chief Wawatam, Valley Camp). All of these ships, the cylinders are one large castings sitting on top of the A-frame stands. I can't for the life of me understand "pulling a cylinder" to get a ship back to port. I can see pulling the piston & piston rod from the cross head by removing that cylinder head and pulling it up into the skylight area. I can also see removing the lower end of the connecting rod from the crank shaft so the piston doesn't travel.

Am I not understanding something here, or is there some mis-naming some of the parts of the engine (which I run into frequently in the hobby)?

Just trying to understand.

Thanx !

Pete

by **Guest** » January 17, 2017, 11:50 am

Capt Metz when P&H took over the Soo river ships how did they decide which ships to keep operating and which ones not to, I know the smaller ones left the fleet first, Oakglen and birchglen were kept and ceaderglen was disposed of.

by **captrmetz** » January 17, 2017, 8:15 am

Al you sure know your steam engine ! Chief Ralph Morris from Goderich Ont. was the Chief. He loved steam engines and had a steam engine installed in his own boat. He use to putt putt around the harbour blowing the steam whistle. Thanks for your comment.

by Al » January 17, 2017, 12:01 am

The Oakglen had a triple expansion steam engine. This type of engine had three pistons: a small piston, intermediate piston, and large piston. The expansion of steam energy to drive the engine began with the small piston, then to the intermediate piston to expand again, then to the large piston for final expansion. The depleted steam was directed to either a condenser for reuse or simply up an exhaust pipe adjacent to the smokestack. Keep in mind that the pistons were driven by steam in both the downward and upward motion. This was achieved with the engine having piston rods that moved only up and down with the pistons which drove the connecting rods on the crank for the circular force to the propeller. It was a remarkable task that the Chief Engineer and his men still made the engine operate with a piston removed.

by **Paul A** » January 16, 2017, 7:34 pm

A little insight on engine balance. I don't know what the Oakglen had for a main but only high speed engines (ie cars, trucks) need even cylinders. Low speed (100rpm) are built as hp/cylinder so you may have a seven cylinder engine.

by **Guest** » January 16, 2017, 7:26 pm

captrmetz wrote: I did not remember any vibration , she only went less than half speed but at least we were under way. then the company wanted me to get it fix at Port Colbourne a thee day voyage in November on two cylinders, I refused.

Does it happen often that someone in the main office will ask a captain to do something *unwise* and the captain has to say no?
Asking you too continue on through a dangerous storm, or with mechanical problems or something else an office man who had not sailed might think was no big deal but the capt. knows is a bad idea?

by **captrmetz** » January 16, 2017, 3:18 pm

The only thing I can remember is the chief took the cylinder out and set it on planks on top of the engine and chained it up good. I told him that when I make the haul around Rock of Ages Lt. she is going to roll. I told him if the cylinder breaks loose and falls back in the hole we are all done for, but I think the chief knew that. I did not remember any vibration , she only went less than half speed but at least we were under way. then the company wanted me to get it fix at Port Colbourne a thee day voyage in November on two cylinders, I refused.

Answer 2.

When she was the Maxine or The International she was on that same run many times.

by **elroy noreen** » January 16, 2017, 3:07 pm

I seen a picture of the Thomas Wilson taken from the same bridge that shows us the deckhands hosing down the deck and I believe me and you are in it

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