Coal Bunkers

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FWE
Posts: 76
Joined: November 7, 2019, 7:14 am

Re: Coal Bunkers

Unread post by FWE »

Many coal bunkers also had a Day bunker from which the boiler stoker directly drew from. Each watch the fireman would activate a supply auger that lifted coal from the main to the Day bunker. Coal supply level was easily ascertained in the main bunker by peering down into the bunker by way of the loading hatch atop the bunker. Typical U.S. supply locations included Chicago, Detour Coal dock and Lime Island dock, both located in the St. Marys river. Consol coal in Windsor was popular too.
Mr Link
Posts: 1198
Joined: December 6, 2014, 3:43 pm

Re: Coal Bunkers

Unread post by Mr Link »

Guest wrote: February 1, 2023, 6:03 pm Thanks for the interesting information. Has a ship ever run out of bunkers (oil or coal) and required refueling away from a fuel dock?
Railroad ferries bunkered directly from railroad hopper cars via grates under the tracks on the car deck. George Hilton's book The Great Lakes Car Ferries documents several instances with car ferries ran low of coal,usually when stuck in the ice for extended periods. But there were a few instances when coal was moved from one ferry to another, sometimes by transferring the entire hopper car, other times by moving the coal manually.

For some long voyages (to a distant ship yard for instance) the ferries would take several carloads of coal with them on the car deck.
Jared
Posts: 798
Joined: December 6, 2014, 4:51 pm

Re: Coal Bunkers

Unread post by Jared »

Guest wrote: February 1, 2023, 6:03 pm Thanks for the interesting information. Has a ship ever run out of bunkers (oil or coal) and required refueling away from a fuel dock?
It was an abnormal event in the last two decades of the 19th century for steamers to burn through their entire fuel source but it did occur when battling storms or stuck in the ice. The best examples I have at the top of my head are the Keystone State in 1861 and the John V Moran in 1899. Both vessels were lost. I have not heard of a ore carrier running out of fuel while underway in open waters. They would make difficult ports if need be.
guest

Re: Coal Bunkers

Unread post by guest »

i believe a lake freighter ran out of fuel near marine city {coal or oil im not sure} but the blue water ferry took a truck out to the vessel with fuel. im sure some one from that area can elaborate more information
Guest custom 500

Re: Coal Bunkers

Unread post by Guest custom 500 »

The cóal passers; what was the deal there? How far from the boiler was the coal, and why could they not have set it up like a locomotive with the coal right there? Did they pass it in buckets or what?
Guest

Re: Coal Bunkers

Unread post by Guest »

Thanks for the interesting information. Has a ship ever run out of bunkers (oil or coal) and required refueling away from a fuel dock?
Guest

Re: Coal Bunkers

Unread post by Guest »

Full draft and cargo capacity was designed with full coal bunker capacity. Engineer was responsible for everything to do with propulsion,bunker capacity n fuel usage, potable, non potable water, steam for radiators, generators for power n lites, etc. Captain placed orders and requisitions in conjunction with company office and engineers requests, orders. Coal passers just delivered coal to the fireman. Good fireman, efficient use of coal.. bad fireman,, bunkers MT faster. However, sea conditions, load tonnage, maneuvers in restricted waters, etc determined coal use most. Quality of coal was big factor. Some was good, some not . I was a coal passer for one 5 day trip. Cured me of wanting to be steady black gang crew.
hayhugh
Posts: 48
Joined: March 4, 2011, 7:54 am

Re: Coal Bunkers

Unread post by hayhugh »

The Chief was required to have a certain % of coal in reserve at the end of the voyage.
Guest

Coal Bunkers

Unread post by Guest »

When ships were fueled by coal, how did the crew determine how much coal was available in the bunker for heating the boiler? Was there some type of gauge painted on the wall of the bunker to estimate how many tons of coal were remaining? I would assume that once automatic stokers came into use that it was easier to estimate the amount of coal needed per hour to keep the boiler fired. However, when boilers were hand fired did the efficiency or experience of the individual coal passers seriously affect how much coal was used per hour? Who determined when to take on coal for bunkers? Was it the chief engineer or the captain and was the amount based upon minimizing the amount of coal to take on to increase the amount of available draft for cargo?
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