TSS Earnslaw engine room

[@jimtomassetti8928]

Awesome vidio Of the Engine Room.I love any thing to do with steam!!😊

[@WesleyHarcourtSTEAMandMORE]

Great video of a proper steam ship. Thank you for sharing with us!

[@suebunce]

The sad thing is that the eco-bullies are forcing her to go eco in the next couple of years, possibly even electric. I’m just horrified at the thought because I believe there’s only two like this in the world. If vehicles and vessels don’t make black smoke, they’re generally not very interesting. Her coal-fired boiler takes approximately four hours to heat up in the mornings before she’s up to pressure. So come and enjoy some time on her soon if it’s on your Wish List.

[@EnzedderEntertainment]

@@suebunce One of the options they have been considering is condensed wood, which personally if they have to make an eco change this would be the most preferable, as it requires stokers I believe to still shovel these chunks of condensed wood, whilst also keeping some fumes coming out of her funnel. Whatever the situation though, I share your opinion that coal is the best for a ship like her

[@suebunce]

That certainly sounds a better option than electric. I come from an aviation background of loud military aircraft, that make plenty of black smoke, and I’m a full believer that everything should run on the coal, gas, and oil, that the Earth provides for us. Instead of wasting money, time, and precious resources with the misguided thought that electric vehicles and vessels are healthier for the environment. I hope they don’t get forced into making the decision to get rid of coal, by others. Wood pellets would certainly be second-best, with stokers, still needing to shovel stuff in, and hopefully some sort of flames to watch and create that beautiful warm engine room.

[@donnamarie3617]

Thanks Sue, a good look at those triple expansion beauties! Great info too about the direction of rotation, I'm currently scratch building a 1/30 scale model and this helps me get the props on the correct sides. Gosh, they are very nimble engines, changing direction most smartly.

[@suebunce]

I think I’ve been on her about 30 times. You always have to repeat your trips, so you can enjoy the scenery, the piano playing in the bar, as well as all the time in the engine room. I spent lots of time chatting to the engineers over the years. The sounds are purely poetry in motion. Mesmerising.

[@smithsway]

Brilliant. Thanks for posting that. I went on her yesterday.

[@Rainhill1829]

This is fantastic!!!

[@tonepilot]

Looks like it’s constantly seconds away from disaster.

[@suebunce]

Well, it’s survived quite happily for over 120 years, so must be a matter of visual perception😂😂😎

[@jasonnicholasschwarz7788]

Is the steam escaping a normal thing? Or is it heat from the metal?

[@suebunce]

Yes, it would be quite normal when there’s lower power requirements such as slowing down or just upon docking. The boilers will be maintained at full operating pressure so pressure relief valves continuously release, any excess steam pressure created. Watching it operate is poetry in motion.

[@SteveHodges-cn7ns]

I think the question refers to steam escaping at the engines rather than from safety valve on the boiler. As a former steam ship engineer (my first training ship was triple expansion steam engined) I would guess it was a leaking gland on one of the piston rods, or could be piston drain valve left open to make sure there was no water in the cylinder. These would normally be shut off when the engine was hot, could be one leaking? I'm happy to be corrected by one of her engine room crew, though. Lovely to see steam machinery working!

[@suebunce]

@@SteveHodges-cn7ns She certainly has plenty of spare steam to be escaping if it can. The saddest thing is that she is unfortunately going to be converted to sustainable fuel and most likely electric in the next few years. They have confirmed that. Very very sad as everything that sounds good or is fun to watch has black smoke ha ha. I am a pilot and grew up in the years of Phantoms, Vulcan, and GE Lightning and so on. All the best things have smoke. Will be a sad day when the coal and heat goes from her engine room.

[@liloldme1210]

Coal fired eh!

[@suebunce]

Proper fuel 😂