Natchez vs Robert E Lee Steamboat Race

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Mfoxchicago
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Natchez vs Robert E Lee Steamboat Race

Post by Mfoxchicago » Tue Feb 11, 2014 7:33 pm

So, The Great Steamboat Race - Natchez vs. Robert E Lee, the most familiar steamboat race to those of us in the genre. Both boats Side-wheelers, but neither one a "walking-beam" (or as I can see from paintings).......what is that about? Why? Can the more versed members of this community educate me a bit. :-)

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Re: Natchez vs Robert E Lee Steamboat Race

Post by fredrosse » Wed Feb 12, 2014 12:00 am

Walking Beam engines were common on the East Coast USA, and remained popular long after they were obsolete because the passengers wanted to see the walking beam. Mississippi sidewheel riverboats often had an almost conventional "horizontal" type steam engine, but with the crankshaft raised up to match the height needed for the paddlewheels. Walking beam sidewheelers were much less common on the central rivers.
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Re: Natchez vs Robert E Lee Steamboat Race

Post by Mfoxchicago » Wed Feb 12, 2014 3:08 am

Thanks for the clarification Fred. As always, you are always a great source of information and knowledge.

Very grateful!

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Re: Natchez vs Robert E Lee Steamboat Race

Post by artemis » Wed Feb 12, 2014 8:18 pm

fredrosse wrote:Walking Beam engines were common on the East Coast USA, and remained popular long after they were obsolete because the passengers wanted to see the walking beam. Mississippi sidewheel riverboats often had an almost conventional "horizontal" type steam engine, but with the crankshaft raised up to match the height needed for the paddlewheels. Walking beam sidewheelers were much less common on the central rivers.
Don't know about the central US, but on the West Coat (notably sidewheel, double end ferries on San Francisco Bay, and sidewheel passenger steamers in Puget Sound) a "walking beam" engine was common. Large single cylinder, low pressure and double poppett valve engines were cheaper to manufacture and repair out in the "wilderness". Everything in western riverboats was based on cost/profit; passengers' desires came a very distant last. :lol:
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Re: Natchez vs Robert E Lee Steamboat Race

Post by Mfoxchicago » Thu Feb 13, 2014 4:05 am

Thanks Ron for your perspective. I had noticed a greater mix of cross-head, walking-beam and horizontal side-wheelers on Western Coastal waters, along with stern-wheelers, than the dominate stern-wheelers & horizontal side-wheelers of the Mississippi River. I appreciate your getting back to me.
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Re: Natchez vs Robert E Lee Steamboat Race

Post by fredrosse » Fri Feb 14, 2014 2:46 am

Found a representation of a western rivers sidewheeler engine/boiler layout: See website "Maritimetexas.net", under the heading "Steamboats on Buffalo Bayou" Steamboat Anatomy Charts (PDF, 1.2MB)
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Re: Natchez vs Robert E Lee Steamboat Race

Post by Mfoxchicago » Fri Feb 14, 2014 6:04 pm

What a great pic/cut-away. Would it be correct to assume these horizontal engines were designed for HP and LP configurations; instead of the larger, single LP cylinders? Or were each cylinder operational independently, giving a higher degreee of maunuverablity in tighter quarters?
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Re: Natchez vs Robert E Lee Steamboat Race

Post by fredrosse » Fri Feb 14, 2014 10:20 pm

While compound engines are more economical, the commercial economics back then usually just dictated the "keep it simple and cheap" technology. A good compound engine has steam pressure in the vicinity of 130-150 PSIG, and most simple riverboat boilers ran at about half that pressure, so they were typically simple engines I would think.

From the cutaway picture it appears that each simple engine could have individual controls, thus the great maneuverability of independent wheel drive would be available. I am not so familiar with this sidewheel engine setup, so this is just a guess on my part. The eastern walking beam sidewheelers almost never had individual wheel control, I look at every historical walking beam sidewheeler I can find, and have only seen one that had twin walking beam engines, and individual wheel control. That sidewheeler was a very large railroad car ferry, and probably needed the power of two walking beam engines.
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Re: Natchez vs Robert E Lee Steamboat Race

Post by artemis » Sat Feb 15, 2014 11:59 pm

Sidewheel tugs were very popular on the UK rivers and they used sidelever or "grasshopper" engines. Much like a walking beam but the piston rod came out of the top to a crosshead that had a connecting rod on each side dropping down to pivoted levers that were close to the bottom of the engine and connected to a "crankshaft" that ran athwartships to connect to the sidewheels. Two side lever engines were common; they could be operated independently for manuevering or coupled together wfor longer hauls. The engines were a glorious display of the Victorian engineer's art at it's most resplendent.
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Re: Natchez vs Robert E Lee Steamboat Race

Post by 87gn@tahoe » Sun Feb 16, 2014 8:42 pm

artemis wrote:Sidewheel tugs were very popular on the UK rivers and they used sidelever or "grasshopper" engines. Much like a walking beam but the piston rod came out of the top to a crosshead that had a connecting rod on each side dropping down to pivoted levers that were close to the bottom of the engine and connected to a "crankshaft" that ran athwartships to connect to the sidewheels. Two side lever engines were common; they could be operated independently for manuevering or coupled together wfor longer hauls. The engines were a glorious display of the Victorian engineer's art at it's most resplendent.

Like the Eppleton Hall, rotting away in the "stewardship" of The California State Parks
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