The Steamboating Forum

Dear Steamboating Friends

Those who know me will recall that in one of my lives I am the Hon Sec of the SBA. That means that every day I gets lots of e-mails. Most of them are for I-phone aps, photo editing, viagra, friends in Nigeria who want to give me money, etc. Ocasionally I get e-mail from historical novel witers who need some support on the technical side. Those can be fun and the folks are usually lovely. The ones from Asian ship brokers and ship builders were amusing to begin with, but I really don't want a second hand bulk carrier! There are folks who want to invite steamboater to their events, or folks enquiring about steamboating. All good stuff.

Occasionally, I get the odd e-mail I cannot exactly classify. Is it a spoof, a nutter, or a genuine enquiry? I have recently had one of the latter from a gent in the USA. He says he is looking for a steam engine, or possibly a full steam plant of up to 2500 HP. So, my question is does anybody know of a business in the US or elsehwere that could build him an up and downer? Alternatively, is there one sitting gathering dust in need of a new owner that you know about?

As ever you help would be graetly appreciated.

Regards

Pete

I remember reading a Live Steam Magazine article MANY years ago about a group or museum who had just acquired a 2500hp triple from a liberty ship.. I will try to dig it up, who knows maybe it's available..

I've also seen very recent (as in within the last year or so) photos of a recently homeless triple sitting on a pier in the great lakes region, the ship she belonged to being scrapped. A lot of the old lakers are being cut up.. The S.T. Crapo might be purchased for less than the cost of a new engine: http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/fleet/crapo.htm

About 6 years ago there was a freighter on Lake Victoria in Africa with twin triples and B&W boilers for sale. She's probably razor blades now, but with any luck the engines still exist.

I'm sure there are MANY potential subjects in India and elsewhere in Asia that are just now getting to retirement.

There's the company in the UK that built a completely new steam locomotive: www.a1steam.com A talk with them might get you in contact with the right people.

There's also the steam locomotive builders in China.. They only just recently (2009!) Took steam locomotives off of the mainline in China. I'm sure you could get their pattern makers to set you up for pennies on the dollar.

With enough pocket change, one could contact engineers and pattern makers and have a brand new 2500hp marine engine using the best practices of yesteryear as well as today's advances in bearings, materials, machining, etc.

There's also Preston Services, they seem to have large engines once in a while, they might be able to send you in the right direction, with a finders fee I'm sure... www.prestonservices.co.uk

wes

Purvis Marine in the Soo (CDN side) owns the E.M. Ford that hasen't been scrapped yet. She has a quad, but boilers are reportedly no good.

The main Pump engines on the Dredges: Mitchell nearly abandoned on the banks of the Ohio, and the Capt Clark are some where between 1600 and 2500 HP I don't remember the size. The Clark was owned by a dredging company in the New Orleans area. My last knowledge of her was in the 1980's when I was Curator on the dredge Lewis. The Clark was cut back to one Boiler and not paddle wheels when she became a cutter head dredge.
Utroustabout

Dear Everybody

Thank you so much for your suggestions. I have learned many intersting things and have sent the enquirer a number of quite long responses based around the material you have identified for me.

I think the ball is now in the enquirer's court, so we will see what, if anything comes of all our efforts.

Best wishes


Pete

Hi Pete

We are not informed about the guy's ideas of a steam engine and his need for rev's, but there has actually survived a steam engine producer in Germany, now a days producing high speed short stroke all cased steam motors.

See http://www.spilling.de/index.php

Best regards
Jørgen

Thanks Jorgen

That looks most interesting. I will send him the link, though I think he has slipped back into the woodwork!

Regards

Pete