Mighty ships

[rotrax]

I've never worked on anything bigger than the York engine in my transit, but I well remember standing at a doorway looking into the engines on a paddle steamer whose crankshaft drove the paddles directly and being fascinated. A few days later we were on another ferry, with a propeller this time and being so disappointed at the lack of moving parts.

I must have been about 4 at the time, so about 65 years ago

As a callow youth-early teens-I would take the bus to Woolwich and go back and forth on the free paddle wheel ferry across the Thames. All that lovely polished machinery wizzing round and in and out and the guys looking after it.

Then to Brunels pedestrian tunnel under it. All white tiles and bulkhead lights with patches of damp and puddles where it was leaking.

Scary.................................

 

[Poignard]

I once went on a training course at Siemens in Zurich and at the weekends I did all the tourist things including a trip on one of the old paddle-steamers on Lake Lucerne. You could look down into the engine room and it was fascinating to watch this old machinery running so smoothly and quietly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2NmRy1wa5s