The age of Steam and the Weir direct acting pump

[Rowana]

Weirs MX evaporators, I think you mean. Every Chief Engineer I ever sailed with swore by them ! !

 

[catmandoo]

Weirs MX evaporators, I think you mean. Every Chief Engineer I ever sailed with swore by them ! !

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Yes , Worked for a while as a student apprentice in Weirs research and test shop getting them up to performance . Good distilled water for car batteries

 

[10tuskar]

Yes I worked on many Weir pumps and the three tiered air compressors
during my sea-going time. Doxford engines with steam auxiliaries were quite the norm, if anything went wrong they could be fixed unlike the new diesel electric powered vessels now sailing or not like the new Aurora.
Now recently retired from sea.
Ah!! those happy days.

 

[Henry G]

It must be over a 100 years old by now and perhaps forgotten except by a few , those that built it and those that used it . A bit of Britain's industrial history .

It was an essential part of the closed feed system - invented by G and J Weir coupled on to Watt's condensing expansion engine which must have powered a million ships thus improving the efficiency of the complete steam cycle. The system is now only used in large 1000 MW power stations .

The pumps varied in size from about 2 foot long to the monster vertical units which stood over 9 feet tall. A double acting steam cylinder close coupled to a pumping cylinder made of cast iron for condensate or Admiralty brass for condenser cooling by sea water . Added to that were condensate deaerators , brass condensers , cast iron seawater filters and vacuum freshwater evaporator distillers heated by the hot condensate as well as the various stages of feed water heaters fed by steam bled from the cylinders of the triple expansion engines before being injected into the boilers

I was lucky to do my practical training in Weirs of Cathcart whose apprentice training section must have trained innumerable ships engineers right up until the sixties when only Shell used steam in their tankers ultimately succumbing to the almighty noisy diesel engine . I remember photographs of them in their uniforms hung up on the wal of the training centre I also remember when a lot of my colleagues went on the sea trials of the QE2 which incorporated the whole system .

I assembled and tested the DA pump in the assembly and testing bay with all the parts fitting together like a mecanno set finally lapping the cylinders fitting the pistons and piston rings , lifting the complete assembly over to the test bay connecting steam and water , operning the stop valve watching and listening to the piston rod go up and down bumping at the end of each stroke and then adjusting the rod that operated the steam shuttle valve until the stroke was nicely balanced and dampened at the end of each stroke . There may be some operating today somewhere and many ships engineers may have sat by one listening to its contented hiss and thump

Is there any one left out there who has ever operated or maintained one ? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

It must be over a 100 years old by now and perhaps forgotten except by a few , those that built it and those that used it . A bit of Britain's industrial history .

It was an essential part of the closed feed system - invented by G and J Weir coupled on to Watt's condensing expansion engine which must have powered a million ships thus improving the efficiency of the complete steam cycle. The system is now only used in large 1000 MW power stations .

The pumps varied in size from about 2 foot long to the monster vertical units which stood over 9 feet tall. A double acting steam cylinder close coupled to a pumping cylinder made of cast iron for condensate or Admiralty brass for condenser cooling by sea water . Added to that were condensate deaerators , brass condensers , cast iron seawater filters and vacuum freshwater evaporator distillers heated by the hot condensate as well as the various stages of feed water heaters fed by steam bled from the cylinders of the triple expansion engines before being injected into the boilers

I was lucky to do my practical training in Weirs of Cathcart whose apprentice training section must have trained innumerable ships engineers right up until the sixties when only Shell used steam in their tankers ultimately succumbing to the almighty noisy diesel engine . I remember photographs of them in their uniforms hung up on the wal of the training centre I also remember when a lot of my colleagues went on the sea trials of the QE2 which incorporated the whole system .

I assembled and tested the DA pump in the assembly and testing bay with all the parts fitting together like a mecanno set finally lapping the cylinders fitting the pistons and piston rings , lifting the complete assembly over to the test bay connecting steam and water , operning the stop valve watching and listening to the piston rod go up and down bumping at the end of each stroke and then adjusting the rod that operated the steam shuttle valve until the stroke was nicely balanced and dampened at the end of each stroke . There may be some operating today somewhere and many ships engineers may have sat by one listening to its contented hiss and thump

Is there any one left out there who has ever operated or maintained one ? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Hi all,
New to the forum and saw this thread.

I too served my apprenticeship at G & J Weir in Cathcart, from 1965 -1971 , left in 1972 to work for Gulf Oil.

I worked in the ATD, PVC, The Test Shop, Alley Compressors, Alexander Stephens yard building the Boiler feed heaters, TMFP assembly, TWL assembly, Electro feeders assembly Spares and service and the outside squad..

During my time I also worked on the QE2 in clydebank, assembling and installing the boiler feed heaters and electro feeders. Never went to sea though.
I could still dismantle a PVC blindfolded.

Worst job I ever did as an apprentice was reaming holes in feed heater plates

Is there anyone out there who remembers the man who made triggers for TWL pumps? What was his name?

 

[wully1]

A bunch of us got sent on a Weir Pumps course at Cathcart when our company upgraded to them.
We duly assembled the evening before in a city Center hotel and went out for ’dinner’’ on expenses.

A slightly worse for wear crew spilled out of the fortunately pre booked taxi at the lovely granite stepped, revolving door entrance whereupon one of the crew spewed up over the steps - perfectly timed as a suited Weir gentleman came to meet us...

”Are you the gentlemen from Xxxxxxx? “ he asked in a slightly concerned manner..

I can’t really remember much about the first morning apart from the Weir Pumps nurse being called to check up on our sick colleague who was having problems keeping his head off the desk..

They did make good pumps that fortunately never gave us any problems.

 

[Bilgediver]

It must be over a 100 years old by now and perhaps forgotten except by a few , those that built it and those that used it . A bit of Britain's industrial history .

It was an essential part of the closed feed system - invented by G and J Weir coupled on to Watt's condensing expansion engine which must have powered a million ships thus improving the efficiency of the complete steam cycle. The system is now only used in large 1000 MW power stations .

The pumps varied in size from about 2 foot long to the monster vertical units which stood over 9 feet tall. A double acting steam cylinder close coupled to a pumping cylinder made of cast iron for condensate or Admiralty brass for condenser cooling by sea water . Added to that were condensate deaerators , brass condensers , cast iron seawater filters and vacuum freshwater evaporator distillers heated by the hot condensate as well as the various stages of feed water heaters fed by steam bled from the cylinders of the triple expansion engines before being injected into the boilers

I was lucky to do my practical training in Weirs of Cathcart whose apprentice training section must have trained innumerable ships engineers right up until the sixties when only Shell used steam in their tankers ultimately succumbing to the almighty noisy diesel engine . I remember photographs of them in their uniforms hung up on the wal of the training centre I also remember when a lot of my colleagues went on the sea trials of the QE2 which incorporated the whole system .

I assembled and tested the DA pump in the assembly and testing bay with all the parts fitting together like a mecanno set finally lapping the cylinders fitting the pistons and piston rings , lifting the complete assembly over to the test bay connecting steam and water , operning the stop valve watching and listening to the piston rod go up and down bumping at the end of each stroke and then adjusting the rod that operated the steam shuttle valve until the stroke was nicely balanced and dampened at the end of each stroke . There may be some operating today somewhere and many ships engineers may have sat by one listening to its contented hiss and thump

Is there any one left out there who has ever operated or maintained one ? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I had to smile at your post.... Many years ago I took my family to a friends house for dinner. He was an ex steam and motor chief engineer. We got to talking about steam ships and the previous school holidays the kids had really enjoyed a trip on the Waverley. After a while I asked the elder boy who was about ten to show my friend what the engine on the Waverley sounded like. He took a deep breath and produced an amazing reproduction of the sound of a Weirs vertical feed pump running slowly. Of course on the Waverley in those days that was all you could hear when at sea as the engine was virtually silent. The look on my friends face I shall never forget. a sound I still remember from my days at sea. Pity all the ones on Youtube are silent except for one that has the noisiest shuttle valve I have ever heard.

 

[bikedaft]

A bunch of us got sent on a Weir Pumps course at Cathcart when our company upgraded to them.
We duly assembled the evening before in a city Center hotel and went out for ’dinner’’ on expenses.

A slightly worse for wear crew spilled out of the fortunately pre booked taxi at the lovely granite stepped, revolving door entrance whereupon one of the crew spewed up over the steps - perfectly timed as a suited Weir gentleman came to meet us...

”Are you the gentlemen from Xxxxxxx? “ he asked in a slightly concerned manner..

I can’t really remember much about the first morning apart from the Weir Pumps nurse being called to check up on our sick colleague who was having problems keeping his head off the desk..

They did make good pumps that fortunately never gave us any problems.

brilliant

 

[Topcat47]

I did my apprenticeship at Rosyth Dockyard. Type 12, 14 and 81 frigates all had steam engines and all had these Weir Pumps. We also had some steam rail cranes that used them. Type 81's were COSAG and also fitted with a G6 gas turbine; these looked more like steam turbines than the aircraft derived ones that followed. Some mine hunters were fitted with Deltic diesels.... Fascinatin' stuff but by God I was pleased to leave my tools behind and no longer had the "pleasure" of lying on my back in the bowels of the ship in January with a caulker working in the next compartment. Sharing machinery spaces with laggers wasn't a lot of fun, either.....

The last Leander Frigate (also Steam powered) was built in Portsmouth Dockyard and launched in '68/9.......

 

[SaltyC]

It must be over a 100 years old by now and perhaps forgotten except by a few , those that built it and those that used it . A bit of Britain's industrial history .

It was an essential part of the closed feed system - invented by G and J Weir coupled on to Watt's condensing expansion engine which must have powered a million ships thus improving the efficiency of the complete steam cycle. The system is now only used in large 1000 MW power stations .

The pumps varied in size from about 2 foot long to the monster vertical units which stood over 9 feet tall. A double acting steam cylinder close coupled to a pumping cylinder made of cast iron for condensate or Admiralty brass for condenser cooling by sea water . Added to that were condensate deaerators , brass condensers , cast iron seawater filters and vacuum freshwater evaporator distillers heated by the hot condensate as well as the various stages of feed water heaters fed by steam bled from the cylinders of the triple expansion engines before being injected into the boilers

I was lucky to do my practical training in Weirs of Cathcart whose apprentice training section must have trained innumerable ships engineers right up until the sixties when only Shell used steam in their tankers ultimately succumbing to the almighty noisy diesel engine . I remember photographs of them in their uniforms hung up on the wal of the training centre I also remember when a lot of my colleagues went on the sea trials of the QE2 which incorporated the whole system .

I assembled and tested the DA pump in the assembly and testing bay with all the parts fitting together like a mecanno set finally lapping the cylinders fitting the pistons and piston rings , lifting the complete assembly over to the test bay connecting steam and water , operning the stop valve watching and listening to the piston rod go up and down bumping at the end of each stroke and then adjusting the rod that operated the steam shuttle valve until the stroke was nicely balanced and dampened at the end of each stroke . There may be some operating today somewhere and many ships engineers may have sat by one listening to its contented hiss and thump

Is there any one left out there who has ever operated or maintained one ? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Happy Days!! Silent (Hissing) steam power, shuttle valves and run forever!

 

[Henry G]

Weirs MX evaporators, I think you mean. Every Chief Engineer I ever sailed with swore by them ! !

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Yes , Worked for a while as a student apprentice in Weirs research and test shop getting them up to performance . Good distilled water for car batteries

Aye, worked on them too, in the test shop. The one's we tested were for the United Arab Emirates. Pity I never got a chance to go there to install them. We tested Air Ejectors and Boiler feed heaters for them too.

 

[rotrax]

My paternal Grandfather worked for the steam valve experts Dewrance & Co. for 56 years. Had the diploma on the wall.

Fathers company, Aygee Glass and Glazing supplied much of the decorative glass on the QE2 as well as the special 'Armourcast' portlight glazing.

First Mate and I never went on sea trials, but after these had been completed and the ship signed off we had a private day aboard with some other guests at the Ocean Terminal at Southampton. Would have been March 1969 IIRC.

The engines were magnificent!

 

[grandpaboat]

I remember as a junior engineer on one of Shells motor ships running to the feed pump to hit the shuttle valve with a hammer to restart it after the Chinese firemans plaintive calls from the he boiler room.

 

[grandpaboat]

Didn't Brown Bros also make steering gear?? I seem to remember this, but possibly not - age thing again!

Yes, Browns steering gear on Frigates built at Yarrow's. Plus stabilisers.

 

[grandpaboat]

Weirs MX evaporators, I think you mean. Every Chief Engineer I ever sailed with swore by them ! !

I recall a Superintendent calling for the man who designed the MXS to come out and get the bloody thing working after a drydock, not just a service engineer!

 

[179580]

Diminished memory. Do I remember having a lever that fitted on the valve stem to start the pump?