More or less completed my review of the TCC river craft that I was aboard in the late 1950's early 60's but have left the best till last. The mighty JOHN H AMOS which was my longest relief job and my last before I left for pastures new.
Part One. The vessel itself, she was indeed a mighty and unusual vessel as I believe she was the last Steam Powered commercial working Paddle Tug left which also had a passenger license at that time. I became her Chief Engineer when her permanent Chief Jack ? slipped on some crud on a landing stage and broke his wrist/arm.
Fitted with two coal fired natural draught Scotch Boilers with extra steam Drums retrofitted in her Fiddly Tops she was driven by two large diagonal Compund Engines each driving a feathering paddle wheel, the engines could be coupled together by a large Dog Clutch between them but for river work the clutch was never engaged the Skipper preferring the manoeuvrability of keeping the engines separate. The Crankshafts were at Paddle height and the rest of the engine sloped For'ad towards the Bilges, when removing the covers off the L.P's it was necessary to remove the plates and getting into the Bilge to release some of the nuts off the covers. She was fitted with Weirs Pumps one of them being a large vertical combined Water Circulating/Air Pump run off the same Weirs valve chest, normally on a V.T.E.or a V.C.E. the Air Pump was driven by the Main Engine through Cantilevered Arms and the Circulating Water Pump was rotary driven by its own seperate little steam engine. The Circulating Water outflow on the John H was not constant as you would get with a rotary Pump but pulsed as the piston on the Vertical Pump moved up and down.
Normally when on watch the Engineers are down below and miss most of what is going on at Deck Level, however on the John H.
the engine controls were at Deck Level in the Saloon style structure below the Wheelhouse with the bonus of windows at the front and Stable type Doors to the rear which you could hang out of like Shergar. Engine controls were levers rather than rotary and were Head/ Astern, Main Throttle and two sets of Impulse Valve Levers, the impulse valves gave a quick blast of Boiler Pressure steam into the cylinder(s) without going through the valve gear, these had to be operated in the correct sequence to give the engine a boost however overuse on the big LP cylinder could damage the Condenser. The Engine Telegraphs were non answering.
For a young Engineer she was a step back in time and I am still glad that I took the opportunity to be her Chief Engineer although at times hard work especially when she went into the Graving Dock for inspection which meant opening up the Boilers and the Main Engine which was not easy as everything was heavy and at an angle not a straight lift only for the Inspector to come round with his torch, little hammer, notebook give it a quick look and say "That's fine you can box it up now Chief" all in under five minutes, but it had passed his Inspection which was a relief and putting it back together was more of a challenge as the engine was at an angle and gravity took over when trying to get the Large LP cylinder covers back on the cylinder.
Part Two to follow when The John H. Hit the headlines!!