G.H. Coates, LLC Ideas That Work |
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This page is devoted to the Atlas Imperial Engine in the Tug. She was build about 1939 and probably laid in a warehouse until the hull was ready. The tug has spent the majority of it's life in fresh water. It is fresh water cooled with a heat exchanger along the off side, or port side engine room. At some point the coolant plumbing was changed and the engine driven bilge pump was abandoned. Now the bilge pump is a 2 1/2 inch Blackmere gear pump. I think it also handles the ballast water, but I haven't quite figured out the piping for it. The Atlas is a model 6HM2124, serial number 11811, rated at 400 Hp and 300 rpm. The shear size of it is hard to get a feel for, unles you're standing next to it. The access covers are about 22 inches in diameter. The connecting rods are 4 1/2 inches across the web or narrow side. The flywheel alone is 7 tons, and over-all the engine weighs in at 52,000 pounds. The engine room deck plates are about the centerline of the crank, with another 2 feet of engine base under the floor. Length is about 26 feet from front pulley to back flange. MASSIVE is a good way to describe the Atlas Imperial. Original control was handled by a full time engineer who through bells and whistles communicated with the wheelhouse. At some point, control was changed and the hand wheel is now controlled by a Ingersol-Rand air powered chain hoist. It's very clever. The Captain operates a morse control and through chains and cables, it runs the air hoist The second pointer on the morse shows the position of the operator wheel. I doubt that this arrangement dismissed the engineers function altogether, but it probably allowed him to take on more topside duties.
I'll add more as time allows, but for now....
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