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VK2AWZ > STEAM 04.12.11 00:18l 35 Lines 1794 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 690019VK2AWZ
Read: GUEST
Subj: Re: VE3WBZ > steam engine
Path: ON0AR<VK6HGR<VK6ZRT
Sent: 111203/2314Z @:VK6ZRT.#BUN.#WA.AUS.OC #:10306 [Boyanup] $:690019VK2AWZ
From: VK2AWZ@VK6ZRT.#BUN.#WA.AUS.OC
To : STEAM@WW
Re steam engines I have not being fully following this subject, but I
briefly saw someone asking if such an engines could run on compressed air.
A fine example of this was the biggest floating crane in VK land named
the TITAN, that was originally powered by steam and had a capacity of 200
tons.
Steam powered the big winch, as well as pumps that filled or emptied
ballast tanks in the big barge that served to keep the barge level during
big lifts.
Its home was Cockatoo island, a former convict prison location, where
just about everything was powered by steam from a big boiler room, This
had a high brick chimney that can still be seen from the shores of Sydney
Harbor. Even DC electricity, was generated there by steam powered
generators.
This powered ship building machinery and cranes. However when AC power
finally came to the Island via an undersea cable, it was converted to DC
by man sized Mercury / Vacuum tube rectifiers.
This Island eventually built Australia's biggest Navy ship HMAS Success,
a fuel supply ship based on a French design. Many of the old machines were
used, but eventually these became obsolete and the Island was shut down.
However the boiler room and Dc power station have been preserved as a
Heritage exhibition.
However back to the floating crane, where carrying coal etc for its
boiler became obsolete, instead a big diesel powered compressor was put on
deck and it supplied compressed air to run the various steam engines on
board.
To finish the story this famous old crane was eventually sold to JA
for scrap, but while being towed up our coast, it sunk in a nasty storm.
73 - Dave, VK2AWZ @ VK2DOT
Message timed: 10:01 on 2011-Dec-04
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