# What does an engine sound like on starting?



## Ian J. Huckin (Sep 27, 2008)

I always thought a 'K' MAN sounded like:

Sssshhhhhh........chuuuuuu......chuuuuu...chuuuu..chuuu.chuu

or maybe I got it wrong....(POP)


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## cryan (Jan 8, 2007)

My Blackstones go like this, sssssssss - whuuuhp, whuhp whuhp trrrrrrrrruhm. trrruhm trrruhm etc etc.


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## Sister Eleff (Nov 28, 2006)

Fancy that, I always thought it was ... brm brm BRRRUMM (Jester)


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## Oz. (Sep 6, 2005)

Paxtons go like this -" BANG !!! then a long silence ".
Sis, your thinking of a Harley Davison !


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## Fieldsy (Nov 3, 2008)

Each morning when the I sit up the coughing starts - and reminds me of many engines I've sailed with!


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## Sabastapol (Feb 18, 2009)

*Starting Engines*



Ian J. Huckin said:


> I always thought a 'K' MAN sounded like:
> 
> Sssshhhhhh........chuuuuuu......chuuuuu...chuuuu..chuuu.chuu
> 
> or maybe I got it wrong....(POP)


 ...'K' MAN that sounds just like a Werkspoor to me! (Thumb)


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

JUst type Doxford or any other make into YouTube and you'll find something like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la9hr3D0RDI


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## Chris Isaac (Jul 29, 2006)

And this is a steam turbine starting


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## Tmac1720 (Jun 24, 2005)

Harland and Wolff engines are quite unique when starting .....Putt putt putt wheeze gasp pfaaaaaart (Jester) 

Of course nowadays they are completely silent!!! (Cloud)


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## Tmac1720 (Jun 24, 2005)

Sister Eleff said:


> Fancy that, I always thought it was ... brm brm BRRRUMM (Jester)


I'd *love* to get your motor running if only I could find the right button (*))


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

Oz. said:


> Paxtons go like this -" BANG !!! then a long silence ".
> Sis, your thinking of a Harley Davison !


Paxmans go vrrrrrroooooooommmmm bang whizz whoosh - weeooh weeeoh weeeoh (although technically thats the fire alarm)


harley's go potato potato potato


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## Santos (Mar 16, 2005)

As far as I can remember, Doxfords just went bang followed by two perfect smoke rings out of the funnel just when you needed them to go berbumph, berbumph, berbumph.

Chris.


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## Macphail (Oct 27, 2008)

B&W...
An indicator cock left open...

Shisshissh,,Bang.. Bang.. Bang.. Bang..


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

A Sulzer trunk piston job

"Thuk,Thuk,Thuk,Thuk"

The damn thing wont start!Give it another squirt


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## KIWI (Jul 27, 2005)

Related this some years ago.Three boys fishing from the end of wharf & a tanker at next wharf is preparing to sail.Tug pulls bow out & starting air is applied with no result.This is done three times & on the third she fires & is away.One boy asks what all the hissing & chugalugs was about & another answers that they were changing gear.Seemed quite logical at the time. KIWI


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## Ian J. Huckin (Sep 27, 2008)

Satanic Mechanic said:


> Paxmans go vrrrrrroooooooommmmm bang whizz whoosh - weeooh weeeoh weeeoh (although technically thats the fire alarm)
> 
> 
> harley's go potato potato potato


*Satanic Mechanic* - I'm an irritating purist so I would have to say that only pre twin cam and evolution HDs went potato potato, I think the best example was a 1340 Shovelhead.(Thumb)

*Bob Jenkins* - you are right thulzers thuk...


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## Tony Crompton (Jul 26, 2005)

Like "Music from Heaven" when approaching a berth on a large heavy loaded ship and you hear the sound of the engine starting to go astern.

Tony


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

Ian J. Huckin said:


> *Satanic Mechanic* - I'm an irritating purist so I would have to say that only pre twin cam and evolution HDs went potato potato, I think the best example was a 1340 Shovelhead.(Thumb)
> 
> *Bob Jenkins* - you are right thulzers thuk...


(Jester) Fair enough - we do need an evolution Harley impression though

on the other hand I'm right about the paxman


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Never worked on one, but one of the most unforgetable engine sounds for me as a youngster in the N.E. was the unique sound of a Bolinders engined Dutch "Clog" followed by the Gertrude and Otrude Mueller which were supposed to have had salvaged "U" Boat engine's fitted and made a distinctive whine when coming alongside. Engine's worked on? the BANG start early Deltic's, Did they ever change the Cartridge start system in later years?


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## Steve Woodward (Sep 4, 2006)

Two PC4 V12 Pilesticks - huge sound of wasted compressed air, loud bangs, huge ammount of racket from the engine room and a quieter - thank god for that from the control room / bridge


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## Ian J. Huckin (Sep 27, 2008)

chadburn said:


> the BANG start early Deltic's, Did they ever change the Cartridge start system in later years?


Amazing just how quickly those Deltics started and stopped.......I believe they were always cartridge started...only time I saw them running was on the famous locos. Did RFA have some Deltics???


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## Macphail (Oct 27, 2008)

*Nice but think of the world.*



Chris Isaac said:


> And this is a steam turbine starting


The steam ship, gentle hissing of the steam, gentle noise of the turbine, very little vibration. I like the thumping of a motor ship.
Big problem! With the steam ship. 40% 0f the fuel energy goes over the wall via the condenser.

John>


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## Ian J. Huckin (Sep 27, 2008)

Macphail said:


> Big problem! With the steam ship. 40% 0f the fuel energy goes over the wall via the condenser.
> 
> John>


Agreed...Heat it up just to cool it down, helluva Rankine Cycle that!!!!

36/16 CATS sound like:

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzcatunk....catunk...catunk..catunk..SCREAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM


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## Sister Eleff (Nov 28, 2006)

Best sound is the wind in the sails ... and no motor running (Thumb)


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## JoK (Nov 12, 2006)

Anyone ever hear a 7 cylinder Cooper Bessemer start? First day on this ship after being on the steamer for several years, the other engineer started these things. I stepped in behind the 2nd, I was positive they were going to fly apart with all the clanking and banging.
They also had the annoying habit of starting astern and exhausting through the intake. That was fun and this is what the engine room looked like ->(Cloud)


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

Macphail said:


> The steam ship, gentle hissing of the steam, gentle noise of the turbine, very little vibration. I like the thumping of a motor ship.
> Big problem! With the steam ship. 40% 0f the fuel energy goes over the wall via the condenser.
> 
> John>



Never heard a TA starting - they were always already running on delivery(Smoke)


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## david freeman (Jan 26, 2006)

*engine starts*

HW Opposed Piston and doxford opposed piston 6 Cylinder-pisss bang fart


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## Ian J. Huckin (Sep 27, 2008)

david freeman said:


> HW Opposed Piston and doxford opposed piston 6 Cylinder-pisss bang fart


What did the other three units sound like?(Jester)

But you did just remind me of something:

On an MAN 8K70/120E if you stood by the gearcasing on the middles and the engine was on DO at about 60 rpm the fuel pumps spoke to you and, in my mind, they said:

"every ones a mutha F&*@$"

Of course, I might be wrong....


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## steviej (Dec 23, 2006)

Nice air start to this one..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnTnXp3LUUU&feature=channel_page


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## Macphail (Oct 27, 2008)

*That's a good one, Thanks.*



steviej said:


> Nice air start to this one..
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnTnXp3LUUU&feature=channel_page


Thanks for that Steviej,

All the best,

John.


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## raybnz (Sep 10, 2005)

If I was down on the plates and starting any type of main engine it would sound like music to my ears. All those years have gone and I would still find it exciting no matter what noise they made. I could even put up with the Chief or 2nd shouting at me when I lifted the safety valves.

The races we had starting a Doxford. Where are you Sparrow or Johny Muir.


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