# Gassifier engines-Bolton Steam C.



## david freeman (Jan 26, 2006)

Any of you gents have information on the Bolton Steamship Companies Two Ships (70's?) that had gassifiers engine systems, any Picci's or line diagrams, that one may drool over, or actual sailing experience? In their day they were of novel design, I think fueled by a liquid fuel(Diesel derivative?).
I am now behind the times and these experiences may be confined to the 'rosie'. Name of the ships? Was one called the 'Rembrant?'
I am just a nosy old engineer, with an inquistive mind.
Me I am an old steam man(Pamatrada and Foster Wheeler and Babcock Boilers(Scribe))


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## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

david freeman said:


> Any of you gents have information on the Bolton Steamship Companies Two Ships (70's?) that had gassifiers engine systems, any Picci's or line diagrams, that one may drool over, or actual sailing experience? In their day they were of novel design, I think fueled by a liquid fuel(Diesel derivative?).
> I am now behind the times and these experiences may be confined to the 'rosie'. Name of the ships? Was one called the 'Rembrant?'
> I am just a nosy old engineer, with an inquistive mind.
> Me I am an old steam man(Pamatrada and Foster Wheeler and Babcock Boilers(Scribe))


Boltons only had the REMBRANT,France Fenwick had the GOODWOOD(conv.)Geest had GEESTLAND & GEESTSTAR BI ORMARA(cov.)and Denholms had the MORAR
Think of it of as Doxford without the complected bits with a Turbo charger fitted to the prop shaft or just a dirty steam turbine without steam!


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## david freeman (Jan 26, 2006)

A.D.FROST said:


> Boltons only had the REMBRANT,France Fenwick had the GOODWOOD(conv.)Geest had GEESTLAND & GEESTSTAR BI ORMARA(cov.)and Denholms had the MORAR
> Think of it of as Doxford without the complected bits with a Turbo charger fitted to the prop shaft or just a dirty steam turbine without steam!
> View attachment 38102


[=P]Interesting??? Not a pretty sight Then? gassy and smelly?(Ouch)


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## Joe Freeman (Jan 3, 2007)

Hi David, there was a very good article about the "First British Free-Piston Engined Ship Morar" in the February 1959 issue of The Motorship magazine. I have compiled a fair bit of detail about these free piston gasifiers and the history behind them. I even had the opportunity to briefly work on one at David Rowan during my apprenticeship. I have a couple of papers from Institute of Marine Engineers regarding the operational details and problems.
If you are interested send me a private e-mail address I could send them to you.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Two missing from my desired CV were T2s and Morar.

Several shipmates in Denholm had sailed on Morar (of course, many had sailed on T2s as well) and told tails. Field days being the rule rather than exception. I don't know how tall the tail but one was that the gassifiers could start themselves in heavy rolling.

She was reputed to have the record for both the fastest ore boat crossing from Seven Islands as well as the slowest.

The IoMSPC had offered some workshop assistance to her when taking refuge in Laxey bay. Cecil Kennaugh (IoMSPC's Chief Super) told me that he found our Chief Super, Eddie Bruce, too demanding! Eddie Bruce was on a "retirement tour" of the Company when I came ashore but Cecil's description will not jar with Diamond Ds that knew him I think.

Another I used to socialise here was a Master who had served on Rembrant (from Laxey, regret can't remember his name - probably due to amount of socialising).


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## hamishb (Oct 23, 2008)

*Morar*

You will find info on MORAR in www.clydesite.co.uk 
Go to search ships and type in ships mane and search
Regards
Hamish


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## funnelstays (Nov 19, 2008)

There was a free piston gassifier combustion unit in the workshops in South Shields College when I was there circa 1973.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

funnelstays said:


> There was a free piston gassifier combustion unit in the workshops in South Shields College when I was there circa 1973.


I don't remember that (possibly you plumbers were hiding it from us lesser mortals). There was a Rover gasturbine generator which I saw fired up once. Like its bigger Pratt and Whitney cousins I sailed with later - the fuel consumption was high (the needle on the tank could be seen moving).

I understand that the free piston concept is used for providing continental road workers with pneumatic power.


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## tiachapman (Mar 25, 2008)

nothing but trouble re-engined when sold out of the bolton S/S CO


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## colin herbertson (Mar 18, 2008)

The New Zealand Shipping Company's Cadet ship Otaio,had one as a generator.
Gasifier built by Allen Muntz & Pescara?, Gas turbine by Power Jets,and the D.C.
generator,by W.H.Allen.
We used to get visited regularly by the cops on the kiwi coast complaining about the noise.


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## JET (Oct 22, 2005)

The unit on the Otaio was installed during building at John Brown's but was never operated or commissioned during Voyages 1 & 2, so it was just a museum piece at that time.
How reliable was it Colin? 

John


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## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

These engines were put into the 'Crap Box' along with the Ruston AO and the Doxford P


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## Erimus (Feb 20, 2012)

Rembrandt was forever in Smiths Dock Middlesbrough............gtv Morar was often the bane of our BSC lives, wasn't she once reported to have passed Dover Pilots something like 7 times in one day doing minus 2 knots en route to Dagenham! 

geoff


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## colin herbertson (Mar 18, 2008)

I was on Otaio voyages 4,5,6,7 and as far as I can remember it was never used in anger.It became a challenge for one of the Junior Engineers to get it running which he did, but not for any length of time.I believe his name was Ian Huckle.


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## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

From frying pan into the fire


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

A similar fate befell the Seatrain GTVs. Although I never saw one after re-enginning it looks from the MER pages that there was about as much elbow room in her E-R after as before - cannot have been the case with the Seatrain GTVs, fitting two Stork Werkspoors into what had been one container slot of length.


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## BOB.WHITTAKER (Dec 3, 2008)

Regards A.D.Frost's comments in post #12 about the " Crap Box " and Doxford " P " types . I spent some good times as 2 Eng on Houlder Brothers MV Ocean Transport with a four unit " P " type . At the time I was told by " The Super " Mr . Hartley Reid that it was " Character Building " as was a trip one one of his other vessels the Furness Bridge . I was never on the Furness but from stories the " P " was preferable . Bob Whittaker


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## Dotart (Oct 1, 2008)

I stood by the build of the "Rembrandt" in Smiths Docks Middlesborough. The Free Piston Gasifiers ( 4) provided low pressure high temp exhaust gas to a single stage Turbine, gearbox reduction to a single prop which was a Stone Chance variable pitch propeller. Controller via a mechanical link to the bridge. Fortunately the link had a dog clutch which we could disengage. Sailed with two chiefs and two seconds


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## arthurlc62 (11 mo ago)

Stood by the Build of GTV Rembrandt at Smiths docks. There were several innovations, four gasifiers feeding exhaust to a single stage turbine. Variable pitch propeller, and the not so helpful Bridge Control. During the build and on the first voyage we sailed with two Chiefs, Mr's Bailey and Harrison, I had sailed previously on the Ripon with Chief Bailey.The engine's had their problems, but I cannot remember a failed trip. We did have an exhaust boiler,notable by being ignited well after fuel being injected ,result a large flame across the engine room tops., the guy would never learn, he did frighten the Juniors, they entered, he lit, junior returns to cabin


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