# S.S. Rotterdam



## paveybe (Jan 6, 2011)

So excited to be staying on SS Rotterdam for a few nights in 2023. She is now a hotel. Would I be right in thinking that she would no longer have her engines? What would happen to those - would they be scrapped or repurposed? And similarly, what happpened to the Queen Mary's engines when she went to Long Beach?


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

The engines are intact. Not sure how much of it is open for touring. I'll try to find out. I know a former 2nd Engineer Roelof Valbracht who is writing a very comprehensive books of the machinery, boilers etc.

Contact me at [email protected] I will put you in touch with Roel and you can get better information, He has just published a book about his own career as engineer with HAL. Excellent. The title is: NON ILLEGITIMUS CARBORUNDUM = Memories of 23 years with Holland-America Line. 1964-1988 Or contact the publisher: gbooksinternational

Stephen


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## taffe65 (May 27, 2007)

paveybe said:


> So excited to be staying on SS Rotterdam for a few nights in 2023. She is now a hotel. Would I be right in thinking that she would no longer have her engines? What would happen to those - would they be scrapped or repurposed? And similarly, what happpened to the Queen Mary's engines when she went to Long Beach?


http://ssmaritime.com/Rotterdam-V-P7.htm


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## taffe65 (May 27, 2007)

SS Rotterdam V - Part 7 - Engine Room & Specifications


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## taffe65 (May 27, 2007)

Last link works


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## Victor J. Croasdale (Nov 28, 2016)

paveybe said:


> So excited to be staying on SS Rotterdam for a few nights in 2023. She is now a hotel. Would I be right in thinking that she would no longer have her engines? What would happen to those - would they be scrapped or repurposed? And similarly, what happpened to the Queen Mary's engines when she went to Long Beach?


I was in Long Beach on the Loch Maree in 1980. A few of went over to see the Queen Mary and take the tour. While we were waiting, in one of the dining rooms, to be escorted through the hotel section of the ship the guide, a college aged kid, was regaling us with stories about wetting the table cloths to stop the plates sliding about in rough weather. The Loch Maree would roll in dry dock, he was so enthusiastic - we didn't have the heart to break his bubble. 
There was a place in the tour where you could look into the engine room.


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## Peter Hewson (Mar 12, 2019)

I never saw them, But in 2012, I spoke to one of the Guides on the quay alongside QM, He said the Engines and Boilers where still physically there in the ship. More recently some if not all of the lifeboats have been removed, something to do with H&S, over lead in the paints used on them?. California OTT (again?)

Pete


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Victor J. Croasdale said:


> The Loch Maree would roll in dry dock, ..............-


Not the weather... it was the 'speed roll'. 

Queen Mary in Long Beach, the turbines were left in at least on of the E/R but the boilers had been taken out at the big rebuilt. The boats on the QM have been removed (except the two small boats). They were wasted away. Paint was keeping them from falling apart> One of the problems was the weight of the boats. The boats and the davits were pulling apart from the boat deck house. On top there are problems under the Prom Deck. 

Pete. The boilers rooms are just empty space. I recall there was a plan to build a imitation boiler room. I don't think it was ever done. HMS WARRIOR has imitation boilers on board. 

Stephen


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## Victor J. Croasdale (Nov 28, 2016)

Stephen J. Card said:


> Not the weather... it was the 'speed roll'.
> 
> Queen Mary in Long Beach, the turbines were left in at least on of the E/R but the boilers had been taken out at the big rebuilt. The boats on the QM have been removed (except the two small boats). They were wasted away. Paint was keeping them from falling apart> One of the problems was the weight of the boats. The boats and the davits were pulling apart from the boat deck house. On top there are problems under the Prom Deck.
> 
> ...


I went round HS Warrior in 2019 on my last visit to the UK, it was very interesting. They had actors dressed in period costume to interact with visitors.


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

My grandfather, Walter Gareth Card, was in WARRIOR in 1898.I believe the ship was being used as accommodation vessel at that period. He was an ERA. He had just joined the RN. Might have just been a place to sleep!

Stephen


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## Peter Hewson (Mar 12, 2019)

The "boilers" on Gt Britain at Bristol are "replica". But I believe the engine can be turned on air?.

Went on Warrior, quite a few years back. Interesting day out, Including the Mary Rose, and Victory. I understand the whole site has had a facelift and extended exhibits?.

Pete


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Curators did not like using compressed air (the machines on now less splendid ground floor of the science museum in Kensington were turned by electric motors. Unless dried air is used condensation in the expanding exhaust damages the exhibits.


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Varley said:


> Curators did not like using compressed air (the machines on now less splendid ground floor of the science museum in Kensington were turned by electric motors. Unless dried air is used condensation in the expanding exhaust damages the exhibits.


The huge horizontal on-cylinder in the entrance of the original museum building? It was run on steam. Well, that would be 40 years ago.  Arrived early in the morning with the engineer to start her up She was cranked up and so was so sweet practically no sound. 

With the hall full of model engines were fantastic. Push a button and away it went... for about a minute. A woman was trying her young son away from the room. The lad wanted to stay. His mum dragged him away and as he went past he pushed every start button he could touch... all were turning at the same time. Good lad... probably a Chief Engineer somewhere today.

Stephen


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

(3) Starting The Big Red Corliss Steam Engine - YouTube


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Lucky Stephen. I have been going regulalry if not often since I was 7 and never saw anything under steam. Do you remember the glass cased cut-down Strowger exchange disl attached. Dial, clickity clickity clizz clickity ring. All parts visible. The last time I was there there was a full-scale exchange - everything in dust proof steel cases. A recoding of a Strowger exchange was the only interactivity what was there to learn from that? I more mourn the loss of the Measurement of Time gallery dating from Hope-Jones' era. Instead hosting, in essence, the exquisite but miniscule museum of rhe Worshipfull Clockmakers plus a few extras. The BM has a better collection on display (Djanogly gallery). Another loss is the mercury arc rectifier which was operating to the delight and possible fear of the onlookers. Sorry, I am Meldrewing again.


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## Victor J. Croasdale (Nov 28, 2016)

The Royal Observatory has some interesting timepieces, including a couple of Harrison's chronometers.
The MER (Manx Electric Railway) runs on 500V dc and the SMR (Snaefell Mountain Railway) runs on 550 V dc. They now use solid state rectifiers but in the past they used Mercury arc. I saw the one at Douglas decades ago, it looked like something out of Dr. Who!


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## taffe65 (May 27, 2007)

Stephen J. Card said:


> (3) Starting The Big Red Corliss Steam Engine - YouTube


That is engineering porn, had to hold back from dropping me strides and having a quickie😍. Apologies to anyone offended by my gutter thoughts .


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## Victor J. Croasdale (Nov 28, 2016)

Varley said:


> Lucky Stephen. I have been going regulalry if not often since I was 7 and never saw anything under steam. Do you remember the glass cased cut-down Strowger exchange disl attached. Dial, clickity clickity clizz clickity ring. All parts visible. The last time I was there there was a full-scale exchange - everything in dust proof steel cases. A recoding of a Strowger exchange was the only interactivity what was there to learn from that? I more mourn the loss of the Measurement of Time gallery dating from Hope-Jones' era. Instead hosting, in essence, the exquisite but miniscule museum of rhe Worshipfull Clockmakers plus a few extras. The BM has a better collection on display (Djanogly gallery). Another loss is the mercury arc rectifier which was operating to the delight and possible fear of the onlookers. Sorry, I am Meldrewing again.


The Royal Observatory has some interesting timepieces, including a couple of Harrison's chronometers.
The MER (Manx Electric Railway) runs on 500V dc and the SMR (Snaefell Mountain Railway) runs on 550 V dc. They now use solid state rectifiers but in the past they used Mercury arc. I saw the one at Douglas decades ago, it looked like something out of Dr. Who!


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Another piece of 'porn'...

Kempton Park Big Triple Steam Engine Starting - Bing video (YouTube)

I believe this engine is roughly same size as the marine engines of TITANIC. This one is 'static', beautiful for sure, but can you imagine having a pair of them an engineroom and then doing stand-by when at a busy docking? 

s.s. ROTTERDAM. wonderful ship but those engines are turbines, warm place in the E/R, some steam and some sweet warm oils and the fans, but nothing to 'watch', In 1993 I made a tour of the E/R when at sea. Spotless! 

ROTTERDAM had three main boilers. For most of the ship's life she only required two boilers for normal steaming speed. This meant that one third was usually under maintenance. She was not 'pushed' so she had a good life.

Stephen


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Victor J. Croasdale said:


> The Royal Observatory has some interesting timepieces, including a couple of Harrison's chronometers.
> The MER (Manx Electric Railway) runs on 500V dc and the SMR (Snaefell Mountain Railway) runs on 550 V dc. They now use solid state rectifiers but in the past they used Mercury arc. I saw the one at Douglas decades ago, it looked like something out of Dr. Who!


One of the young gentlemen holding the MER museum fort told me that the rectifier station at Groudle was still mercury arc. They then had two new spares. I Emailed the powers that seemed to suggest the rectifier be put on a web cam. I got no response.

The Royal Observatory also has a Shortt Synchronome. The first timepiece to prove the astronomers right about the earth being a bad timekeeper. When I asked if it was ever run I was told 'someone came in every now and again to wind it up!' (Enthusiasts are usually welcome at the Clockworks, West Norwood - check for opening times or a free private visit. They had a Shortt Synchrompme and the same make and dat Master clock of the type fitted to Titanic - can't remember name from top of a sleepy head).


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## Victor J. Croasdale (Nov 28, 2016)

Varley said:


> One of the young gentlemen holding the MER museum fort told me that the rectifier station at Groudle was still mercury arc. They then had two new spares. I Emailed the powers that seemed to suggest the rectifier be put on a web cam. I got no response.
> 
> The Royal Observatory also has a Shortt Synchronome. The first timepiece to prove the astronomers right about the earth being a bad timekeeper. When I asked if it was ever run I was told 'someone came in every now and again to wind it up!' (Enthusiasts are usually welcome at the Clockworks, West Norwood - check for opening times or a free private visit. They had a Shortt Synchrompme and the same make and dat Master clock of the type fitted to Titanic - can't remember name from top of a sleepy head).


Back in the early 80s when the IoM Steam Railway Supporters Association were rebuilding the Groudle Glen Railway I bought a section of track for it 40ft and 10 sleepers IIRC. I was a member of the Steam Rly Supporters Association and the Manx Electric Tramway Soc.

There has been a series of articles about the DIY construction of a free pendulum clock in the Model Engineer's Workshop mag over the past few months. Let me know if ever you are in the Peru, Illinois area, there is a Westclox museum located in part of the old Westclox building.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

In that unlikely event I would certainly take you up on that. The same goes should you come to see how your investment is doing.


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## New Haven Neil (Dec 12, 2011)

Varley said:


> One of the young gentlemen holding the MER museum fort told me that the rectifier station at Groudle was still mercury arc. They then had two new spares. I Emailed the powers that seemed to suggest the rectifier be put on a web cam. I got no response.
> 
> snip<



IIRC the last MA rectifiers in use were Laxey sub, we were there on the last day, maybe 7 years ago? They were offered to us at Groudle Glen, but we turned them down as we didn't want to be responsible for killing the river if there was an accident and a gallon of mercury ended up in there! I have heard they are at the Bus Museum at Jurby but haven't been up there (all the way from Andreas....) to check if that is true.


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## Duncan112 (Dec 28, 2006)

Should any of you have the good fortune to visit New Zealand the tramway at MOTAT has a working MAR, quite spectacular!!


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## New Haven Neil (Dec 12, 2011)

Duncan112 said:


> Should any of you have the good fortune to visit New Zealand the tramway at MOTAT has a working MAR, quite spectacular!!



There's also an operable small-ish one in the Museum of Power in Wales, press the button and up she fires! Lots of interesting old diesel engines there too for us oily hand types, well worth a visit, though it is out of the way.


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