# British Polar engine



## sidnik77 (Mar 24, 2017)

Hi,
i am looking for a photo or a diagram of a British Polar engine made in 1948.
It is 8 cyl, one source says 2SA and another 1180 BHP.


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

sidnik77 said:


> Hi,
> i am looking for a photo or a diagram of a British Polar engine made in 1948.
> It is 8 cyl, one source says 2SA and another 1180 BHP.


Here is one built 1955. 1,200 BHP. Here is the Acting Chief, 1964.


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## Allend (Aug 30, 2011)

My father was the North of Scotland Installation and Service Engineer for British Polar Engines, based in Aberdeen, during the 1950's and 60's. I have a 60 odd page book here about BPE's, written by Bill Biondi who was the designer of these engines. It's full of technical specifications and working drawings of them. If this is the sort of information that you want, I can scan it and send it to you, or post on SN if enough people are interested? Or I can post photo's of Dad standing beside a variety of them, M and N series seemed to be popular back then, and he installed them in trawlers, tugs, ferries etc. His working area encompassed Shetland, Orkney, Faroe and Iceland so he got around a bit fixing them.
Let me know and I'll provide what I have.


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## sidnik77 (Mar 24, 2017)

Allend said:


> My father was the North of Scotland Installation and Service Engineer for British Polar Engines, based in Aberdeen, during the 1950's and 60's. I have a 60 odd page book here about BPE's, written by Bill Biondi who was the designer of these engines. It's full of technical specifications and working drawings of them. If this is the sort of information that you want, I can scan it and send it to you, or post on SN if enough people are interested? Or I can post photo's of Dad standing beside a variety of them, M and N series seemed to be popular back then, and he installed them in trawlers, tugs, ferries etc. His working area encompassed Shetland, Orkney, Faroe and Iceland so he got around a bit fixing them.
> Let me know and I'll provide what I have.


Thank you Allend for the reply,
i am looking for the engine of the THOMAS HARDIE, i don't know a serial number, i know that it was made in 1948, it was 8 cyl, it produced 1180 BHP and in a source 2SA. I have a clue that 2 SA may mean 2 stroke, but i am not sure. If you can look for the 8 cyl engines and 1180 BHP output.


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## Peter Hewson (Mar 12, 2019)

A search, brought up these two websites:-


https://www.oocities.org/pnpowerstn/britishpolar.html




https://www.oocities.org/pnpowerstn/bpship.html



8 cylinder Single acting 2 stroke engines by British Polar.










This is from Southerns Marine Diesels 10th edition.

Pete


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## taffe65 (May 27, 2007)

Peter Hewson said:


> A search, brought up these two websites:-
> 
> 
> https://www.oocities.org/pnpowerstn/britishpolar.html
> ...


That's a rump steak of an engine 🐂


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

This one on tug KENT, 5 cyl.


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## Allend (Aug 30, 2011)

Hi All - from my look-see on the net -

2 SA Single Acting2 Stroke Single Acting









This is Dad leaning against an 8 Cyl British Polar M-Series 2SA in the old Palmerston North Power Station building. They have 2 of them there that were used as electricity generators.
I recall Dad working on the Sir William Hardy, but can't find anything in his stuff about a Thomas Hardie. 
All the Best, Doug Allen.


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## Allend (Aug 30, 2011)

By the way, the Sir William Hardy was built in 1955. She was bombed and sunk by the French in Auckland New Zealand when she was owned by Greenpeace. See - https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?180696


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## Peter Short (Apr 13, 2008)

I have British Diesel Engine Catalogues from 1947 & 1954 and later, here are some poor images from the 1947 catalogue. I can do some proper scans if they are of interest.

In the 1947 offerings, there were four different cylinder sizes. The marine engines were Series ME, MI, MM & MT.

The only one that seems likely for sidnik77 is the M58M, an 8 cylinder engine, 1,520 bhp, 300 rpm, 340x570mm bore & stroke.

Edit note: British Polar seemed to be quite keen on Geared Diesel Machinery, that is, two or more engines driving a single shaft via reduction gearing. The engines were coupled to the gearing with Vulcan or electro-magnetic type slip couplings (or some other method made by SLM).

For example: 2xM44M had 2 x 4 cylinder engines with combined "Normal Total BHP" of 1,160. Which is a bit closer to sidnik77's specs.

However, the 1954 catalogue lists the vessel names and details of all the geared sets already completed, and I can't see any of that type. Most of them couple two larger engines.

I read that one such ship was the Waimate, built for the Union Steam Ship Co. of New Zealand. She had 2 x M48M engines (total 2,950 bhp) driving a single shaft through reduction gearing. I have read that if the two (direct reversing) engines were set to run in different directions, then either engine could be "clutched" in for improved maneuvering, sounds clever. No starting air required. The "clutches" were B.T.H. Electro-magnetic type.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Peter, Those clutches.Were they just friction plates engaged (disengaged?) electromagnetically or was the coupling method itself electromagnetic?

Siemens claimed the largest ever marine electromagnetic slip couplings as fitted Uiterwyk's polar vessels David V


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## Peter Short (Apr 13, 2008)

David,

Apologies for the delayed reply. I am an "armchair expert" only on this topic. All I have are the British Diesel catalogues and they are light on the coupling details.

The comments about the Waimate engines being run in opposite directions was found in this thread, post #35 by Fergie who was an engineer on the Waimate:

Quote: "_The easiest ship to manoeuver engines I was on was USSCo Waimate. She had two 8 cylinder British Polar engines coupled to a single shaft thru magnetic couplings. At stand by one engine was started running ahead ahead and the other running astern. The lecky stood at his console and activated the current to the coupling. The engineer simply fed more fat as required by the telegraph"._









Maneuvering impressions


Would be interested to hear views of engineers as to their most pleasurable experience when maneuvering main engines. To me nothing ever beat the feeling of handling the movements of the big triple on SS Maihar, turbines were OK but only sign of movement was the rotation of a small indicator...




www.shipsnostalgia.com





In the 1954 3rd edition, British Polar have a bit more info on their Geared Diesel Machinery.

They say "Slip couplings of the Vulcan or electro-magnetic type are usually interposed between the engines and gear units and as such couplings eliminate torque fluctuations an even torque is transmitted, thus providing adequate gear protection".

Which doesn't really answer your question!


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## BillH (Oct 10, 2007)

THOMAS HARDIE Flat-iron” type collier.
O.N. 183166. 1,771g. 1,185n. 2,730d 259.5 (270.5 oa) x 39.6 x 17.0. feet.
8-cyl. 2 S.C.S.A. (340 x 570mm) Polar M48M type by British Polar Engines Limited, Glasgow. 298 NHP.
11.7.1949: Launched by the Grangemouth Dockyard Company Limited, Grangemouth (Yard No. 485). 
28.12.1949: Registered at London 
1.1950: Completed for the North Thames Gas Board, (Stephenson Clarke Limited managers), London. 
1968: Sold to managers renamed Stephenson Clarke Shipping Limited, London and renamed BIRLING. 
1975: Sold to Puma Shipping Company Limited (Medship Shipping Company Limited, managers), Cyprus and renamed EPIC. 
1976: Sold to Christincoast Compania Naviera S.A., Panama (Dionysios A. Stavrou O.E. Shipping Enterprises, Greece, managers) and renamed CHRISTOFOROS under the Greek flag. 
1978: Managers became Stavrou Management Company S.A. 
3.10.1983: Whilst on a voyage from Volos with cement for Algeria, suffered a cargo shift and sank off Skopelos.


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## Peter Hewson (Mar 12, 2019)

My First Trip, was aboard Cavalo`s sister ship Trentino. Twin Polar, with Vulcan couplings, Single screw.

Pete


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## Tassie48 (Dec 24, 2020)

My old Dredge the WANGANUI had a British Polar engine two stroke diesel you had to stop her and run her backwards for reverse Ray Bryson was the engineer.tassie48


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