# Follow-on Questions about 1920s Steam Coaster - Economical Running Speed +



## Nswstar2 (Feb 9, 2018)

I'm still puzzling out the SS Camlough's last disastrous trip in January of 1932 from the various conflicting newspaper reports.

I've got two follow-up questions from my earlier post. 

An answer to that post established from a newspaper report published December of 1920 (on the day before Camlough was launched) that she was 'expected to attain a speed of 11 knots.' In the absence of published information about her performance in steam trials, at the moment, I'm taking this as a notional maximum speed (or might this have been a 'working speed'?).

The Camlough was launched on 10/12/1920 and her details are:

Tonnage Length Breadth Depth Draft
540 grt / 205 nrt / 620 dwt 166.9 ft 26.6 ft 9.9 ft

Engine builder William Simons & Co. Ltd., Renfrew

Engine detail
1- Screw T.3-cyl. (14", 24" & 40" x 30 ") 89 hp

So...

FIRST QUESTION: What would have been an economical traveling speed for the Camlough, if her maximum was about 11 knots? I'm presuming that she would not have been steaming full out unless there was a specific need for speed. 

Her last voyage (interrupted by trouble with the engine) was travelling light between Belfast and Birkenhead, where she had been scheduled to pick up a load of coal for Cork. The weather had been exceptionally calm at their early morning departure from Belfast, and the wind only started to freshen about mid-day.

Knowing the speed she might have been traveling under these conditions helps with some further understanding of what happened that day.

We know that she was taking a southerly route to Birkenhead, heading around the Isle of Man skirting the Calf of Man and the Chicken Rocks. The outward journey in good weather for the first six hours or so (departure from Belfast being variously given as 6.31 am and 'about 7 am') with the dead calm weather conditions changing when the wind starting to freshen around mid-day. Engine trouble occurred at 7.45 pm. 

They managed to do some partial repairs, got the engine going but not at full power. The captain decided to return to Belfast (despite a developing storm) and the ship made 'good headway' in that direction for the next four hours - traveling about 15 miles in four hours - estimated speed of four knots. 

So my SECOND QUESTION is:

HOW FAR ON HER ROUTE towards Birkenhead would Camlough have likely gone by the time the engine trouble occurred?

The Camlough would have had more than 12 hours of clear travel time, 'traveling light', with the first half of her travel in very calm weather conditions by the time the engine first failed. 

I'm developing a suspicion that when the the Captain decided to limp back to Belfast under reduced power rather than finish the outward journey, the ship was actually closer to Birkenhead than to Camlough's home port of Belfast.

Can anyone confirm this likelihood?


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## Monreith Boy (Mar 17, 2018)

*Camlough's travelling speed*

I'm developing a suspicion that when the the Captain decided to limp back to Belfast under reduced power rather than finish the outward journey, the ship was actually closer to Birkenhead than to Camlough's home port of Belfast.

Can anyone confirm this likelihood?

Yup!


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