# Diesel to Steam



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

Having built motor vessels though out the30's leading to the great success of its Economy ship which led to the Improved version(split super structure),yet the first of the class were steamers (STARSTONE, THEMONI& ITTERSUM)(?HUH)


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Diesel engined vessels were very expensive to build compared to Steam jobs in those days, the attraction to the steam would be that the Shipowner could get 3 Steam vessels for the price of 2 Diesel vessels.


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Digging out some figures from around that time with the costings in American Dollars, just the machinery costs for a VTE with Scotch Boilers 230,000, and for a 2stroke Diesel 327,000. The 'Economy' part was more to do with the fuel consumption which on the steam vessel would be around 34 tns per day down to 11 tns for a Diesel vessel rather than the build cost. To counteract the disparity there was the revenue earned from having a 3rd steam vessel as opposed to just having two diesels vessels.


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

This is true,but having a ship and engine built in the same place was in itself cheaper,plus the lower cost of series production, their engines would have had to be built elsewhere even their profile was out dated since they were oil burners, even though some owners persisted with split superstructures well into the 50's eg."Chatty Chapmans"(you don't go to a RollsRoyce dealer if you want a Ford)


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