# Container/RoRo Ship Atlantic Conveyor



## blueprint2002 (Sep 7, 2011)

Hi everyone,
Posted the following on the Nostalgia Forum about two weeks ago, without response so far. Hope to have better luck on this forum.:
Atlantic Conveyor, sunk during the Falklands War of 1982, was a G2 class vessel belonging to ACL, and had five sister ships including, I think, Atlantic Cinderella (and Causeway). I am looking for anyone who sailed on these ships, or otherwise familiar with them, hopefully to answer my question.
They were steam turbine powered, but from a low-resolution cutaway drawing I found on the internet, with a rather unusual arrangement. 
It appears that the boilers were not in the usual place, instead they were actually on the main deck, the boiler room being enclosed within the superstructure. Is this correct?
One reason I can think of is that the boilers themselves, or their uptakes/downtakes, had they been in the usual place below the main deck, would have obstructed the entry/exit of the rolling cargo via the stern ramp. Can anyone confirm this?
Some information (the more the better) on the machinery installation would also be helpful, if anyone knows of a website or printed material (books or journals) that may have given some details of these ships.
Thanks very much


----------



## ART6 (Sep 14, 2010)

There seems to be a lot of information about Atlantic Conveyor on the web, although whether or not any of it answers your question is another matter. Perhaps trying a post in Ship Research on this site might lead to something?


----------



## blueprint2002 (Sep 7, 2011)

Thank You, ART6. Yes , I'll try that too.


----------



## dannic (Mar 10, 2013)

blueprint2002 said:


> Hi everyone,
> Posted the following on the Nostalgia Forum about two weeks ago, without response so far. Hope to have better luck on this forum.:
> Atlantic Conveyor, sunk during the Falklands War of 1982, was a G2 class vessel belonging to ACL, and had five sister ships including, I think, Atlantic Cinderella (and Causeway). I am looking for anyone who sailed on these ships, or otherwise familiar with them, hopefully to answer my question.
> They were steam turbine powered, but from a low-resolution cutaway drawing I found on the internet, with a rather unusual arrangement.
> ...


Boilers were quite high up in enginerooom, but not on main deck, control room on same level as boiler tops, Foster Wheeler ESD 3, two of them.
Turbines were AEI Parsons twin Curtis wheels, straight through to condenser vacuum, so no HP, LP set up. Twin screw, twin condensers.
But no bridge control so someone had to be in controlroom all the time!

Dannic


----------



## uisdean mor (Sep 4, 2008)

In addition to Dannic's response the control system was such that the boilers were run in tandem rather than in parallel - one acting as a slave to the other so as to smooth out urgent demand and enable greater control when manouevering. It also helped to save fuel although consumption was always high. The Main deck question is correct as the whole upper engine room superstructure was enclosed thus enabling 360 degree access on the main cargo deck. All original ships drawings are held at the Tyne & Wear Archives in Newcastle


----------



## blueprint2002 (Sep 7, 2011)

dannic said:


> Boilers were quite high up in enginerooom, but not on main deck, control room on same level as boiler tops, Foster Wheeler ESD 3, two of them.
> Turbines were AEI Parsons twin Curtis wheels, straight through to condenser vacuum, so no HP, LP set up. Twin screw, twin condensers.
> But no bridge control so someone had to be in controlroom all the time!
> 
> Dannic


Thank you Dannic! Single turbine cylinder is also interesting and unusual for a merchant ship, though used in some warships where space was at a premium. Do you recall SHP/turbine and shaft RPM at full ahead/steam pressure?


----------



## blueprint2002 (Sep 7, 2011)

uisdean mor said:


> In addition to Dannic's response the control system was such that the boilers were run in tandem rather than in parallel - one acting as a slave to the other so as to smooth out urgent demand and enable greater control when manouevering. It also helped to save fuel although consumption was always high. The Main deck question is correct as the whole upper engine room superstructure was enclosed thus enabling 360 degree access on the main cargo deck. All original ships drawings are held at the Tyne & Wear Archives in Newcastle


Thank you, uisdean mor!
I recall a similar system of boiler control sometimes used on ships without auto controls: one boiler steady at a high firing rate, the other being adjusted to keep pace with steam demand.
Will try those archives, hopefully they have been digitised


----------



## howardang (Aug 3, 2008)

dannic said:


> Boilers were quite high up in enginerooom, but not on main deck, control room on same level as boiler tops, Foster Wheeler ESD 3, two of them.
> Turbines were AEI Parsons twin Curtis wheels, straight through to condenser vacuum, so no HP, LP set up. Twin screw, twin condensers.
> But no bridge control so someone had to be in controlroom all the time!
> 
> Dannic


I sailed on Atlantic causeway from new for 3 years as a deck officer. As far as bridge control is concerned, I have always been of the understanding that these ships were equipped with bridge control - we had twin control levers on the bridge console with a micro adjustment for incremental adjustments of speed. We were wary of using these controls too abruptly - quickly going from full ahead to stop for example - but we were told that this shouldn't cause damage because the boilers went through an automatic staged process, shutting down progressively - a process which was outside our control. in fact I think this process was tested during the extended builders trials However, in the centre console, behind a protective perspex cover, I remember two large red buttons marked "emergency crash stop" and if these were used it was our understanding that this would override the staged shut down process; in other words very much a last resort!

Howard


----------



## dannic (Mar 10, 2013)

howardang said:


> I sailed on Atlantic causeway from new for 3 years as a deck officer. As far as bridge control is concerned, I have always been of the understanding that these ships were equipped with bridge control - we had twin control levers on the bridge console with a micro adjustment for incremental adjustments of speed. We were wary of using these controls too abruptly - quickly going from full ahead to stop for example - but we were told that this shouldn't cause damage because the boilers went through an automatic staged process, shutting down progressively - a process which was outside our control. in fact I think this process was tested during the extended builders trials However, in the centre console, behind a protective perspex cover, I remember two large red buttons marked "emergency crash stop" and if these were used it was our understanding that this would override the staged shut down process; in other words very much a last resort!
> 
> Howard


Possible bridge control not used due to boiler fluctuations, but watchkeeper had to be in controlroom at all times. Also as per other messages, I guess due to design of roll on roll off deck, then boilers were only just below main deck! 
Dannic


----------



## dannic (Mar 10, 2013)

howardang said:


> I sailed on Atlantic causeway from new for 3 years as a deck officer. As far as bridge control is concerned, I have always been of the understanding that these ships were equipped with bridge control - we had twin control levers on the bridge console with a micro adjustment for incremental adjustments of speed. We were wary of using these controls too abruptly - quickly going from full ahead to stop for example - but we were told that this shouldn't cause damage because the boilers went through an automatic staged process, shutting down progressively - a process which was outside our control. in fact I think this process was tested during the extended builders trials However, in the centre console, behind a protective perspex cover, I remember two large red buttons marked "emergency crash stop" and if these were used it was our understanding that this would override the staged shut down process; in other words very much a last resort!
> 
> Howard


The only ship I recall having a crash stop button on bridge was Oiloibiri, VLCC built in Yugoslavia. Twin B&W engines, with hydraulic disc brakes on each shaft, but system was supposed to shut fuel to both engines, apply disc brakes, put both rudders 15 degrees outboard, and walk both anchors out......then start both engines astern ! was never even tested on trials, and soon disconnected. Service speed was meant to be 18 knots. 
Dannic


----------



## blueprint2002 (Sep 7, 2011)

dannic said:


> Possible bridge control not used due to boiler fluctuations, but watchkeeper had to be in controlroom at all times. Also as per other messages, I guess due to design of roll on roll off deck, then boilers were only just below main deck!
> Dannic


Auto controls those days probably used mostly pneumatics or hydraulics, neither system in my experience very good at keeping boiler water level steady. Not difficult to understand why bridge control may have been fitted, but not used.


----------



## uisdean mor (Sep 4, 2008)

Oh no - Not Oloibiri - a complete disaster of a ship. Only time I have ever seen a disc brake on a main engine shaft. Used manually and in earnest a few times. Horrible memories of several trips on that beast.


----------



## callpor (Jan 31, 2007)

dannic said:


> Boilers were quite high up in enginerooom, but not on main deck, control room on same level as boiler tops, Foster Wheeler ESD 3, two of them.
> Turbines were AEI Parsons twin Curtis wheels, straight through to condenser vacuum, so no HP, LP set up. Twin screw, twin condensers.
> But no bridge control so someone had to be in controlroom all the time!
> 
> Dannic


The twin screw propellors were inward turning with only a single rudder! This caused a number of manoeuvring problems in the time I was there. I sailed on both Causeway and Conveyor as 2/O/D from new for nearly 2 years and was led to believe that this gave us an increase in top speed of 1-1.5 knots?

Chris A


----------



## dannic (Mar 10, 2013)

uisdean mor said:


> Oh no - Not Oloibiri - a complete disaster of a ship. Only time I have ever seen a disc brake on a main engine shaft. Used manually and in earnest a few times. Horrible memories of several trips on that beast.


I was fortunate to be on her after becoming storage vessel off Nigeria, but was supposed to join her as cadet when she was fairly new - they forgot to send letter!! Phew! Had plenty mishaps even there, had to shift off SBM to export buoy- lost one shaft bearing. Replaced it. Shift to anchor, shaft bearing wiped again. Took about 8 hours to go 2 miles! Christmas eve, 1981 the only operational DGen, sump tank found way overfilled, so had to spend all night hand pumping oil into drums so could enjoy xmas dinner! ! subsequent blackout spoilt things a bit! What Fun.
Dannic


----------



## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

Ah.........the old "oily biro"


----------



## jerome morris (May 27, 2008)

Dannic, Wow, sounds like you’d seen the “best” of this jewel. Glad I never sailed onboard.


----------



## uisdean mor (Sep 4, 2008)

jerome morris said:


> Dannic, Wow, sounds like you’d seen the “best” of this jewel. Glad I never sailed onboard.


And there's more - much more that might be said about that mighty vessel - see link fro some of the more timid examples - https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=1332&highlight=oloibiri


----------



## dannic (Mar 10, 2013)

uisdean mor said:


> And there's more - much more that might be said about that mighty vessel - see link fro some of the more timid examples - https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=1332&highlight=oloibiri


Good grief theres some names there to remember! Willum I recall from another ship, maybe Luminetta, Stoupe was on Oilyboily when I was and scared the living daylights out of you as he would be working behind alarm panel and no one knew until you heard a noise, then he would make himself known.

When cargo control room called down for cargo pump, knew you would get plenty exercise as had to go down to tanktop to press start button but knew wouldn't fire on first or second go so head all the way back to controlroom to cancel alarm, then back down...repeat until damn thing started!

Dannic


----------

