# The Telegraph



## spongebob

Telegraphs

Back in the old days, the days before engine control rooms with telemetering, remote controls, computers and earmuffs, the watch keeping engineer spent all his time on the plates as he wandered around the engine room looking, listening, feeling and even smelling for a sense of change, a throb out of kilter, something running hot, a whine that changes tone or what ever warned of a change to the heart beat of the propulsion machinery and its auxiliaries. 
Perhaps the sense that guided us the most was our hearing, the sounds of change to which we became very attuned albeit at the expense of our hearing faculties in later life as we used this sense without any dampening ear muff aids or medical advice of the fact that loud noise was injurious to our health.
Above all there was one sound that had special meaning, the jangle of the ship’s telegraph.
Its first “Standby” clang saw us galvanize into action to ensure that all the pre movement checks were in place and to eagerly await that first telegraph command call. It meant that we were leaving port, leaving home, or better still, leaving for home; it was an exciting sound and none better than the final full away double ring from the bridge that allowed us to settle the beast down for the long or short haul across the ocean or sea.
The big polished brass dial then goes quiet; the next time it rings will normally be at the end of the voyage. Down below we are denied the sights of the approach to an old favourite port, a new port or, above all, our home harbour as we suffer the “channels” of the home approaches but when that “clang clang clang” sounds again we are ready to provide whatever the master needs in the way of propulsion to berth the ship. It is a time when sometimes we need to tell the bridge that compressed air does not grow on trees but most times the act of berthing is carried out by those above us with the tenderness and competence of a mid wife birthing a baby.
The crowning sound and moment is that old sound, sometimes rung with gusto or a long and lingering tinkle of “Finished with Engines” 

Bob


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## JoK

Nice post.
Or the terror inspiring Full Astern in the middle of the night on a long passage, and waiting for the collision.


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## spongebob

JoK, a “full astern” in the middle of the night watch would certainly frighten the tar out of me. 
I Never had that happen but I did strike a couple of un expected telegraph rings when least expected. One was when we were in the Tasman on a collier plodding toward North Cape when both telegraphs clanged “slow ahead” in the middle of the afternoon watch. The skipper had sighted a couple of big blue whales ahead and we enjoyed their company for an hour or two. I told this story in my thread
“A tale of a whale” Jan 08.
Another time in the Spencer Gulf we got a “Slow ahead” then a “stop” when the skipper received a signal asking us to stand off the Gypsum port of Stenhouse Bay due to port congestion. The skipper was a keen fisherman so after studying the charts for good fishing grounds he decided to stop at sea to kill time and the drift fishing was very successful.

Bob


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## Doug Shaw

On a fully loaded 125,000 tonner (265,000 DWT) with twin Sulzer 7RND90s, we had an emergency Full Astern on the stbd engine right out the blue. It was late afternoon, with no-one in the control room and we weren't on stand-by. The air was shut off at the air bottles and we were on heavy oil doing 16 knots. When I entered the control room to answer the engine-room alarm and found the telegraph sounding, it nearly frightened the bejabers out of me. At that speed, attempting to put an engine astern was impossible. The best I could do was 'stop' it (though it continued to be 'driven' by the prop).

It turned out that the telemotor for the steering gear had burnt out and we had lost steering, sending us toward a vessel on our port side. Fortunately, the drag created by the 'stopped' stbd engine was enough to swing the bow back to stbd.

Bob, your post brings back many memories. I never knew the pleasure of having a 'home port', but I remember the 'channels'. (My, it's been a while since I heard that word.) And, I well remember the feeling one had at the sound of Full Away. It was always a relief to settle back into the sea-going routine no matter how enjoyable the time in port had been. Those were the days...

Regards
Doug


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## Philthechill

*NOT quite the same!*

That wonderful jangling ring of the telegraph is a sound that's no longer heard in the engine-rooms of modern ships, as I found-out when I was on "Atlantic Conveyor" and "Atlantic Causeway" in the 1970's.

Standing in an air-conditioned Control Room with a couple of simple "joy-sticks" to unleash the 18,000 h.p. AEI turbines, as dictated by commands from the bridge, via an ELECTRIC-BELL (!!!!!), didn't have the same je ne sais quoi as being on the plates, sweat pouring down your face, swinging large control-wheels, making sure you had enough gland-steam "on" to maintain the vacuum and screwing the fuel-pressure control-valve up or down as the manoeuvers dictated, to coax the turbines into life, again dictated by commands from the bridge, but via Mr. Chadburn's large-dialled telegraph with its wonderful clanging bell!!!

Then that mad scamper round the engine-room, on FWE, to get "the job" shut-down as quickly as possible followed by the race "up-top" to get into a few cold Tennents with, (after several-dozen cans had been demolished), a shower and then to someones' cabin for more Tennents, invariably clad in just your "kilt" and flip-flops!

Marvellous memories! Salaams, Phil(Hippy)


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## chadburn

Bob, I could not have put it better myself, great memories(Thumb) , I chose the name chadburn for those very reason's and as I am now "finished with engines" however, telegraph's were a pain to repair(MAD) , usually needed two people to reset and I understand the special chain is now very expensive.


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## John Briggs

A story from the other end of the telegraph.
First command, rather nervous, pilot on the bridge and we commence singling up.
Pilot asks if everything is ready for departure and I reply yes.
Singled up and ready to go, pilot asks again if everything is ready and I reassure him that it is all systems go, thinking to myself that he is a bit of a nervous fellow.
Let go everything and slow ahead! My heart sinks and I feel sick in the stomach! There is the telegraph standing proudly and showing FWE. I had forgotten to ring stand by.
Rang slow ahead with thoughts of how could I have ruined my career before even leaving the wharf when there was that reassuring hiss of the starting air and then the thump, thump, thump of the doxford.
The Chief Engineer got a few beers out of me on the strength of that one!


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## davetodd

bob jenkins said:


> JoK, a “full astern” in the middle of the night watch would certainly frighten the tar out of me.
> I Never had that happen but I did strike a couple of un expected telegraph rings when least expected. One was when we were in the Tasman on a collier plodding toward North Cape when both telegraphs clanged “slow ahead” in the middle of the afternoon watch. The skipper had sighted a couple of big blue whales ahead and we enjoyed their company for an hour or two. I told this story in my thread
> “A tale of a whale” Jan 08.
> Another time in the Spencer Gulf we got a “Slow ahead” then a “stop” when the skipper received a signal asking us to stand off the Gypsum port of Stenhouse Bay due to port congestion. The skipper was a keen fisherman so after studying the charts for good fishing grounds he decided to stop at sea to kill time and the drift fishing was very successful.
> 
> Bob


Bob,
I echo other plaudits on your posting.
The movement book was one of the joys for junior engineers when first time at sea.
A note book of many pages, oily, smudged and at the end of entering or leaving dock, usaually wet with sweat. Each voyage had it's identification number to be entered at the top of a new page at the start of a voyage.
juniors duties were:-
Answer the telegraph and sing out the command.
Ensure the duty engineer acknowledged your command repeat.
Write down the movement requested with the time of the request given.
Do NOT miss any out!

After some experience during many and quick command changes the junior may develop a "shorthand", but had to make sure this "shorthand" was readable by the Chief Eng. ( If he accepted this method at all, many didn't.)

The picture added does show a possible result of the telegraph chain/s or links parting, the bridge telegraph may demand one condition but the E.R. telegraph tells a completely different story.
As Chadburn has said, repairing these systems needed at least two people with determination, skill and patience to set up the synchronization between bridge and engineroom. Shouts of a few choice words down or up the voice pipe did the trick!
Regards
Dave


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## Duncan112

Always irritates me when you go in a pub with nautical nick nacks on display and the order handle is pointing at a very different command from the repeter dial.

There is (was 7 years ago) a pub in Oban on the front that had a fully functioning telegraph in the drinking section and repeater behind the bar - cant think of its name though.

Duncan


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## spongebob

Talking of adjusting telegraphs I take the liberty of repeating the attached earlier post on "Compressed air starts"

Quote

Again talking of telegraphs yet another story comes to mind. The RNZN had a couple of WW2 vintage tugs of USA design and build and fitted with American “Fairbanks Morse” diesels, the sort that used to be fitted in submarines if I recall correctly..
One tug was along side near the internal combustion Engine shop at the dockyard and a fitter and his apprentice were sent on board to replace the flexible cables between the Wheel house and engine room telegraphs. They were replacing the original multi-strand galvanized rigging wire that was frayed and rusting with then new fangled stainless steel rigging wire. I remember that well because half the apprentices in the workshop were scheming as to how to cut a few feet off the cable reel to use as rigging for our small yachts.
The pair went on board and rove the new wire through the duct trunking connecting the two telegraphs, fitted it around the drums then rang the handles at both ends through their full travel to test the freedom of movement and as all was ok it was a finished job. What they failed to do was to check that both the telegraphs were sending and receiving the same signal and in fact the wire from the wheelhouse became twisted in the trunking or incorrectly attached at the engine room end. I can’t remember the exact cock-up but it sure was one.
The tug was used as a diving training and support boat and a couple of days later she was ready to leave her jetty for a training run. They cast off, the skipper rang full ahead as it was a straight forward run out of the berth but the engine room telegraph showed full astern so the engineer being sure that it was a mistake rang back full astern with gusto to draw the skipper’s attention to a seemingly silly command which showed up as full astern in the wheel house. also The skipper then rang full ahead again which still read full astern in the engine room so the engineer probably muttered “silly old bugger, I’ll give him full astern, so he started the engine and went astern to gently nudge the breast work with the stern fender which resulted in frantic ringing from up top only to perpetuate the problem. Short of trying to push the whole land mass of the Dockyard northwards there was little else the engineer could do so he throttled back and rushed up to the wheelhouse where a lot of yelling went on until the mistake was discovered. The Shop foreman was summoned and two red faced dockyard mateys went on board to untangle things. It eventually simmered down and as it was all in slow motion and no damage was done it became a huge joke but it could have had worse consequences.

No it was not me or my fitter; I was away at Tech that day and missed the actual circus.

PS The engines were Atlas not Fairbanks-Morse


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## Archie NS

Many years ago on my first trip as third, about three days past Capetown on the way to Eva Peron in Argentina. About two thirty in the afternoon, all nice and quiet, full away on passage, the telegraph suddenly bursts into life, two rings 'Full Astern', panic(EEK) exhaust gas going through the boilers everything on main engine driven pumps, air bottles shut down. I answered it which woke up the second mate, started to pull the job in when the telegraph went back to full ahead, on the blower to the second mate, after a few choice words a female voice comes over the phone, the only female on board was the Old Mans wife. Turns out she had decided to polish the brass on the telegraph and had moved the handles out of the way.
This was on a tanker with accomadation midships and enginroom aft. So everyone midships heard to telegraph ring, the next thing the Chief and the second arrived on the plates wanting to know what the hell was going on, same up on the bridge. We had a good laugh about it later but at the time it was no so funny(MAD)


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## cubpilot

On the twin Doxford H boats of NZScoLtd. the telegraphs and movement book would be kept by one of the electricians on duty. Apprentices or juniors would be running round the place looking after the cooling temps etc and as required getting in all the data for the log book. the 'middle' and senior engineer on watch would each be manning an engine control. On long passages such as Panama transit watches would double up to 6 on 6 off. to stave off boredom the space between engines made a superb spot for cricket matches. those were the days, god help the lads today working on their own down there. And I bet there are no cases of beer if a relief valve blows.


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## Satanic Mechanic

There is not a sadder more plaintive sound than when you take a much loved vessel to scrap and you get the final FWE 

positively heartbreaking(Sad)


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## spongebob

You hit the nail right on the head SM, a plaintive sound. When swung slowly the jangle can take on the sound of church bells ringing out a requiem however a rapid swing on the handle can sound a ring of jubilation, especially FWE in your home port, or perhaps the port where the lady of your current desire resides.
Its ring is all tunes to all men.

Bob


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## 6283

When the Brimstone went aground in Coatzacoalcas, the engine room kept answering the bells until the water got to the main motor (t2-turboelectric). Then there was a big clack. Then the engineers rang FWE and the wheelhouse answered it.


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## Jim S

Slightly off the subject but I remember reading a book from the ship's Seafarer's Library sometime in the early-mid 1960's. Cannot remember the title or even what the storyline was but the part I do remember was that two young men were passengers on some ship, presumably an Atlantic crossing, but not sure. Anyway the pair had a wager as to when the ship would arrive.
One of the pair had noticed that the wire/chain of the bridge to engine room telegraph ran in a trunking above his bunk. An idea formed in his mind of a way to win the wager by slowing or stopping the ship on passage. A small hole was made in the trunking and he looped a piece of wire around the telegraph wire/chain. One day he decided it was time to put his plan into action and pulled on the loop he had made in this piece of wire. Unfortunately for him when the officer of the watch saw/heard the telegraph movement he immediately rang it back to Full Ahead. In a subsequent inspection to see what had caused the telegraph movement our man was found in his blood soaked bunk with a severed finger caused by his looped piece of wire as the mate rang the telegraph. Strange how such a piece of fiction writing has stuck in my mind. 
Although Chadburn is a name that is probably best known as a telegraph manufacturer. Many Brocklebank ships (at least the "black four") had telegraphs made by J.W. Ray of Liverpool. - They also did pressure gauges.


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## lakercapt

Was on a brand new "Palm Line" ship on the maiden voyage.
The bulb for the telegraph burnt out and I took the cover off to replace it but it slipped from my hand and I didn't know where it went.
Found out when we got back to the UK and a squad of workers boarded and hauled out the deckhead in the captains cabin.
Seems that it was rattling about there when the ship was rolling and about drove him bonkers (more so than what we thought already)
Course I did not own up to that!!!!


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## Klaatu83

Most of the ships I sailed on had the newer-type electric telegraphs. However, the first ship I ever sailed on actually had one of the old mechanical telegraphs, which were connected to the engine room by chains or cables. On the former one simply moved the handle to the appropriate position, and the bell rang or buzzed continuously until it was answered. On the old type you had to move the handle back and forth in order to ring the bell to get the engineers' attention. It looked similar to the electric-type telegraph but sounded entirely different, with a distinctive "Ka-shing, Ka-ching" sound that, once heard, can never be forgotten. On one memorable occasion the telegraph actually jammed while entering harbor, and we had to resort to transmitting engine orders verbally by sound-powered telephone. That was on the USNS Bowditch, which had been converted from an old WW-II Victory ship. Those were the days!


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## spongebob

This thread brings to mind a time at the Dockyard when the powers that be decided that they needed to fit some of the harbour craft with conventional telegraphs to replace crude bell systems.
Being small craft they needed small transmitters and receivers so samples were taken from the bridge and engine room of an old wooden hulled steam propelled trawler/minesweeper that was due to be towed to sea for target practice.
An apprentice doing his time in the drawing office was given the job of disassembling the units and making detailed manufacturing drawings of all the components such as housings, end plates, face plates, handles, cams rockers, chain wheels etc, all the bits and pieces, and his literal translation saw all the ornate scroll details faithfully drawn. These details were duly issued to the pattern makers, the foundry and the machine shop etc for manufacture of about 5 pairs of telegraphs.

I was in the machine shop and having completed my time on the rougher stuff I had been promoted to a brand new Denham lathe and was given the job of machining the components. 
The bodies were cut from about 9 inch O.D heavy wall copper pipe and the first task was to cut a fine external thread on each end to take the lavishly shaped cast brass bezel ends so after grinding up a suitably profiled piece of tool steel I was ready to go (This was long before pre-manufactured tip tools or inserts and ceramics were still confined to the porcelain in toilet pans).
At the first timid tentative pass the tool dug into the copper and wrecked it much to the amusement of all working around me so along comes the very uncommunicative shop foreman and after muttering something about negative rake he re-ground the tool, fitted a new work piece then repeated my performance and more to the extent of pulling it out of the chuck much to everyone’s delight.
In the end it was one of the old hands, a Geordie Capstan operator that showed me how to do the job and using cow’s milk brushed on as a cutting fluid.
After months of work by perhaps half a dozen trades, including an old ex-Naval stoker/ fettler who burnished the units to look like the crown jewels, the telegraphs were finally installed and I am sure that the overall cost would have been well in excess of those sourced from Mr. Chadburn or other manufacturers but great apprentice training at the time and never to be applied again.

Bob


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## jim garnett

I also experienced the dreaded FULL ASTERN BOTH ENGINES on approaching st lawrence river.
I was near the shaft tunnel and alone in the engine room.Thinking it to the usual standby for
fog as was usual in that area,I strolled round to the controls and got a hell of a shock.
I did as requested and stood staring at the bulkhead.Normal service soon resumed and being
only a lowly fourth ,I never did find out what happened, but I never strolled to the telegraph again.
Jim Garnett


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## Billieboy

Bob, I remember cows milk for copper screw cutting, but a very old turner told me to use paraffin for boiler staybolts, (appx 11tpi), There was another tip, for aluminium, was tallow and cut at high speed, from chuck to tailstock, i.e. backwards!


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## Philthechill

*Magnesium.*



Billieboy said:


> Bob, I remember cows milk for copper screw cutting, but a very old turner told me to use paraffin for boiler staybolts, (appx 11tpi), There was another tip, for aluminium, was tallow and cut at high speed, from chuck to tailstock, i.e. backwards!


When I was an apprentice (Cooke, Troughton & Simms, of York, England. Scientific and Optical Instrument Makers, I'll have you know!!!!!!!!) I was given drawings for some experimental eye-piece components to machine. However rather than using the usual brass these were to be machined from magnesium.

One of the old hands, "Bert" told me, "Be VERY careful machining that stuff, which you can only machine "dry" i.e. NO coolant!!! Be well aware, too, if you don't keep the tools sharp the friction, the blunt tools generate, can cause the work-piece to ignite and once magnesium catches fire you've one hell of a job extinguishing it!"

Talk about a bit of sphincter-tightening advice! I was doing about two passes with the tool, stopping the lathe, removing the tool and sharpening it re-starting the lathe etc. etc. until the gaffer came along and, after watching my turning-stopping-sharpening-restarting etc. asked what the 'kin 'ell I was doing.

After retelling the danger of combustion yarn the gaffer said, "Go to the stores, get some paraffin and use that as coolant and, while you're gone, I'll just go and have a word with Bert!"

I could hear them both laughing, fit to bust, as I made my crimson-faced way to the Stores!!! Salaams, Phil(Hippy)


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## Billieboy

Bit of fine turning that, Phil!


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## roboted

bob jenkins said:


> Telegraphs
> 
> Back in the old days, the days before engine control rooms with telemetering, remote controls, computers and earmuffs, the watch keeping engineer spent all his time on the plates as he wandered around the engine room looking, listening, feeling and even smelling for a sense of change, a throb out of kilter, something running hot, a whine that changes tone or what ever warned of a change to the heart beat of the propulsion machinery and its auxiliaries.
> Perhaps the sense that guided us the most was our hearing, the sounds of change to which we became very attuned albeit at the expense of our hearing faculties in later life as we used this sense without any dampening ear muff aids or medical advice of the fact that loud noise was injurious to our health.
> Above all there was one sound that had special meaning, the jangle of the ship’s telegraph.
> Its first “Standby” clang saw us galvanize into action to ensure that all the pre movement checks were in place and to eagerly await that first telegraph command call. It meant that we were leaving port, leaving home, or better still, leaving for home; it was an exciting sound and none better than the final full away double ring from the bridge that allowed us to settle the beast down for the long or short haul across the ocean or sea.
> The big polished brass dial then goes quiet; the next time it rings will normally be at the end of the voyage. Down below we are denied the sights of the approach to an old favourite port, a new port or, above all, our home harbour as we suffer the “channels” of the home approaches but when that “clang clang clang” sounds again we are ready to provide whatever the master needs in the way of propulsion to berth the ship. It is a time when sometimes we need to tell the bridge that compressed air does not grow on trees but most times the act of berthing is carried out by those above us with the tenderness and competence of a mid wife birthing a baby.
> The crowning sound and moment is that old sound, sometimes rung with gusto or a long and lingering tinkle of “Finished with Engines”
> 
> Bob


Bloody near poetic sir,and so true,marvellous post as are many of the replies,by eck it takes me back a whiles....to all those that experienced these moments,Good luck Sirs,,,,,,To those that didn't,I'm afraid you really missed out....

Bonne Chance a Tout.....
Robbo


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## roboted

Satanic Mechanic said:


> There is not a sadder more plaintive sound than when you take a much loved vessel to scrap and you get the final FWE
> 
> positively heartbreaking(Sad)



C'est Vrai.....(Sad)


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## roboted

bob jenkins said:


> You hit the nail right on the head SM, a plaintive sound. When swung slowly the jangle can take on the sound of church bells ringing out a requiem however a rapid swing on the handle can sound a ring of jubilation, especially FWE in your home port, or perhaps the port where the lady of your current desire resides.
> Its ring is all tunes to all men.
> 
> Bob


I'm putting you up for "Poet Laureate" next year,,,,(LOL) (LOL) (LOL)


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## davetodd

Bob has certainly struck a chord with many when he started this thread.
Many thanks Bob, I am enjoying the memories.(Thumb) 
And thanks to all contributors.
Keep writing.
Regards
Dave


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## spongebob

I notice that Billyboy's telegraph and others mentioned had sectors for slow/half/full ahead or astern but I am sure that some of the Union Co ships had a "Dead slow" as well.
Often this meant that a lazy or hesitant command from the bridge saw the handle moved just enough to cause the bell to clang but not enough movement of the pointer to get it out of the sector so it was up to the engineer to reply with gusto to show the engine room interpretation. On occasions it might have been a nervous Third Mate taking a guess at the Master's muttered command.
All in all I remember the telegraph ring as a mostly delightful sound which normally meant that we were leaving or arriving some where and your overall response to this thread is much appreciated.


SM's post relating to the last telegraph ring on a ship heading to the breakers has more poignancy than first thought.

Imagine if you had spent many a year on such a vessel, one that has been a happy one, a home away from home and in some ways your sea going partner in life.

Did you really drive an old ship to the grave SM?

Were you the doctor that heard and felt the last pulse of the ship's heart as the engine ceased to turn?

Did you issue the death certificate with a saddened heart? 

Did you ensure that the Master and High Priest had administered the last rites to the grand old lady?

Did you ensure that other essential auxillaries had come to a sedated halt, the purifiers, the generators, the compressors, the switch board? 
All these organs being the kidneys,liver, lungs and arteries of this now cadaver ship.

If you felt all these emotions SM you are indeed a finer man than you often present yourself and we may all view you with a refreshed reverence in the future!

Bob


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## Doug Shaw

Bob



> I notice that Billyboy's telegraph and others mentioned had sectors for slow/half/full ahead or astern but I am sure that some of the Union Co ships had a "Dead slow" as well.


Yes, the ships I sailed on had the dreaded Dead Slow. The sequence usually went something like Dead Slow Ahead, Stop, Dead Slow Astern, Stop, Dead Slow Ahead, Stop, Dead Slow Astern, Stop ... and all without the engine actually firing. We called it manoeuvring on air.

Regards
Doug


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## spongebob

Doug, you are dead right, those movements often came so rapidly that the engineer just stood at the controls listening to the clarion of sound and almost mesmerised by it.
We have given this affliction a few blasts on the "Compressed air starts" thread.

Bob


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## Doug Shaw

I've been racking my brains trying to remember the details of a most unusual incident. The ship normally manoeuvered on Bridge Control. If that failed, the engines were operated from the engine control room. However, there was an emergency control station on the bottom plates, complete with an old style telegraph (polished brass).

I remember that a small arm, about 6 inches long and that attached to a splined shaft, broke. I can't remember the exact details, but the arm was part of the mechnism for altering the camshaft position to change the engine's direction of rotation (giving ahead or astern).

As a temporary measure, we attached a chain block to the link that the arm should have operated. When the telegraph sounded, the hook on the chain block was raised or lowered to give Ahead or Astern. It was a long stand-by and I think that of the many times I heard FWE rung, that was by far the sweetest.

Regards
Doug


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## surfaceblow

I sailed on the LNG Aquarius right out of the yard. For a period the Steam Plant was left on Engine Control after a while the shift to Bridge Control became routine. But the routine of ringing the telegraph at Noon was still being practiced by the uninformed causing the steam turbine throttle control to go from full ahead to full astern and back to full ahead. 

After a while the Deck Crew got brave enough to try to use Bridge Control while maneuvering. After a half a dozen attempts to maneuver in and dock on bridge control at least on the Aquarius they found it was faster to let the engineers answer the bells. It took an average of an hour more docking time when the turbine was on Bridge Control. It seemed that the Mates did not get the hang of putting the telegraph throttle handle on zero rpm when they wanted to stop. The Mates kept on putting the handle in the stop position which just closed both the Astern and Ahead valves so the turbine took awhile to wind down. Putting the handle on a zero rpm ahead or astern would let braking steam to stop the shaft before closing the valves and let steam to keep the shaft stopped.


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## Hugh Ferguson

No mention, so far, of the use of the telegraph for adjusting revs in order to keep station in a war-time convoy. I often wonder what it must have been like for a hard pressed master, in those old Blue Funnel ships, in which the connecting chains ran so close to his room that for every adjustment- up two revs, down two revs-he would be compelled to listen to as he lay in his bunk trying to sleep.

Another feature on a Blue Funnel telegraph was the "stop", Wrong Stop. I was reminded of this in a Blue Funnel A.Class ship I was once piloting to an oil berth in Aden. As we approached the berth I asked for full astern, and pretty soon it became more than evident we were getting full ahead. As there was a ship in the next berth this presented a real emergency situation. 
I bellowed, Stop, immediately followed by another Full Astern. Again we failed to get what was now very urgently required, especially as the starboard anchor had been let go. And with the fo'csle bell ringing virtually non stop as the 9th, or 10th shackle flew out the hause. The chief officer, Freddie Squires, (ask your old man, Michael, if he remembers) disappeared in a cloud of rusty dust from chain which had'nt seen the light of day for quite some time.
We eventually came to a halt with the bows between the stern mooring buoys and far too close for comfort to the ship in the next berth. 

Despite having sailed Blue Funnel for ten years, I, and apparently the captain as well, forgot about that special stop on Blue Funnel telegraphs.


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## John Dryden

I was first trip cadet on the Olivebank,on the bridge when the telegraph threw a wobbler so I was given the task of relaying engine movements over the bridge radio.2nd Eng was on the other end,he was a great bloke from Dunoon in Scotland,problem was I couldn,t understand a word he said such was his accent,Anyway the 2nd Mate was there so I told him and he got on the radio.Now he was from Glasgow so I thought he would cope with the accent;no chance,couldn,t understand a word.
Next thing the old man(Capt. Wigham)is on the radio,the ship was stopped by then,sure enough he couldn,t understand him either.He hauled him up to the bridge and told him never to pick the reciever up again,he was fuming by now but my fears were over!


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## eldersuk

Hugh Ferguson's mention of the 'Wrong Stop' on the telegraph woke me from my usual evening torpor.
The only ship on which I ever saw that was ED's Tarkwa. 
Now the Tarkwa was built at Caledon in 1943 initially on account Blue Funnel, but whilst on the stocks was commandered by the Ministry of War Transport and allocated to ED's.
The story in ED's was that although she had a BF hull (which was obvious) all the rest was ED's - but was it?
Incidentally, this is the first time this has crossed my mind since about 1958. It will now be put back into obscurity.

Derek


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## bri445

Here are some pages from an old Chadburns' catalogue, probably pre-WW1.

Bri


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## bri445

More from Chadburn catalogue:


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## bri445

There's a Chadburn interest website at

www.chadburntelegraphs.com

with the full story.

As landlubber on Merseyside, I was proud to see the Chadburn's, Robinson's and Ray's names on the dials in photos and films, reminding me of the importance of Liverpool in ship design and building over nearly one and a half centuries.

Bri


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## gazelle25

*Interesting Pic*

Hi all,

Interesting (to me anyway) for two reasons:

"Easy" as the first order, and "Propelling" at the bottom of the dial.

What is the significance of the latter? Anyone care to enlighten me?

Regards

Andy


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## gazelle25

*Picture Collection*

Can be found at:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/maskintelegraf/

Andy


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## spongebob

Andy, if that photo in front of the wicker work is your restoration you have indeed gone beyond the call of duty.
A magnificent bit of brass work.

Bob


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## Duncan112

I suspect the "Propelling" is to distinguish it as an engine order telegraph as opposed to a docking order telegraph, used to give orders to the poop on large liners concerning rope handling.


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## gazelle25

*Propelling etc*

Hi Bob, all,

Sadly that one is not mine - it is however the only time i've ever seen "Propelling" on the dial, other than the one i have. It is the same maker, mind.

And yes, I guess the logic is good re: distinguishing it from a docking telegraph.

Regards

Andy


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## davetodd

Thanks for the link Andy.
Most interesting.
The image you have posted does not show "STOP".
Must have been hard graft in that engineroom!
Regards
Dave


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## John Paul

Docking in Rabaul on a Bank boat took over the 8 to 12 watch with 2/e doing a stand by after a while all quite with no movements 2nd went topside returned and said that we were alongside,after a fair while phoned the bridge and told soon be FWE, about 30 minutes later telegraph goes to Full Ahead
gave the Doxford a blow over, shut the cocks and started her up,getting close to 60rpm when 2/e landed on the plates shouting Stop her.Turned out the old man and everyone cleared the bridge but forgot to ring off engines
3rd mate went back and switched telegraph off hence full ahead in ER.
Parted a couple of ropes but no great harm done
Had a few cold ones that night care of the deck department.


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## spongebob

John, that's where the term "Fail Safe" must of come from


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