# MV "Thames", Blackstone generator



## JKB (Jul 6, 2007)

The dredger I'm rambling on about is the "Thames", ex "Pelicano", originally built as the "Arco Thames".
I'm trying to clarify what type of Blackstone engine she has as a genny; I thought it was an ES6MGR but a friend of mine has been told it's an EV56MGR. The 5 will be an S, i.e. a turbocharged engine, but the V puzzles me. The EV engines were discontinued long before the "Thames" was built in about 1974 so it doesn't ring true unless she had a second-hand engine fitted at some time.
Can anyone shed any light, please? The only time I went aboard was at Southampton to look at the damage when the K6 Major main engine stuck a leg out so I didn't pay much attention to the genny.

JKB, ex-Mirrlees Blackstone service bod with time on his hands


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

JKB, you have time on your hand's?, with the amount of Mirrlees Blackstone's in private hand's, you should set up a Consultancy with your past experience!!(Thumb)


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## camelotpacific (Nov 11, 2007)

JKB
As you are an ex Mirrlees man,you may well know a friend,Geof Wigzell.
He reckons it was a EVS6MGR,Which would be 600rpm/blown.
Doug


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## JKB (Jul 6, 2007)

chadburn said:


> JKB, you have time on your hand's?, with the amount of Mirrlees Blackstone's in private hand's, you should set up a Consultancy with your past experience!!(Thumb)


Thanks for the thought Chadburn but I've always been happy with a regular wage and an employer to take the risks. My current employer keeps me occupied with MaKs and the occasional Cat with no worries about where the next job's coming from.

JKB.


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## JKB (Jul 6, 2007)

camelotpacific said:


> JKB
> As you are an ex Mirrlees man,you may well know a friend,Geof Wigzell.
> He reckons it was a EVS6MGR,Which would be 600rpm/blown.
> Doug


Hello Doug:
I do indeed know Geoffrey Ernest Wigzell, a brilliant engineer and one of the nicest blokes I've ever had the privilege of working with. He'll have worked on the "Thames", I have every confidence he'll know.
Next time you see Geoff, please tell him John Bilsbury says "Hello."

JKB.


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## camelotpacific (Nov 11, 2007)

JKB
I will indeed give him your regards,will be seeing him Saturday.
According to his notebook the Thames debacle was about his last job before
retiring.
All the best,
Doug.


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## sandman (Jun 11, 2005)

Details I have come across for the Thames is she has a EVS6MA chucking out 396BHP at 600 RPM. spent a little time on/off in the thames in the 90,s as a AB


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## JKB (Jul 6, 2007)

sandman said:


> Details I have come across for the Thames is she has a EVS6MA chucking out 396BHP at 600 RPM. spent a little time on/off in the thames in the 90,s as a AB


Cheers, Sandman, that tallies with the earlier info. I'd forgotten about the 'V' speed designation for 600 RPM engines, we hardly ever came across them, most of the ones we saw were ERSs, i.e. 750 RPM.

An E Mk.1 at 600 RPM doesn't put out much power but it should go for ever providing it doesn't fill its sump with fuel of course 

They'd never get built these days, the accountants would make sure a 400 horsepower engine would be a tiny whizzy thing that cost twenty quid and didn't last five minutes.

JKB.


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## Stevie B (Mar 16, 2008)

Both the Thames gennys are EV56MA


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## JKB (Jul 6, 2007)

Stevie B said:


> Both the Thames gennys are EV56MA


Thanks Stevie, I should have guessed there'd be more than one. Are you sure about the 5 though? I would have expected that to be an S to denote a turbocharged engine.

JKB.


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## Stevie B (Mar 16, 2008)

Not sure, just been up on the Bridge and looked on the docking spec for next month and thats what it says. Will check with the Chief Eng in the morning.


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## JKB (Jul 6, 2007)

This forum really does get to the heart of things, doesn't it? 
I suspect the docking spec. is where all this started, I had a call from my previous employer asking me what an EV56MA was, I imagine that's where they'd got it from.

JKB.


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## Stevie B (Mar 16, 2008)

JKB said:


> This forum really does get to the heart of things, doesn't it?
> I suspect the docking spec. is where all this started, I had a call from my previous employer asking me what an EV56MA was, I imagine that's where they'd got it from.
> 
> JKB.


Yes it does, this was from a spec done in the last few weeks, I wonder if your info came from a previous spec and the numbers are wrong. And our followed on from that ??. The Chief's turned in, were sailing at 0600 I'll ask him, if he don't know, who does !!!


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## Stevie B (Mar 16, 2008)

Spoke to the Chief and both gennys are EV56MA and they are turbocharged ??


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## granty (Mar 17, 2008)

Good morning Steve B
with your good knowledge of engines we will have to make you the Chief Engineer
kind regards
Granty


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## Stevie B (Mar 16, 2008)

granty said:


> Good morning Steve B
> with your good knowledge of engines we will have to make you the Chief Engineer
> kind regards
> Granty


Good Morning Granty,
Thank your for your kind words, the only answer I can give to that has two words and the second one is off !!!(Wave)


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## sandman (Jun 11, 2005)

steve is Tim still C/E, If so pass on my regards.

Sandman (Martin)


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## Stevie B (Mar 16, 2008)

sandman said:


> steve is Tim still C/E, If so pass on my regards.
> 
> Sandman (Martin)


Yes he is, he's on leave at the moment but I will pass on your regards.


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## jltrading (Feb 2, 2011)

Regarding the Genny on the MV Thames, I worked for Blackstone Stamford, and can advise on the following
EVS6A74 ETC
E Denotes "E" Type
V Denotes the speed (600 rpm) (R 750 RPM) 
6 Cylinders
A Auxilliary
74 Year of build

If you require any spares, then I can provide these
[email protected]


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## JKB (Jul 6, 2007)

jltrading said:


> Regarding the Genny on the MV Thames, I worked for Blackstone Stamford, and can advise on the following
> EVS6A74 ETC
> E Denotes "E" Type
> V Denotes the speed (600 rpm) (R 750 RPM)
> ...


I worked at Mirrlees Blackstone Stockport, and I think I know who you are 

How this all started off, if I remember correctly, was that I was quoted an engine number of EV56A74 and I'm pretty sure that should be EVS6A74, the "S" denoting a turbocharged engine.

Another of my ex-colleagues is working on the K Major main engine out in Russia somewhere at the moment and having a bit of a 'mare by all accounts.

Regards,
JKB.


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## jltrading (Feb 2, 2011)

JKB said:


> I worked at Mirrlees Blackstone Stockport, and I think I know who you are
> 
> How this all started off, if I remember correctly, was that I was quoted an engine number of EV56A74 and I'm pretty sure that should be EVS6A74, the "S" denoting a turbocharged engine.
> 
> ...


Yes John, you do know me, and I am working for myself these days, and no other, you are correct the "S" Denotes Turbocharged.


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## JKB (Jul 6, 2007)

jltrading said:


> Yes John, you do know me, and I am working for myself these days, and no other, you are correct the "S" Denotes Turbocharged.


Excellent, I hope your endeavours are all successful.

Regards,
JKB.


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## jltrading (Feb 2, 2011)

JKB said:


> Excellent, I hope your endeavours are all successful.
> 
> Regards,
> JKB.


Well if you want my business to succeed, you could give me the details of the vessel owner of the Thames?

Best regards


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## JKB (Jul 6, 2007)

jltrading said:


> Well if you want my business to succeed, you could give me the details of the vessel owner of the Thames?
> 
> Best regards


I'm afraid I haven't the foggiest notion, Stevie B or The Sandman (see earlier posts in this thread) might have more idea than I have.

Regards,
JKB.


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## jltrading (Feb 2, 2011)

JKB said:


> I'm afraid I haven't the foggiest notion, Stevie B or The Sandman (see earlier posts in this thread) might have more idea than I have.
> 
> Regards,
> JKB.


John

Thanks for that

Best regards


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## jltrading (Feb 2, 2011)

Stevie B said:


> Yes he is, he's on leave at the moment but I will pass on your regards.


Re MV Thames

Please see my threads, anyhow as I mentioned to JKB I worked at Blackstones Stamford, and just wondered who the owners are now, as I can provide spares for the Genny

Regards


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## dcm (Mar 2, 2017)

*Blackstone engine nomenclature*

I have a pdf of all the codes Blackstone used to quickly define what the engine build was but do not know how to post it here 
Briefly the E was the engine range *," (222.2 mm) bore x 11t" (292.1 rnm) stroke. next letter was speed with V BEING


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## dcm (Mar 2, 2017)

I have a pdf of blackstones nomenclature but don't know how to attach it here


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

dcm

Click on Post Reply at the top of this thread and type a title to your new posting and some explanatory/descriptive words in the text area.
Scroll down, below the Post Icons and 'Submit Reply'/'Preview Post' buttons to the Additional Options area. 

In the 2nd block down, identify and click on 'Manage Attachments', which will open a new window with a 'Browse' button and the associated 'Upload' button.

Click on the 'Browse' button, locate and select the .pdf file that you want to attach.

Click on the 'Upload' button and when the file has attached, select 'Close this window'.

You can then check that all is correct by using the 'Preview Post' button and if all is OK, pressing the 'Submit Reply' will complete the post.

Good Luck


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## dcm (Mar 2, 2017)

Looks like the file was slightly too large so briefly UP TO LATE 60'S the first letter E denoted the bore and stroke of the range 
The V or R or S or denoted the speed being up to 625/775/900 respectively If there was a T they were only constant speed use 600-900 for single bank and for some obscure reason [ presumably torsional ] 593 -775 for twin bank engines
Then there was apparently a “W” that I have no recollection of that was for constant speed 776 -900 and variable speed 300- 900 

The above letters followed by an ”S” was for Turbocharged engines

The S followed by L indicated it was an intercooled engine full power up to 500 ft

The S followed by A was intercooled for full power up to 4000 ft [ all engines except for ESS 12 &16

The S followed by X this was ESS 12 and 16 cyl units and full power was up to 6000 ft 

The S followed by H meant the engine was good for full power up to 8000 ft

The number that followed the intercooler designations was always the number of cylinders for the unit 

If you should ever come across DF that was for a dual fuel unit viz Gas with pilot diesel ignition . 

Seeing the altitude notation you mariners may say you not be interested in that al all 

But in 1967 I was sent by Frank Blackstone to La Rinconade on the Peruvian/ Bolivia border where , a Dredge, operated by Natomas Gold ,on an alluvial lake , was having crank problems .

La Rincondade is at a smidgin over 5000 M so you do see them in the marine field

I wonder what is the altitude record is for marine engines 

The problem was resolved by getting the magnetic center of the alternators set to what they should have been set at by the dredge builder in the first place but that’s another subject all together


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