# H&W opposed piston generators?



## lazyjohn (Mar 3, 2011)

Anybody come across these beasts?

Miniture main engines. I only came across them on one ship, the SA Oranje on the Union Castle, cape run.

2 Stroke, upper pistons on cams, sliding over the ports. Air starts and with 'Roots' blower feeding scavange air. We had two 750 KW jobs for port use ( 3 x 1.5 KW(?) turbo sets for at sea use.)

I remember once having to rapidly reassemble one so it could be run at sea to save steam for the main engine during a medical emergency dash.


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## Mechanic-H (Apr 21, 2009)

I think there was one on the Edinburgh castle. I remember Danny and his gang pulling a unit with well practiced efficiency. Luckily I only did one trip.


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## lazyjohn (Mar 3, 2011)

Mechanic-H said:


> I think there was one on the Edinburgh castle. I remember Danny and his gang pulling a unit with well practiced efficiency. Luckily I only did one trip.


Thanks,

The Edinburgh and Oranje were sisters, I just wondered if they were one offs just for those ships or or if they were a shipyard production unit for general supply..

Bye the Bye, would that be the Danny Daly that used to quote Shakespear soliloqueys after a couple of cans of lotion?


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## Mechanic-H (Apr 21, 2009)

With a Belfast accent?


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## lazyjohn (Mar 3, 2011)

Mechanic-H said:


> With a Belfast accent?


No, English. He used to pinch clean boilersuits from the laundry bag for standby Soton departures.


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## MWD (Aug 15, 2005)

I remember them well!

Over a year as J Second on Pretoria Castle, and several years on the smaller London based round Africa service steamships which had similar, but smaller and faster units, all H&W beasts.

Had to do a top overhaul each trip so they were fit for two weks use back in UK.

Needed to refit all bearings on one trip with one of the smaller units, lack of lub. oil! 6 on and 6 off round Africa!

Also had crankcase explosion in one of the Pretoria units.

Went on board the old Kenya Castle years later in N York as 'Americanis', The Greek Chief told me the first thing they did on buying her was to scrap these units and relace with conventional 4 stroke engines.

I should also like to know if Harland managed to 'sell' other shipowners the dubious benefits of fitting them?

Intresting thread,

Regards,

MWD.


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