NORTH EAST MARINE ENGINE BUILDERS

Re: NORTH EAST MARINE ENGINE BUILDERS

Postby fitter » Fri May 31, 2019 8:50 pm

Reminders of the skillful work, once common place, now almost forgotten:
CHOCK FOR DOXFORD eng.JPG

holdiing down bolts.JPG
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Re: NORTH EAST MARINE ENGINE BUILDERS

Postby fitter » Tue Jul 23, 2019 10:17 pm

Two drawings of a Liberty ship engine. Originally designed by North Eastern Marine, the design was taken to America by Harry Hunter of NEM who, with Cyril Thompson from J.L.Thompsons, presented the design to the United States Maritime Commission in October 1940. The original ship plans that Cyril took were those of the Empire Wave but on 16th November the Admiralty sent a telegram to Cyril and instructed him that the ship size was to be increased and this is when the Empire Liberty design was commissioned as the basis for the Liberty ship. The North Eastern Marine engine was the one used in Empire Liberty.
Returning to England on the Western Prince, the ship was torpedoed on 14th, 250 miles south of Iceland and sank (by u96 commanded by Kovettenkaptitan Lehman- Willenbrock). The survivors in lifeboats were picked up by Hogarths Baron Kinnaird.
The Captain of the Western Prince, nine crew and six passengers were lost.
liberty ship engine elevation.JPG

liberty ship engine section.JPG
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Re: NORTH EAST MARINE ENGINE BUILDERS

Postby fitter » Mon Sep 23, 2019 8:25 pm

"Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end......." but now we really are history. Swans, just one of the outstanding shipbuilding and engineering concerns on the Tyne. Who can remember ships two or three abreast at Palmers and leaning over the handrails before daylight in winter and the whole river lit up by ships and shipyards. No body really objected to the din or all the buzzers signalling the start of the day's work. The noise meant work and work meant money in the days when money had to be earned. Who now cares about the thousands of skilled men that made flat steel into thousands of ships, those that outfitted them and those who drew the plans and designed them. Salt of the earth.
SWAN HUNTER DOX ADV.JPG
.
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Re: NORTH EAST MARINE ENGINE BUILDERS

Postby fitter » Thu Dec 12, 2019 6:27 pm

Not strictly North East Maritime but the Doxford connection is there and there might by some Swires men about. Its 58 years ago this week. The ship is the Scotts built Taiyuan for Swires (China Navigation), with it's Doxford 67LBD5CS engine, yard and engine number 725. On 5th Dec. 00.07 hrs, in Sydney, the 3rd engineer started the engine for the beginning of the voyage when he heard a loud thump in the vicinity of no2 cylinder. Water was seen coming from the piston rod gland drain cock, but when the upper piston was removed only the lower piston crown was filled with water and no evidence of where it came from. The hydraulic lock caused a crank web shrink to slip by 5/8" (16mm). There was no other visible damage and on 13th December Cockatoo Dry dock agreed to attempt the repair. Brine was piped through the journal until it was minus 25 degrees F. Three torches were used to heat the web which was under the load of jacks. After 20 minutes the web jacked back into alignment. Unfortunately it wasn't exactly right and had to be done again. A misalignment of 14 thousandths and seventeen thousandths of an inch was accepted on number 2 and 3 journal respectively. After a quay trial, the ship then had a sea trial on the 28th then sailed on the 30th December. The Superintendent engineer was J.C. Murie and the chief engineer was J.W. Hawkrigg. With the detailed description came this lovely hand drawn sketch which is just too big to scan on my A4 scanner. The sketch isn't signed. the quay trial revealed the source of the leak was a cylinder lubricator injector quill.
taiyuan iso.JPG
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Re: NORTH EAST MARINE ENGINE BUILDERS

Postby fitter » Thu Dec 12, 2019 6:39 pm

posted this one ages ago but as we've had our first winter snow of 2109, i thought I'd post it again, one of the nicest images I have.
snowballs.jpg
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Re: NORTH EAST MARINE ENGINE BUILDERS

Postby northeast » Thu Dec 12, 2019 7:06 pm

It is indeed, the figures look like they have come from a Lowry painting!
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Re: NORTH EAST MARINE ENGINE BUILDERS

Postby magoonigal » Thu Jun 04, 2020 12:06 pm

Agree, great picture.

The CHRISTINA PEZAS dates it to 1955 when she was built by Short Bros. of Pallion for Naviera SA of Piraeus.

Bet the Girls won in the end... :lol: :lol:
Paul Hood. + WSS Tyneside Branch Hon Sec.
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Re: NORTH EAST MARINE ENGINE BUILDERS

Postby fitter » Fri Jan 29, 2021 8:02 pm

I bet I'm not the only one that wishes they could be back in the day. Part of the yard is now in the process of being converted into the new road for Sunderland's, Built in Belgium, new Bridge. That may well prove to be the final nail in the coffin for a return to shipbuilding at Pallion.
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Re: NORTH EAST MARINE ENGINE BUILDERS

Postby fitter » Sat Jan 30, 2021 7:48 pm

For the technically minded, interested in Doxford Engines, this is a new book by JW Jordan and the late Rodney Cartridge. Both men were Doxford time served and members of the Institute of Chartered Marine Engineers. John, like his father and brother were Doxford engine works draughtsmen. "Notable Points In The Design History of the Doxford Opposed Piston Marine Oil Engine" is an A4 book, softback, 450 pages with hundreds of illustrations, is mainly a technical overview of the history of Doxford engines and not so much a company history. John self published the book and has donated 50% of all profits to the Doxford Engine Friends Association. The book is available from the Doxford Engine Friends Association secretary Susan Adamson. Her email is susanadamson112@gmail.com
jwj cover.JPG


The author,Patricia Richardson, is the wife of a descendant of the Doxford family. Her book "William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Shipbuilders and Engineers," is 260mm x 200mm softback, 302 pages over 200 images. Several mistakes that will be evident to anyone with a knowledge of Sunderland shipbuilding are frustrating but this is an important record of Doxfords history. Patricia admitted from the outset that she was less interested in and had little knowledge of the technical side of shipbuilding and marine engineering and more interested in the family history in the context of the company. She deserves a great deal of credit for her long and painstaking research. Contact details are on the attachment. The book is also available on Amazon.
pat cover.JPG

pat form.JPG
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Re: NORTH EAST MARINE ENGINE BUILDERS

Postby Hornbeam » Sun Jan 31, 2021 10:09 am

It's a great pity that the three cylinder Doxford that Beamish have stored away is not on show to the general public with a large notice attached highlighting no Cad/Cam was involved in the production of this engine just a Draughtsman (they may have to explain what one of those is) a Machinist ( again the same) and a Fitter (again the same) as these days serving an Apprenticeship for five years is not the done thing, all they need to do is go on a eight week course and call themselves an engineer(note the little e in Engineer) :roll:
Chocking the Main Engine was a skillfull task but an awfully cold job especially in Winter, your health depended on the people above you not having 'Butterfingers' or a Welder making sure that his rods were secure otherwise they would come down on you like Arrows. Health and Safety? Pull the other one.
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