Aberdeen trip

[Patrick Hill]

As some of you may have guessed, I've had another week up at the Granite City - for those who may be interested my web page is online until the end of the year.

https://quaysides.co.uk/wp/2024/06/30/aberdeen-2024/

[Hornbeam]

As you are a frequent visitor to Aberdeen you will I suppose be Spikkin Doric which his different to the well known Scottish Accent a bit like Geordie is to the English Language. Enclosed is just a small section of the Doric Dialect My Wife hailed from Torry and acted as the Mother in Laws interpreter when they were away from Aberdeen.

[Patrick Hill]

Not a bit of it, I stick to good old 'ull speak - they seem to know what I mean when I ask for butteries, bacon softies and HNT

[Hornbeam]

This has to be one of the finest pieces of equipment that came out
of Scotland, anyone who has worked on Steam Plant both at Sea and Ashore will know exactly what it is even if they had a blindfold on, the dimensions of it and the distinctive sound make it instantly known, built in a number of sizes but exactly the same in appearance I give you the Weirs General Service Pump used as Bilge Pump, Fire Pump, Furnace Oil Pump, Boiler Feed Water Pump etc,etc.
There must have been thousands of them made over the years and no doubt some are still running around the World, The Americans did copy them but they were never as good as the Weirs build.
This excellent refurbished Pump is a credit to who decided to take on the task, they could be a bit temperamental at start up but with a little bit of adjustment to the Shuttle Valve timing (the shuttle is under the round cover which has the large adjustment Whitworth Nut attached ) once the Pump had started they would more or less run forever given good Steam no bad Steam (what was that film called) and a bit of lubricant occasionally, they would also run on Compressed Air.
However there is something missing, what can it be? ————— Every Pump came with a special single ended Whitworth Spaaner, open ended at one the jaw size depending on the Adjustment Nuts on the Shuttle Valve Cover”
The other end of the Spanner had a hole and then a slot, the hole fitted of the pin on the front bracket and the slot fitted over the pin on the valve spindle this set up enable manual movement of the valve position.