[IAN M]

Did Liberty Ships have a lever on the main deck which could be used to shut down the engine in an emergency?

Ian

[lazyjohn]

Don't know about anything specific to Liberty Ships, and my engineering knowledge is 31 years out of date, so here goes!

Fuel tank outlet valves can be tripped by cable from a fire point on deck. The primary duty of the trips is to protect against fire but this would also stop any engine being served by that tank.

I remember 'MV Goodhope Castle' suffering an electrical blackout in Durban. A shore gang cleaner tried to reach to a high level by standing on the trip cables, at a point where they ran horizontaly along the side of the generator gas oil tank.
All six of our horrible Rolls Royce 250 KW generators shutdown at 15 second intervals (depending on the length of the fuel supply pipes).

[IAN M]

Thanks, John. That's the sort of thing I'm interested in knowing, but perhaps someone knows the specific device used on Liberty Ships.

Regards

Ian

[Jim S]

Ian,
You could try the Jeremiah O Brien website - The preserved Liberty ship at San Francisco - The contacts for e-mail may be able to give you the specific answer you desire . Suggest the best one might be the "shipkeeper" - At least he/they could pass your inquiry onto the engineers.

[IAN M]

Thanks, Jim. Great idea. Will have a go.

Ian

[KIWI]

The Liberty Ship I was on in 1949 certainly didn't have any emergency stop fitted.Here in NZ the inter island ferries had emergency stops for the vent fans fitted on the boat deck in the fifties. I believe as a result of the Empire Windrush fire. KIWI

[chadburn]

Originally Posted by IAN M

Did Liberty Ships have a lever on the main deck which could be used to shut down the engine in an emergency?

Ian

Ian, never heard of a specific lever to the ME, however there is a way of lifting the Boiler Safety's to starve the ME of steam and everything else that was steam driven, although if you can get to the "fiddley tops" you would just close the main steam stops, it all depend's on what type of emergency you mean. The lever's I suspect will be to shut the oil fuel off to the Burner's. I will be interested myself if there was a lever of the type you are suggesting although I accept that the American's do at times do things different and use different types of V/V,s.

[IAN M]

Thanks for that, Chadburn. I'm thinking of fire in the engine room. I emailed the Jeremiah O'Brien website, as Dicky S suggested, and have already had a reply saying my email will be passed on to someone who is likely to know.

Ian

[cubpilot]

pity this post has just come up since my return from hols in usa. took a tour of the o'brien whilst there first week of april. well worth while and the best tourist attraction in san francisco as far as i am concerned. if there you must also visit USS Hornet the aircraft carrier over the other side of the Bay in the old Naval Base. That ship needs a full day on board to do it justice and don't get sidetracked by 'she who must' to go shopping before hand. nuf said.

[IAN M]

Originally Posted by Jim S

Ian,
You could try the Jeremiah O Brien website - The preserved Liberty ship at San Francisco - The contacts for e-mail may be able to give you the specific answer you desire . Suggest the best one might be the "shipkeeper" - At least he/they could pass your inquiry onto the engineers.

Received from San Fransciso:

Ian,

Yes, there are actually several valve control wheels that can remotely shut off key equipment in the engine room. The boiler fires can be shut down via two valve controls for the steam supply to the fuel oil service pumps (one for each pump). They are located in the starboard side interior passageway on the main deck, just behind the starboard entrance to the officers' mess. A valve control to cut off steam to the main engine is located in the cross passage just forward of the galley, and there is also a valve control to shut off the main condenser circulating pump located in the port side passageway just opposite the entrance to the crews' mess.

Regards,

Chris Friedenbach

Thanks for your brilliant suggestion, Jim, and to the others who tried to help.

Ian

[george jackson]

As an E/A on the British Gratitude, built 1942 or thereabouts, I was on watch with the 2/E when the engines stopped suddenly. The 2/E asked if I had seen or done anything, I said that I had seen some movement of a cable above the main controls and he send me to trace its source. I followed it out on to the boat deck abaft the funnel to a large lever clearly marked Emergency Engine Stop. One of the deckhands was painting up there and he had moved the llever to one side to paint behind it !!!!
I assume the Liberty boats had a similar system.

[kewl dude]

If you are into aircraft carriers:

http://www.midway.org/

Located in downtown San Diego.

Greg Hayden