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Wheel house mechanisms

10K views 46 replies 12 participants last post by  OilJiver 
#1 ·
Hi,
can someone identify the parts of the wheel mechanism.
I believe the number that number 3 is the base where it used the compass to sit.
Any idea for the rest?
 

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#35 ·
The flattie I served on (50's/60's) never had a gyro, nor did any of the other Stevie Clarkes at that time as most were on regular runs and all had Decca Navigators (very useful). On the flatties a gyro in the wheelhouse for taking bearings would be useless when in ballast and virtually useless when loaded because of all the internal obstructions (window frames, Kent clear view screens, radar pedestal etc). On a flattie in ballast all you could see was the foc'le head deck because of the way you had to trim them to even half submerge the screw, The only way you could see right ahead was from the extremity of the bridge wings, loaded they were like submarines even with just a hint of inclement weather
 
#37 ·
The Decca navigator is mentioned on the contract,
we have seen that the original general arrangement is not identical with the current ship configuration.
Back then there was a telegraph in the bridge, which was quite cramped,
and a repeater right in front of it on the "balcony" and a compass. Now the bridge occupies the whole deck length and it has a roof. There are two "ears" on left and right, probably for better navigating the ship in harbour, with a telegraph on each of them.
You can see the "ears" here with the telegraphs
http://labtop.topo.auth.gr/wreckhistory/flat-iron-collier-christoforos/#gallery-9-3
and here
http://labtop.topo.auth.gr/wreckhistory/flat-iron-collier-christoforos/#gallery-9-7
 
#36 · (Edited)
Barrie,

Here a couple of photos of T. Hardie. 'Low' is an understatement!

I wonder how they could so anything in the wheelhouse. If you were over 5' 06", don't bother apply for a job!

The bulwarks on the wheelhouse seem 'normal'. But I don't think No. 1 was a gyro repeater. Looking at gyro repeaters for horizontal use are mounted in gimbals and the bracket for holding is usually open, not enclosed like in the original photo. Note the dodger on the bridge in front of the wheelhouse windows... fold down! Looks worse!

Stephen
 

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#38 ·
I agree with all of the points raised which suggest that Item 1 is unlikely to be a gyro-repeater, but it still looks like one. If I remember correctly, gimbals would often be found inside the casing which we are looking at.

If both gyro-repeater and helm-indicator are ruled out (for different reasons, all of which are sound) then the purpose of Item 1 remains a mystery. There is always the possibility (even if remote) that Item 1 (whaterver it might be) could have been fitted to the ship after her days as a U.K. flattie had come to an end.
 
#39 · (Edited)
Here is a telemotor. It shows the same or very similar of the telemotor on THOMAS HARDIE.

It definitely is the telemotor and the 'bowl at top is simply the topping up tank for the hydraulic oil. The photo shows the attached rudder indicator. It is obviously 'missing' or because the binnacle hides the telemotor, the rudder indicator may have been a wall mounted unit.
The General Arrangement drawing shows the HARDIE as the wheel with shaft running past the binnacle to the telemotor.

Stephen
 

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#40 ·
Here is a telemotor. It shows the same or very similar of the telemotor on THOMAS HARDIE.

It definitely is the telemotor and the 'bowl at top is simply the topping up tank for the hydraulic oil. The photo shows the attached rudder indicator. It is obviously 'missing' or because the binnacle hides the telemotor, the rudder indicator may have been a wall mounted unit.

Stephen
Hello Stephen

The drawing you mention seems to be missing, but you have beaten me to it about the oil reservoir tank. I remember as a cadet filling up the tank when required as part of bridge cleaning duties.

Sorry Stephen - the edits seem to have crossed in the ether and I now see the photo.

Howard
 
#42 ·
I remember orders from Master, OOW or Pilot varied, depending what we were actually doing.

If the order is Port Ten or Starboard 5 etc might well be rudder. If you said 'Easy' or 'Nothing to Port' would be helm orders.

As far as 'indication' it would be always Rudder, not wheel. Most modern vessels, well, even in the last 50 years, the indicator is for the Rudder, not the helm. If you are leaving a port and you test the steering you check midships, hard port, hard starboard might be back and forth. You would be watching the rudder movements not wheel movement. When the steering is electric it might be 'electric hand', non follow up controllers etc. That said there is usually a 'hard' indication from 'electric hand' from the wheel itself.

Stephen
 
#43 ·
The US Flag ships I sailed both on the Great Lakes and offshore, the deck officer of the watch would telephone the engine room and say "Test Gear".

The watch engineer would walk to the steering gear room and call the bridge from the phone there. The mate would swing the rudder all the way to one side or the other then swing it all the way to the opposite end while the engineer observed.

Greg Hayden
 
#44 ·
Same here. Difference between then and today is the paperwork!

In SEVONIA TEAM... 100,000 dwt OBO you didn't need to be tell if the rudder was moved. The whole superstructure swayed and back with the force of the rudder movement... hard over and back. First time I tested the gear I thought I had broken something!
 
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