[blueprint2002]

Surprising though it may sound today (and probably even then), “Maritime Reporter” in 1985 carried a short description of a train/car/passenger ferry ordered from Kockums AB, for delivery in October 1986, which was to be powered by two Skinner Unaflow steam engines, supplied by steam from coal-fired boilers. The owner was the Polish Baltic Steamship Company, and the ship was intended for use between Poland and Sweden, using low-cost (comparatively) coal from Polish mines. The possibility of another Polish company using the same power plant on a small fleet of colliers was also reported. No further reports that I have been able to find.
Skinner Unaflow engines were, at that time at least, still in service in a number of Great Lakes vessels, though none had been built for 30 years.
And coal-fired boilers for several Australian coastal ships had recently been built and were in service, so there was recent experience to that extent. These ships had steam turbines, not reciprocating engines.
Anyone know any more about this ship, or about the colliers? Did it actually happen? If so, did it work out as planned, and if not, what were the snags? In fact, just about anything that actually transpired.

 

[trotterdotpom]

The Australian coal fired steamships were ANL's River Boyne and River Embley and TNT's TNT Carpentaria and TNT Capricornia. Think they were about 50,000 grt. They ran from Gladstone, Queensland, to Weipa in the Gulf of Carpentaria where they loaded bauxite for the aluminium smelter in Gladstone. They also did odd trips elsewhere. They obtained coal bunkers locally in Gladstone. The ANLs were built in Japan and the TNTs in Italy. I think they're all gone now but they were in service for 30 years or so.

There's more info on the site if you are able to find it.

John T

 

[eddyw]

Ferries from Poland to Sweden at the time were operated by the Polish Baltic Shipping Co under the brand name Polferries. No trace in their fleet list of a newbuild with coal fired steam engines or turbines, vessels invariably being second-hand mv's. There are references to Kockum's ceasing merchant vessel building in 1986, which may be relevant.

 

[blueprint2002]

Thanks tdp and ew for the helpful pointers. It was a long shot, but someone on SN always knows how to find an answer!