Daniel Adamson News 2005

HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND PROJECT PLANNING GRANT AWARD

The Daniel Adamson Preservation Society is pleased to announce that it has been successful in an application for a Heritage Lottery Fund Project Planning Grant.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has notified the society that a Project Planning grant of up to £50,000 towards the cost of drawing up a Conservation Management Plan and associated surveys has been awarded. 

The award of the Project Planning Grant along with other funds means that work to restore the vessel can now proceed to the next stage.  As part of this, asbestos will be removed from the vessel to facilitate a detailed survey of the ship’s structure, interior and mechanical components.  All areas of the vessel will be examined both to determine its condition and how her historic integrity can be maintained.

The completed survey will enable the Society to develop a fully costed plan to return this historic vessel to full working order and ensure her preservation for the enjoyment of future generations.

Commenting on news of the award, Daniel Adamson Preservation Society Chairman Tony Hirst said: “This grant is a major boost to achieving the Society’s objective of restoring the Daniel Adamson to her former glory.  We believe that it will also be a catalyst for raising further funding towards this goal.  We are extremely grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for their support”

Commenting on the award, HLF's regional manager Tony Jones said, “The Heritage Lottery Fund has always recognised the important role that our industrial past has played for local communities as well as its ability to attract volunteers and visitors.  I'm extremely pleased that HLF has helped fund the next stage in this project allowing valuable planning and research to get underway."

BBC RADIO MERSEYSIDE

Vice-Chairman Dan Cross will be appearing on the Roger Philips programme on Radio Merseyside on Wednesday November 23. at 13:45 to talk about the Daniel Adamson and the project planning grant award.

THE TOW LINE

From the news item above, it will now be apparent why despatch of "The Tow Line" was delayed.

Initially it had been hoped that the HLF announcement would be made around the end of October. However, things took a little bit longer than expected.

GOOD NEWS IS COMING SOON!

Next week the society will be announcing some exciting news which will enable the project to be moved forward to its next stage. Please check back for details.

It is expected that an announcement will be made on November 23.

Also on November 23 the DANIEL ADAMSON will feature in the Liverpool Daily Post newspaper.

THE TOW LINE

As notified a few weeks ago in this news file, there has been a delay in completing the October edition of the "The Tow Line". 

The delay is due to the fact that the society wanted to ensure the  next edition contained the news referred to above!

VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED - NOVEMBER 19

On Saturday November 19 the ballast on board DANIEL ADAMSON will have to be removed to enable the ship to be surveyed.

The more volunteers that turn up, the easier it will be for everyone.

THE TOW LINE

Please note there will be a short delay in completing Edition 6 of The Tow Line.

It is anticipated that there may be some additional news to report by early November. The Tow Line, therefore, will now be despatched during the first half of November.

FREE AT LAST

A very brief update to let you know that as promised the Saturday working party set to, determined to free the last remaining bolt holding the port engine control valve.  As mentioned already this valve had displayed resistance above and beyond the call of duty, almost defying every effort  to free it for a well needed overhaul.  We had been down to the last bolt on Tuesday when for the lack of a toothed hack-saw blade between us we were compelled to abandon the attempt.  Perhaps it's no surprise then that as each volunteer arrived on Saturday morning, they produced handfuls of new hack-saw blades, so many that it seems unlikely we will need more for some years to come!!

A suitable blade was selected from the 'mountain' available, the lifting tackle holding the valve was readied and the strain taken up, there followed an audible 'click'! For a moment a horrible thought that the valve body or flange had cracked was evident on the faces of all present, this soon turned to broad smiles as it was realised that it was the remaining bolt having sheared. It was almost as if this decidedly 'inanimate object' had 'sensed' further resistance was futile and finished the job for us!

The valve appropriately resembling an old cannon ball was carefully hoisted out of the engine room and made ready for overhaul. Hopefully this will reveal no defects and suitably restored and certificated, we can replace it ensuring all bolts, nuts and joints are suitably lubricated to avoid similar problems of removal in the future.

Doubtless this experience will not be unique, especially as we turn to the boiler fittings in the future, One thing is certain, we won't be stuck for a hack-saw blade!! <photos>

Well done to all concerned!!

PROGRESS

Recently the updates have provided news of a number of activities involving 'DAPS' members 'ashore' Principally the vitally important role of promoting the Society's activities and encouraging new members to add their support to the project. This has involved our attending rallies at the Inland Waterways Festival, Preston Brook, the Malpas Steam Rally and most recently the Birkenhead Tramway Rally, at Pacific Road in Birkenhead.

Operating our stand at these gatherings allows us to personally describe some of the vessel's history and outline the aims of the project to a large cross section interested people, some of whom will take the next step and hopefully join our ever expanding membership. The rallies also provide a means to meet up with others engaged in similar projects, compare notes and gain new ideas, contacts and a host of other valuable information on the complexities of running such an undertaking. Frequently the stand receives visits from existing members, some of whom for a variety of reasons cannot get down to the vessel in person, but equally keen to discuss progress and demonstrate their support, indeed few if any leave without making some additional contribution, be it the purchase of an item of merchandise or some other donation. It goes without saying that all contributions made go directly to 'DAPS' funds and that the volunteers staffing the stands do so entirely at their own expense, giving their time freely.

 The selection of venues for these rallies is therefore restricted to some extent in that we are limited to the availability of volunteers and the distances involved.  Invariably the staffing of the stand tends to fall to the same people, in the main this means those already actively involved in the regular 'on board' working parties.   As we cannot be in two places at once, this means that a number of recent weekend working parties have needed to be cancelled as the dates for these and the rallies have clashed. This can lead to some complaint from volunteers eager to press on with the project and we have tried to accommodate this too. The IWA Rally at Preston Brook is perhaps the extreme example, the event took place over the Bank Holiday weekend Saturday 27th to Monday 29th August and involved in setting up our stand in advance on Thursday 25th. In my case, aside from the regular working party on Tuesday 23rd, I helped on Thursday setting up, staffed the stand on the Bank Holiday Monday and attended the next working party on Tuesday 30th.

In short a little more help would be welcome, without it we must carefully consider our priorities for next year. So if you've thought about it but have hesitated in the past please get in touch,  Colin Leonard is our events coordinator and would be happy to here from you, his contact details can be found on our 'Contacts Page'

Meanwhile......

As mentioned, working parties have not been neglected and our regular Tuesday gatherings have continued without interruption, much progress having been made.

On deck the chipping, scaling and needle-gunning of old paintwork and rust continues unabated with great strides being made. The aft peak hold nears completion while the inner bulwarks are looking a great deal better too.

A general first impression is that a lot of care and attention is being applied to 'the old girl' and that 'she' is looking the better for it.

With frequently as many volunteers in attendance most Tuesdays as attend our Saturday gatherings, progress is readily visible.  It is gratifying to hear comments from our regular visitors such as TTE's Boris Baugh, to the effect that each visit reveals new progress being made. It has to be said that this is almost entirely due to the hard work of the volunteers and has been achieved on a very modest budget.

As mentioned previously, in conjunction with TTE we have been overhauling many of the engine room valves, an absolutely essential job and one which will ensure the safe and efficient operation of the vessel in the future. So far the majority of these have been of modest proportions and thankfully, generally easy to remove. We could not expect to have a completely smooth run and we were not disappointed when we turned to removing, or rather attempted to remove the main steam inlet/control valve on the port main engine.  It's almost identical counterpart on the starboard engine gave only token resistance and after a little 'persuasion'  we succeeded in dismantling it with relative ease.

Not so it's port side twin, after weeks of effort with spanners, hammers, chisels, wedges, releasing agents of every conceivable type, the application of heat, much sweat, tears and words of 'encouragement' we had hardly made any difference whatever, the securing bolts, nuts, even the jointing were seized solid. Anxious not to fracture what is after all a 'brittle' casting, we had almost abandoned all hope of ever succeeding in removing the valve.  Tuesday saw the breakthrough as Boris and Paul of TTE applied heat with an oxy-acetylene torch they had brought aboard. The carefully concentrated heat was just enough to get us started and we took it in turns to hammer, chisel and ultimately hacksaw our way through bolts and studs literally 'fused' in place for untold years!

By 5.00pm with not a toothed hack-saw blade remaining, one partially severed bolt remained to frustrate us. The remainder had succumbed to this tremendous effort, all but this last one!!

We eagerly await Saturday, new blades and a suitably refreshed team to finish the job!!  Meanwhile some photos of the efforts to remove just one old, rusted but very tough steam valve follow.

As this effort progressed it should be mentioned here that other volunteers were hard at it too. Peter Murray and Gordon Weston replaced all but the last of the 40 main engine holding down bolts. The final one located directly beneath the reluctant  steam valve was considered in too hazardous a position to attempt while others worked above. In particular Peter's efforts in this work cannot be praised too highly, for several weeks he has scrabbled around the bilges, for hours on end, covered in oil to remove the old bolts and replace them with new ones, a great job well done.  Despite the need to replace one last bolt, Peter's boiler-suit had reached the end of it's useful life and no washing machine on earth could have saved it, much less his marriage had he tried, so that a fitting 'Viking Funeral' was given to what remained of the garment!

BIRKENHEAD TRAMWAY RALLY & OPEN DAY

DAPS attended the annual rally and open day at the Birkenhead Tramway on Sunday October 02. The stand attracted a lot of interest and many membership information leaflets were handed out.

Quite a few of those receiving leaflets will, by now, have found their way to this web site to find out more about the Daniel Adamson project.

To those people we would like to say welcome to the web site and trust that you now have seen more information about the project and the significant progress being made you will consider applying for membership.

THE JOHN DEAKIN INTERVIEW

DAPS BBQ - A Sizzling Success

The society is pleased to report that the BBQ held on Saturday September 24, 2005 was a "Sizzling Success" !

For a full report and photos from Neil Marsden <click here>

THE TOW LINE #6

The press date for TOW LINE #6 is approaching. If any member has any suitable material for inclusion in the next edition please email the webmaster / editor jhluxton@btinternet.com .

Once again could we appeal to members to submit items for inclusion? Over the past year or so almost all the material included in TOW LINE has been supplied by committee members. Given our large and increasing membership it is surprising that little material has been received from other members.

WORKING PARTY - CHANGE OF DATE

Please note that the working party scheduled for Tuesday September 20 has been rescheduled to WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 21.

MALPAS

DAPS Visited the Annual Malpas Vintage Rally over the weekend of September 10 / 11. We welcomed many visitors to the stand, many of whom were aware of the web site. Hopefully we will be welcoming some of these people to our membership in the near future.

BIRKENHEAD TRAM MUSEUM RALLY

BACK ON LINE!

If you have not visited the site since last weekend you may not have noticed any problems. However, anyone attempting to access www.danieladamson.co.uk from Tuesday through to Friday evening would have been greeted by a page cannot be displayed notice.

Apparently our web hosts have been installing new "Plesk" servers and as a result the web site went off line. It is not known if a warning was received about the down time, as it may well have become lost in your webmaster's spam trap.

Anyway we are now back!

One slight down side is that we have lost any entries in the guest book made after July 09. If you have signed the guest book since then, please could you sign again?

DAPS MEMBERS' BARBEQUE

A reminder that there will be a BBQ held at the Daniel Adamson in Salisbury Dock for members, their families and friends on Saturday September 24, 2005 commencing 14:00 onwards.

If you wish to come along please advise George Pennington by Wednesday September 14.

 g.pennington@blueyonder.co.uk  Tel:  0774 281 3600

DANIEL ADAMSON - AS SEEN ON BBC TV!

Following the recent appearance of our Chief Engineer - John Deakin who appeared on Roger Philip's BBC Radio Merseyside "Mersey Lifer" feature in late July - The Daniel Adamson significantly raised its public profile just a few days ago appearing on regional TV.

Members living in north west England may have seen the excellent report shown on the BBC North West regional news on Tuesday August 23. This was filmed during the Tuesday working party and presented by reporter Kate Sims. The "Danny" appeared in a short report on the lunch time regional news bulletin, with a longer feature on the evening bulletin which featured interviews with several members including Chairman Tony Hirst, Vice Chairman Dan Cross and Chief Engineer John Deakin.

COMPANION WAY INSTALLED

During mid August a new temporary companion way has been installed securing access to the aft accommodation. John Broomby and Gordon Owen have done an excellent job which now secures the rear accommodation. [photos]

NATIONAL INLAND WATERWAYS FESTIVAL - PRESTON BROOK

DAPS has been in attendance at the National Inland Waterways Festival which has been held at Preston Brook, Runcorn over the August Bank Holiday Weekend.

At the time of compiling this news bulletin the event had not concluded, however, up to Sunday the society had many visitors to the stand on the rally field and has signed up more new members.

On Saturday August 27 the "Daniel Adamson Military Band" performed at the rally. You can find out more at www.adamsonband.co.uk/News.htm

DANIEL ADAMSON MEMORIES

Over the past year or so, when meeting members of the society as well as members of the general public at transport rallies that many people have memories of the Daniel Adamson in service.

It is intended to start a new section of the website devoted to personal memories. If you worked on board, travelled on her as a passenger, or observed her movements during her working life and would like to write a few lines we would like to hear from you!

Please send contributions to luxtonjh@btinternet.com - subject: Daniel Adamson Memories.

HELP FROM HILTI (GREAT BRITAIN) LIMITED

I am delighted to announce that on Tuesday last, we received a visit from Dan Stringer, Product Manager (Power Tools) of HILTI (Great Britain) Limited, based in Trafford Park, Manchester. Dan brought with him a very useful piece of equipment which will be invaluable in tackling the massive amount of steelwork on board which requires cleaning up, prior to painting.

The Hilti TE104 is an electrically powered needle gun, which with adaptors can also be used to chisel and chip paint-work and rust. The needle attachment us used to bring the metal back to pristine condition before the application of preservatives and paint. Until recently we have had the occasional use of a similar loaned item but now with this new machine our volunteers will have full time access to this equipment.

Following the presentation of the TE104 by Dan, it was immediately put to use by volunteer Phil Janion, pictured in a suitable pose in the aft peak hold area.

Dan Stringer presenting the TE104 machine to DAPS representative, yours truly [left].  The second photograph shows Phil Janion eager to get cracking with the new machine. [right]

On behalf of DAPS our most sincere thanks to Dan Stringer and Hilti (GB) Ltd.

With both machines available on Saturday and a dozen volunteers eager to 'get on with it' we were very glad of the new generator and it's ample power output. It easily coped with both needle guns, angle grinder, drill and jig-saw as well as all the necessary lights. For those regular readers of these pages, you will be aware that it's predecessor, when we did manage to start it,  struggled to provide enough power at the best of times, so it is really great to have the new machine up and running. The new generator incorporates safety trips so protecting it from any excess load, another very valuable and reassuring feature. So to all members who's contributions have paid for this item once again many thanks!!

- Neil Marsden

NATIONAL INLAND WATERWAYS FESTIVAL

August 11

NOTICE

As you will be aware we have been fortunate in obtaining a tremendous amount of support from commercial sources since the earliest days of the Society's formation and wherever possible we endeavour to acknowledge this in these pages.

We do so only after agreement with the company concerned or their representative, thus there are many instances whereby we have received support from organisations where we cannot publicly express our gratitude, much as we would like to do so. Unfortunately it would seem that some individuals visiting this site see an opportunity to take advantage of our good intentions by contacting some of our supporters, in the hope of getting 'something for nothing'

We certainly do not operate in this underhanded manner, but instead go to great lengths in explaining what we are about, the project itself, our charitable status and our limited resources, wherever possible inviting potential supporters to visit and see for themselves. In some cases support develops from personal contacts by members, so that it is somewhat embarrassing to learn that others have attempted to gain from the situation.

Could I ask that all potential supporters are made aware of our policy to acknowledge their generosity, but only with their complete agreement, should they prefer anonymity we will respect their wishes. In these instances I would ask that the committee be advised of the donor's identity so that a suitable private acknowledgement of thanks might be made.

- Neil Marsden

HOUSE KEEPING

In the July 27 News update (below) it was reported that a certain amount of house keeping would be undertaken during August. A significant amount of that work has been completed today, August 11.

Much of this work has involved reorganising the photographic galleries. The gallery have now been split into yearly sections, in a similar manner to the News Bulletins.

Within the 2004 area some galleries have been merged to keep things manageable. Whilst a number of images have been deleted to free up some space, the reorganisation still maintains a full illustrated record of the progress of work on the DANIEL ADAMSON commencing from the day the society was formed in February 2004.

A little more "house keeping" will be undertaken in the next few days.

THE TOW LINE #5

Edition 5 of "The Tow Line" should be dropping through letter boxes around now. If your copy does not turn up in the next few days please advise. Please note that this will be the last edition sent to members who have not renewed their subscriptions for 2005 - 06.

WORKING PARTIES

Due to a clash of dates the Saturday August 27 working party has been cancelled.

This is the August Bank Holiday weekend which coincides with the National Inland Waterways Festival to be held at Preston Brook between August 27 and 29.

Whilst there will not be any work going on aboard the DANIEL ADAMSON that weekend, volunteer help on the DAPS stand at Preston Brook would be most welcome. Please get in touch with Colin Leonard if you can help. colin_leonard@hotmail.com 

HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND

THE TOW LINE #5

The fifth edition of the DAPS magazine "The Tow Line" is almost complete and will be on its way to members in the next few days.

BARBECUE

George Pennington will be organising a BBQ for DAPS members, their families and friends on Saturday September 24, 2005. It will be held at Salisbury Dock beside the ship and is expected to commence around 14:00.

Please contact George for further details: g.pennington@blueyonder.co.uk

JOHN DEAKIN - ON AIR

REQUESTS

Some members who are unable to physically get down to the boat may wish to see specific items or areas of the vessel in more detail. If it is possible we will do our best to provide up to date photos and information on the particular areas of interest and publish these on the web-site. Please let Neil Marsden know and we will do our best to oblige.

WEBSITE HOUSE KEEPING

During August your web master will be undertaking some housekeeping work on the DAPS web site.

This work will involve the reorganisation of the 2004 Photo Galleries. As part of this work some pages will be merged and the number of photographs reduced. This is work being undertaken to keep the web site manageable, and free up space for new material.

Despite the reduction in photographs a full photographic record of work undertaken on the ship since February 2004 will be maintained on the web site.

REPLACEMENT TELEGRAPH DONATED

We are delighted to report that efforts to replace some of our 'missing' parts took a major step forward recently, with the donation of an engine-room telegraph.

For those not aware, the two matching 'Robinson' telegraphs and the engine-room repeaters were 'removed' from the 'DA' during her time at Ellesmere Port. In addition to these essential items, several other important and in some cases irreplaceable parts were sto..sorry 'removed' from the vessel. These include numerous oil boxes, tallow cup lubricators (at least seven) and pressure gauges, those that were left were smashed! Most importantly the builder's plate and engine builder's plate also went missing. (for detailed photographs - click here)

Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Kevin Brady of Runcorn and with the assistance of Member Mr Percy Dunbavand, a very suitable replacement telegraph has been obtained, suffice to say it is first and foremost made by Robinson's of Liverpool, like our 'missing' telegraphs it is designed for a twin screw vessel, it is largely intact, complete with link chains and is virtually undamaged. This telegraph was originally installed as one of a pair on another local tug, scrapped some years ago.

On hearing of our plight Mr Brady generously donated the instrument for restoration and ultimately installation aboard the 'Daniel Adamson'

It appears that aside from a good dose of 'Brasso' the major tasks of restoration involve the manufacture of a new access plate to replace that missing from the telegraph's pedestal/column. A small oval manufacturer's(?) plate also appears to be missing from the centre top of the dial head.

Accordingly on Tuesday last (12th July) Colin Leonard delivered the telegraph to Salisbury Dock, where arrangements had been made to hand it over to our friends at TTE for some TLC. The photograph shows Colin transferring the telegraph to TTE's Paul Graham, who has incidentally worked wonders in restoring some of our badly damaged pressure gauges already. Paul is confident that a new inspection plate can be made and was obviously keen to get to work with the 'buffer' on that tarnished brass.  Hopefully in the not too distant future we shall be able to present photos of the finished result.

Paul also brought along a new group of trainees for their first visit to the boat,  they didn't leave empty handed and took with them still more parts for some gentle refurbishment.  Whilst aboard they missed no opportunity to ask plenty of questions about the history and operation of the ship and I have to say it was a delight to see the enthusiasm not only of the young men asking the questions, but that of those responding too.

My second photo shows some of the apprentices chatting to Member Peter Murray as he works on one of the 'Drysdale' main circulating pumps, the steam propulsion engine of which can be seen in the foreground.

In closing, the donation of the telegraph takes us another important step forward, we have a long way to go, we need another just like it, plus the repeaters for down below.  The builder's plates may have to be replicated along with other items. As we often say when working aboard, there is nothing on the ship that wasn't made by a person (must be PC!) so that if it comes right down to it, we can make it again, we have the people and the skills.

Sadly some of our missing items may have been removed purely for their 'scrap' value, while others may survive as 'souvenirs' perhaps?

In the case of ships that no longer exist this is an understandable method of retaining some nostalgic link with an 'old friend'  ' A little piece of a 'happy ship' with fond memories of long ago. Far better that fate than as a 'prop' in some theme pub or worse.

But if as in the case of the 'DA' that vessel not only survives, but will hopefully one day sail again,  there is only one place for those items, doing the job they were designed for.

We will in the near future be mounting further appeals for help in replacing these missing items, with articles in the local press and national magazines.

If any member or reader can assist, or provide any information on this subject we'd love to hear from you. Please see 'contacts page' for details, thank you.

NEW GENERATOR

Earlier this week a brand new generator was installed on the Daniel Adamson. At last we have a reliable source of power for illumination and the operation of power tools which will be of great assistance to the working parties.

Purchase of the generator has only been possible thanks to the support of members through membership fees, donations and / or purchase of sales items.

FIRST AGM

The first Annual General Meeting of the Daniel Adamson Preservation Society was held on Saturday July 02, 2005.

AGM day was divided into two sessions. In the morning the DANIEL ADAMSON was open for inspection from 10:00 to 12:00. The working party volunteers having put in a tremendous effort to get her all "ship shape" for our visitors.

A total of sixty six members visited the DANIEL ADAMSON, in favourable weather conditions, at her Salisbury Dock berth. Some members brought along friends and family which has resulted in the total number of visitors being reckoned to have been at around 72.

On board refreshments were provided by Di Hurst, Mo Crecraft and Eddie Doig. These were served on the promenade deck a foretaste of what will be possible in the future when the "Danny" sails the Manchester Ship Canal again!

The formal Annual General Meeting was held during the afternoon in the Merseyside Maritime Museum Lecture Theatre. The meeting was attended by 50 members.

Tony Hirst presented the Chairman's Report, whilst Treasurer Alan Hughes and Secretary Pat Crecraft reported on fiscal and membership matters. Dan Cross gave a detailed account of the Heritage Lottery Fund Project Planning Grant application and the various options available for preserving the DANIEL ADAMSON. Finally Tony Hirst presented a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threat] Analysis to the members present. This resulted in significant feedback and discussion amongst the members. Details of the SWOT Analysis will be included in the next edition of "The Tow Line" for the benefit of members who were unable to attend the AGM.

During the day the Committee were very pleased by the amount of positive feedback received from members concerning progress made on the vessel to date. Some of these members have not visited the ship since the initial meeting held in February 2004 when she was a sad, decaying wreck abandoned to vandals and the elements.

The AGM gave the society the opportunity to present members with two new sales items - a polo shirt with an attractive DAPS logo and a set of four post cards. Sales of these items were brisk to say the least.

Details of how to obtain these items by mail order will be posted to the web site shortly and also included in edition #5 of "The Tow Line"

The committee would like to thank those members who turned up on the day to visit the ship and / or attend the AGM.

WORKING PARTIES / OPEN DAY

As the 'Open Day' approaches we have been very busy aboard the 'DA' trying to get things looking suitably 'ship-shape' in time for Saturday. In that regard, despite one of the hottest (for a change!) days we've experienced in some time, a total of twelve volunteers turned out on Tuesday, including two members for whom it was their first 'Working Party'  Brian Janion and Ron Colville soon got 'stuck-in' and there efforts in clearing up the promenade deck were very much appreciated.  Despite the promenade deck cover having acquired several tears over the winter months, it was still like a 'greenhouse' inside as the volunteers cleared away a great mass of material that had gathered there over the last year.

The material has been moved to a secure storage area off the boat, leaving the promenade deck considerably less cluttered than we have been used to, it actually seems massive by comparison. All being well it should provide a far better space for those visiting on Saturday.  Please remember visitors are welcome between 10.00 am and 12.30pm  We must ensure all visitors are ashore by 12.30 to allow time to secure the boat and allow the volunteers to attend the AGM for a prompt start at 2.00pm.

As usual the boat will be open for members to check on the progress of the work so far,  we hope you will find 'her' looking a lot better and considerably cleaner than 'she' has for some time. Nevertheless, it is advisable to wear sensible clothing on the day, you shouldn't need a boiler-suit, but 'Sunday Best' is probably not a good idea.

If visiting the engine-room a safety helmet must be worn, we have an ample supply including some brand new ones kindly donated by Member and regular volunteer Nigel Farrell.  Thanks to John Churchill and his contact Terry Brooks of Buck & Hickman, Ellesmere Port,  we can provide barrier cream, hand cleanser and towels, all kindly donated by Terry, so no excuses for dirty hands, we should have a supply of disposable gloves too!! As ever toilet facilities remain basic, but should be clean and functional at least, so no excuses to buy a 'cuppa' and a slice of cake!!

We will have a selection of merchandise available on the day, so please don't forget to bring some cash or your cheque book, regrettably we can't accept 'plastic' at present, but almost certainly we will have received our first batch of polo shirts in time for Saturday, so make sure you don't miss out, we forecast they will prove very popular.

In addition we have produced a set of four picture post cards of the 'DA' depicting her at various stages in her lifetime, again we believe these will also prove popular particularly to collectors. They are also a neat way of introducing 'DAPS' to friends or simply keeping in touch!  Thanks to Alan and Judith Hughes for all their hard work in getting these organised in time.

Thanks also to Eddie Doig who will be providing not only his excellent key rings and fridge magnets,  but cakes as well.

Please remember that every penny you spend goes directly to the project, perhaps I should re-phrase that!! 100% of the proceeds from sales goes directly to the project, every penny of it!!

Right then, hope to see you Saturday, if you can't make it but would still like to purchase merchandise we will be giving details of how to do so in a future update.

NEW VALVES FOR OLD

Well not actually NEW valves, but certainly our OLD ones looking like new! Thanks once again to our great friends at TTE Ellesmere Port.

The Staff and Trainees at TTE have once again done us proud, this time refurbishing a number of valves, as we prepare for the inevitable surveys and inspections that lie ahead. On this occasion the trainees have been busy stripping down and overhauling a selection of valves from the ship's engine room, under the supervision of TTE Staff. As can be seen from the 'group' photograph the lads have done a fantastic job and are shown here proudly displaying their hard work, flanked by TTE Staff and John Deakin of 'DAPS'

Today's visit was the first for a new group of trainees, who were given a tour of the ship, including a brief explanation of the basics of the operation of the boiler and main engines as well as an account of why the 'Daniel Adamson' is literally a 'time capsule' of engineering history.

A short visit to the saloons to appreciate the once opulent interiors and the importance of restoring these to their former splendour was followed by 'a brew' of 'ship's tea' before the visitors returned to their studies.

We all hope that the trainees gain as much enjoyment from these visits as we do, whilst at the same time gaining a little more knowledge along the way. As ever our 'Chief Engineer' John Deakin displays his eagerness to impart just a little of his knowledge of the 'Daniel Adamson' gained during a fifty year association with the vessel to our young guests.

Special thanks to Boris Baugh and all at TTE!

- Neil Marsden

THE  GUEST BOOK

Some observant visitors to the DAPS web site may have noticed that since early May the Visitors' Book has not operated in a live format.  When the book is "signed" the entry is now stored until it is manually copied across to an on-going log which visitors can access.

This change was implemented to avoid misuse of the live Visitors' Book. There was evidence of it  being "signed" by various overseas visitors promoting dubious web sites in Asia and Eastern Europe.

The change will mean that rogue entries will no longer be visible. If and when it is apparent that this misuse has ceased the live Visitors' Book will be reinstated.

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC VESSELS

The “Daniel Adamson” has been placed on the National Register of Historic Vessels [NRHV] Designated List maintained by the National Historic Ships Committee [NHSC].  The Main Committee of the NHSC unanimously voted the "Daniel Adamson" on to the NHRV Designated Vessels List at a meeting held at the end of May week.

Designated vessel status is granted to vessels considered by the National Historic Ships Committee to be of a high regional or local significance and which merit priority for long term preservation and support.

John Paton, NHSC Secretary commented, “The committee were particularly impressed with the vessel and the preservation project. There should be no doubt now that in heritage terms she [“The Daniel Adamson”] has considerable value. The NHSC pays tribute to the vision and perseverance in rescuing this remarkable vessel”. 

SKILLS & SUPPORTERS

Do you have a skill we could use?

We often report on the work carried out aboard 'Daniel Adamson' by our enthusiastic volunteers and can now regularly count on over a dozen willing pairs of hands at each working party. Amongst these 'regulars' we are fortunate in having a wide range of skills, with electricians, joiners, engineers and a host of other talents all willing to get 'stuck in' often with tasks far more menial than their skills require, but essential to the progress of the project.

 Not all volunteers give their time aboard the vessel, as there is a great deal to be done 'behind the scenes' and we should not forget the essential work they contribute. As you will have read in 'Tow Line' a great deal of time and effort has gone into the preparation of the Project Planning Application to the HLF, membership matters and managing the society's finances also involve a great deal of commitment by those responsible and we should recall that by their efforts 'DAPS' was granted Registered Charity status at the first application, has gained valuable additional income from 'Gift Aid' and from other sources, including the PRISM fund, even from the operation of our stand at selected rallies and shows. We should also acknowledge the skill and effort of our 'web-master' thanks to whom we have a much praised web-site providing regular and hopefully informative news of the progress of the project.

 Hopefully, over the months we have managed to identify most if not all those involved, so it is with pleasure that I mention the valuable help of two more members of the society whose particular expertise provides 'DAPS' with some extremely useful assets.

Firstly I would like to mention Mike Williams, a self confessed tug enthusiast and even more importantly for us, a professional industrial designer, specialising in pipe work systems for industry. You can guess how he is helping, of course with plans but a little more than that.

Over the last few weeks Mike, assisted by some of our regular volunteers has been tracing all pipe work, together with associated valves etc throughout the ship. Principally these are to be found in the engine and boiler rooms, mainly beneath the floor plates necessitating the lifting of the plates to allow a careful examination and identification of what does what and what goes where! In turn each pipe, joint, coupling and valve are marked and tagged and details recorded both on the plan and an index.

For such a relatively small vessel we have been surprised at the relative complexity of the system which allows for the emergency operation of systems using alternative pumps and so on.  As has been said before, the 'over engineering' provided on a vessel of this age, originally designed for a routine service continues to amaze us. There is nothing basic about this ship and this attention to detail combined with the use of quality materials throughout may well explain why she is still very much with us today.

Not only is Mike's work an important factor in the conservation of the vessel, it will form an essential tool in the operation and maintenance of the ship in the future. As will be seen from a look at Mike's own company web-site www.lynicindes.co.uk  (particularly for those familiar with the old ways of 'tracing pipes') the completed plans will be of a most professional standard and thanks to the use of CAD and other computer based design systems, capable of display in 3D 'model' format which will certainly be a great help.

The second member I would like to mention is Alan Frodsham whose particular skill is of an older, more traditional and rapidly diminishing form of craftsmanship. Alan is a pattern maker by profession and one of considerable experience, so that we are extremely fortunate in counting him as a member of our society. We do have to share Alan's skills not only with his professional employment, but a long association with another North West based preservation society, 'The West Lancashire Light Railway' as well as other individuals and groups. (www.djr12ecg.demon.co.uk/wllr/wllr.html)  For anyone not familiar with the role of a pattern maker, Alan constructs mould patterns used in the casting process. As an example the boiler fire bars on board are made from cast iron which are formed when molten metal is poured into moulds, these are traditionally made from sand packed around a removable 'pattern' carefully made not only to replicate the finished item, but accurately scaled up to allow for shrinkage of the metal used as it cools.

Regular viewers of the current TV series featuring the late Fred Dibnah, will have seen the processes involved in some detail.

Suffice to say, it was with great pleasure that we welcomed Alan aboard last weekend and even more so when he took with him samples of our boiler fire, wing and centre bearer bars to replicate in pattern form, in preparation for the casting of replacements when required

As has been stated, both Alan and Mike can only give a little of their time to the project, being fully committed both to their work and other pursuits, however, the time they do provide is of great value and extremely beneficial to the project.

We appreciate that many members may feel constrained by their geographical location, work commitments or perhaps age or health considerations. In some instances members may believe they do not possess a talent or skill that might be useful, perhaps thinking my skills won't help in this case. The truth is you may well be someone who can provide help with all manner of things, amateur or professional,  quite simply if you have a talent or skill the chances are we could use it. 

If you think you can help please get in touch with any council member, our contact details are available both on this site and in the newsletter.

THANK YOU WYMARK LTD

I am delighted to report that our list of Commercial Supporters continues to grow. After recently receiving a sample of a rust inhibitor known as 'Rustroy' which we tested on the newly cleaned plates in the aft peak hold with excellent results, I decided to approach the manufacturers 'Wymark Ltd' of Cheltenham, Glos. www.wymark.co.uk/rustroy.html 

By return I received a very positive response from Wymark's Managing Director, Melvyn Dane in which he wished us success with the project and very generously donated 25 litres of 'Rustroy' sufficient to treat approximately 1750 square metres!! 

The consignment arrived on Monday and was aboard and in use at the next working party on Tuesday. The photos show John Deakin receiving the donated product flanked by some equally familiar faces from our 'Tuesday Gang' also views of the plates before and after application of 'Rustroy'

I'm sure you'll agree it really does a great job and the metalwork actually looks as good as new. Naturally I have conveyed our sincere thanks to Melvyn and 'Wymark Ltd' for their generous support.

- Neil Marsden

THE TOW LINE

Members should now be in receipt of Edition 4 of "The Tow Line". If you have not received your copy, or know of someone who has not received a copy, please let the editor know.

The press date for the next edition of "The Tow Line" is July 01.

- John Luxton

GENERATOR "GEN" LATEST

For those readers who have been avidly following details on the progress of the efforts of Steve Lawrinson and Walter Graham to repair the diesel generator, I realise that in my last report I left you with a 'cliff hanger' situation.  As reported after a great deal of effort the engine had been successfully started only to reveal an oil leak!! The seal having failed, Colin Leonard was dispatched to negotiate the purchase of a replacement.

Colin was missing for a considerable time and we had begun to suspect that he had taken the opportunity to go home for that day, however, he did return to explain that he had been engaged for the duration of his absence searching the suppliers premises for a suitable replacement. Alas the search had proved fruitless, although a 'possible' was believed to be available at another depot and would be transferred. Colin volunteered to call again when the part was available and sure enough at the next working party, in a scene which would not have looked out of place in Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' the oil seal was ceremoniously produced, Colin reimbursed the £4.50p cost and the seal snatched from his hands by the eager Wally and Steve!

A few more minutes elapsed before the distinctive note of the 'Petter' diesel was heard once more, accompanied by a column of exhaust smoke, which was observed to rise skyward in the manner of that seen recently above the Sistine Chapel roof, a cheer rose up, replicating that produced by the anxious crowds in St. Peter's Square and our generator was back in service!!

I apologise if I have perhaps overly dramatised the event, but as far as elderly diesel generators go, this was indeed a resurrection of sorts!

So, for the moment we have restored our main power supply, there are still some anxious glances as load is applied and the engine note reflects the strain, but after all their hard work, it is only fitting to record our thanks to Steve and Wally and their triumph of 'man over machine' well done!!

WORKING PARTIES

THE TOW LINE

Printing of edition #4 of our newsletter "The Tow Line" is now complete. Copies will be on their way to members within the next few days. We are a few days behind schedule, but this was due to the need to increase the size of the magazine to 16 pages for this issue as there was so much to include!

Following the format of previous editions "The Tow Line" will include items  which will be new even to regular visitors to the web site, therefore, it provides something for everyone.

INLAND WATERWAYS ASSOCIATION NATIONAL FESTIVAL

Daniel Adamson Preservation Society will be attending the Inland Waterways Association National Festival and Boat Show at Preston Brook near Runcorn over the August Bank Holiday weekend - August 27 to 29.

VISIT BY TTE APPRENTICES

The working party on Tuesday (12th April) saw one of our biggest mid-week turn-outs for some time with no fewer than fourteen volunteers in attendance. The weather must have had a part in it, but it was still a delight to see so many willing hands aboard.

In addition we had a visit from our friends from TTE (Ellesmere Port) led by 'Boris' Baugh and his staff who brought along a large party of apprentices for a look over the boat. Some had visited previously but there were certainly a lot of new faces and I hope the lads found the trip interesting.

Right now the 'Sentinel' steering engine has been fully overhauled by Boris and his team who have actually tested it in running order (albeit on compressed air) and found all well. I understand that the windlass has also re-emerged as good as new having been grit blasted and repainted as well as having been fully restored to working order. Both items currently remain with TTE in safe storage until we can provide equally secure facilities for them aboard.

Meanwhile volunteers and TTE staff discussed other potential projects on board, including the overhaul of more auxiliary machinery which may well include both rotary and reciprocating pumps. This work is both essential to ensure the safe and successful operation of these machines, while at the same time providing tomorrow's engineers a rare insight into how things 'used to be.' 

Providing them with a unique 'hands on' experience of what engineers of over one hundred years ago were capable of and how the modern day machines they will operate and maintain were developed. Hopefully amongst these 'engineers of the future' some may continue their association with the 'DA' and eventually operate her for the benefit of those who follow in their footsteps.

BACK TO BASICS

As mentioned last week volunteers Steve Lawrinson and Walter Graham spent all of Saturday attempting to resolve the problem we've had with our diesel generator,  I couldn't bring myself to photograph their efforts then, but Tuesday they were there again hard at it.  Despite a concerted effort and no doubt some 'words of encouragement' they soldiered on, but alas could not breathe life into it.

Towards the end of the day there was a faint glimmer of hope, but no further time remained for one final try, so we will no doubt see them giving it 'one last go' next week. To be fair it is a very old, hard used machine and has been a nightmare to start since it was donated to our cause. It has always been a nightmare to start, requiring some consistent and vigorous cranking of the starting handle, which has on occasion rendered many of us exhausted and in danger of heart failure. It is fair to say that if it is beyond repair, it won't be missed too much.

Unfortunately a replacement is a costly matter and one which we are compelled to consider. A safe, independent and above all reliable source of power is essential to continue the work on board, accordingly we are looking at all the options open to us. If members/readers have any additional suggestions we haven't already considered we would be happy to hear from them. In the first instance please e-mail me or any committee member.

I should perhaps mention for those who might be thinking, 'I'd have had that running in five minutes!'

Walter and Steve are probably two of the most experienced diesel specialists around and we are very fortunate to have them as members. Wally specialising in HGV and marine diesels, while Steve is Chief Engineer of currently, one of the world's largest, most powerful container ships (7,500TEU) and we are delighted that he is able to give so much of his leave time to help our project.

The photos show Steve and Wally hard at it, as well as a view of Steve's 'Day Job' one of Rickmers/Cosco new 90,000 ton container ships, that tug alongside is a lot larger than 'Daniel Adamson' which may give an impression of scale.

Neil Marsden

THE TOW LINE

Edition 4 of the DAPS newsletter "The Tow Line" is currently in preparation and should be on its way to members at the end of the month.

Please note that the press date for the next edition, Edition 5 is July 1st. Please forward any items for inclusion to the editor. email: jhluxton@btinternet.com

CLEARING THE AFT ACCOMMODATION

Notwithstanding the Royal Wedding and Grand National, Saturday saw nine members in attendance at the 'DA'

Despite it officially being summertime, the weather was pretty awful with high winds and rain, this combined with the cold contrived to make it a potentially dismal day.  To some extent for Steve Lawrinson and Walter Graham who spent the whole of the day trying to repair our ancient diesel generator it probably was just that.

Despite the overhaul of the generator's fuel pump and injector it resolutely refused to start and it seems the malady may well be 'terminal'  We can only express our thanks for their dogged determination, but thought it better not to record their activities in photographs believing it to be a day they might prefer to forget! They will be back on Tuesday for a fresh crack at the problem, but it looks increasingly likely that we will need to look for a replacement, an expense we could do without, but essential to progress the work.

Meanwhile our small petrol powered (loaned) generator gave sterling service, providing just enough power to allow Pat Brennan to continue his painstaking scaling and needle gunning of the aft peak hold, a task he has cheerfully undertaken over a period of several weeks. The results are truly amazing with the treated plates like new, it actually seems a pity to paint them they look so good. John Hake was also busy stripping down parts of the steering gear. He managed to open up both port and starboard chain wheels, cleaned them up, freeing the spindles, before 'boxing' them up once again suitably oiled. This is important work and obviously an area which will form part of the MCA's surveys.

As for the rest of the volunteers, it was agreed that the day presented an ideal opportunity to set about clearing out the aft accommodation.

As can be seen from earlier pages in this site, the aft (crew) accommodation had been virtually destroyed over the years, largely due to the unwanted attention of vandals who had at one time actually set fire to parts of the fabric. The leaking decks had done the rest so that we were left with a large space containing a vast quantity of rotten timbers, but little else. The interior of the accommodation had been carefully photographed, measured and plans drawn up to illustrate as far as possible the original layout, so that the time had come to make the area safe and to allow access to the internal steelwork in readiness for survey etc.

Our two professional joiners, Gordon Owen and John Broomby set to work 'unjoining' everything and passing out all the rotten timbers to main deck level where Dave Broomby in turn, passed them ashore to Colin Leonard and myself,  to be stacked pending disposal. Salvageable doors, bunk sides and other items suitable at least to provide patterns have been retained.

The vast majority of the wood removed was still absolutely sodden, despite the area having been to all intents and purposes 'dry' for many months past, so that it was soon apparent that we had acted not a moment too soon in removing this source of potential damage to the fabric of the hull itself.

John Broomby pointed out that much of the original panelling had been of mahogany, suggesting that 'as built' the accommodation area had probably comprised a 'varnished wood' finish and not the painted appearance with which we have been familiar. Sadly mahogany is no longer available as it was in 1903, so thoughts must turn to the most effective method of restoration available today when the time comes to replicate these interiors. It will be worth the effort if we can restore this area to it's functional Edwardian elegance which will contrast with, yet compliment the later 'Art Deco' style of the saloons, providing two distinct periods in the ship's long life.