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Daniel Adamson News
2008
Most recent news
appears first. |
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December 31
TURNED ON
Since we now have a respectable and usable workshop, courtesy of United
Utilities for the use of building, the TTE apprentices who rewired it
and, of course, the working party members who cleaned and painted it.
We
need equipment to fit it out, a radial arm drill and a pedestal drill
were quickly acquired, but what we really wanted was a lathe, everybody
was asked who we thought might be able to assist us in this quest.
One
of these people was Graham Lee, the managing director of the Hunslet
Steam Company, "leave it with me, I'll see what I can do" was his reply
and true to his word, a couple of months ago we were told that Graham
had sourced us a lathe.
It
was delivered before Christmas and it's a beauty!
The
two lads who delivered it, Jeff & Nigel, were outstanding, not only did
they organize the offload operation but they helped us to move the
radial arm drill so we could site the lathe and they didn't leave until
they were happy that it was correctly sited and leveled.
Thank you lads, your help and assistance was very much appreciated!
- John Hake |
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The LH Group lorry arrives |
It might look well used but it's
just what we want. |
Hoist away! |
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This could be a tight fit! |
We are now the proud owners of a DSG 17T Toolroom lathe. |
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December 21
'BOX'ING DAY
When we took the
condensers apart and removed all the tubes, we took little notice of the
water boxes that fit at either end, they looked alright but subsequent
inspection showed that they were in very poor condition.
The water boxes are
cast in one piece and from the outside looked in good order, but when
the rust scale on the inside was removed we found parts were very
heavily corroded and in some cases whole lumps just fell off.
Now we were in a
dilemma, we would have to get patterns made, the parts cast and then
machined and that would cost a fair amount of time and money. |
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We approached David
Wren of Wren Industrial & Marine Fabrications to see what he could
suggest and he maintained that he could fabricate the water boxes out of
steel.
We got the old cast
water boxes transported to David's workshop at Sandon Industrial Estate
for him to use as a patterns and over a couple of months David's team
have worked their magic.
The other day, Iain,
from Wrens, rolled up in the lorry with the new and old water boxes on
board.
The old ones were
unloaded and stowed in the trailer and the four new ones taken to the
workshop, where all the other condenser parts are being assembled and
checked ready for the re-construction of the two condensers. |
| Iain
arrives with the lorry. |
Iain
(L) and Kevin (R) discuss the offloaded procedure for the old water
boxes. |
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The new water boxes unloaded and the team pose for the photo in the
workshop - John, Duggie, Kevin, Iain from Wrens), Colin ,Graham & Gordon
(L to R) |
The
new fabricated water boxes looking good. |
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SUITS YOU
 Now
we have the salient parts of the condensers back, all that is needed
is a full set of gaskets to finish the job.
Just up the road from where we are
berthed, in Sandhills Lane, is TJ Engineering Supplies that
offer a bespoke gasket service, so we cut a paper pattern and got
them to make us one gasket in rubber.
This proved to be 'just the job' but
as the bolt holes on each end of the condensers are slightly
different, which in turn means that the holes on each water box are
also slightly different, so each set of gaskets will need to be
'made to measure'.
Graham Dean models the latest line in gaskets from TJ Engineering
Supplies - photo right.
- John Hake
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December 13
STARBOARD 10
Our steam steering
engine had been stored at the TTE Apprentice School in Ellesmere Port
but because they needed the space it had to be returned.
We knew it was working
because the apprentices had tested it by using an air line but our
philosophy is that everything must be working perfectly, so it was
decided that it should be stripped a down and checked properly.
The main casting was
given to Ray Venables of Parkside Fabrications, because we had a few
concerns with it. Ray is an expert in welding cast, so he would check it
over and repair any defects he found in the casting.
In December we had a
educational trip out to Markham Grange Steam Museum where we met George
Dickinson who had restored a Sentinel steam steering engine, very
similar to ours.
George had the steering
engine in steam for us and demonstrated it working using a full mock up
of a ships steering gear.
- John
Hake |
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The Steering engine main casting being
unloaded from Ray's vehicle.
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The steering engine main casting back in the
workshop after being
fully fettled by Ray (right) and received by a pleased
looking Colin (left). |
Neil
Marsden, Kevin Lytton, Dave Pickup & Jim Ellis (l to R) survey
the fully restored Sentinel Steam
steering engine at Markham Grange
Steam Museum and are suitably impressed. |
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NOVEMBER 29
FOR HE'S A JOLLY GOOD
FELLOW!
We were introduced to
Graham Lee, by a colleague from the West Lancs. Light Railway, over a
year ago and since then, Graham, who is the managing director of the
Hunslet Steam Company, which is part of the Hunslet Engine Company, and
offers a repair, refurbish and overhaul service for any make of steam
locomotive, has proved to be a valuable friend indeed.
There are certain jobs
that are beyond our scope because we lack the specialized equipment and
we needed to find somebody to refurbish the eight eccentrics that work
the engine valve gear. Graham offered his services to do this job at a
very competitive rate, but in the end he very generously waived the fee
and said it was a donation to the society.
He also took away the
starboard main circulating pump engine, to have it stripped down
and to check all components for wear, this he has done and has reported
the findings back to us and also the cost of the refurbishment, which
again, is a very competitive price.
His expertise and that
of his team in steam related engineering is, of course, first class and
when he invited us to have a look round his facility at Statfold Barn
Farm, 22 of us travelled to Tamworth to take him up on this splendid
offer.
He gave us the grand
tour and to say that we were impressed with the work being done and the
expertise showed by his team at Statfold would be an understatement. |
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| The
starboard main circulating pump in pieces for our perusal. |
A fine example of the Hunslet Steam Company’s engineering prowess
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Graham
explaining another project featuring a Mirrlees, Bickerton & Day
diesel engine. |
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John Deakin (right)
thanking Graham for "A Grand Day Out". |
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DEAR
SANTA .....
We are in need of some
machine tools to fully equip our workshop and the following would be
very gratefully received.
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Metal Shaper
Machine |
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Mechanical Hacksaw |
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Milling Machine
with a 3' bed |
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Magnetic Base Drill |
Now these don't have to
be the latest CNC, all singing and dancing machines, just bog standard,
old fashioned hand/mechanical controlled and preferably working, but we
have the expertise to fix them if necessary.
So if anybody knows of
a workshop that might have one or more of these machines tucked away in
a corner, that are surplus to requirements and would like to
donate them to a worthy cause, we would only be too glad to take them
off their hands.
You can contact me at
jehake@gmail.com |
November
19
DON'T PANIC CAPT.
MAINWARING
When the starboard fresh water valve
chest was removed for refurbishment, a large rust blister on the
inside of the hull was exposed.
Because the valve chest lies fairly
tight against the ships side and the hot well tank was immediately
above it, this had been missed on previous inspections.
The rust blister looked to be quite
deep and we were loath to give it a whack with a chipping hammer
because, well, it was below the water line and the last thing we
wanted to do was sink the Danny.
Discretion being the better part of
valour, it was decided that the best option was to leave it well
alone and revert to the age old naval tradition of using a "cement
box" as a temporary patch.
Our chippy, Gordon Owen, very
gingerly put into place some shuttering that surrounded the problem
area, aggregate and cement was purchased at the local builders yard,
mixed and poured in.
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| 1 -
Problem areas are arrowed. |
2 -
Shuttering in place. |
3 -
Concrete poured. |
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The "cement box" will
stay in place until we next go into dry dock and the dockyard can take a
look and see if the hull requires a permanent patch.
- John Hake |
| 4 -
That's a nice neat job. |
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November 08
CHIPS WITH EVERYTHING
  While
the engineering section are ensconced in the warm workshop working away
on large pieces of shiny machinery, the deck crew continue to face the
elements with their usual stoic fortitude and good humour. [Photo -
left: Phil Janion giving it loud on the starboard bulwark]
The chipping of the
inner bulwarks from the bow to the port & starboard waist has continued,
only a small section is left to do.
Once the paint is
chipped away, the bare metal is treated with Rustroy which neutralises
the rust and forms a protective coat ready for painting with red oxide.
[Photo - right: Kevin Price and Bill Patterson working on the port
bulwark.]
VISIT FROM THE EDITOR
OF INTERNATIONAL TUG & SALVAGE
 On
Monday 27th October we had a visit from Dawn Gorman, editor of the
International Tug & Salvage magazine, this is a bimonthly trade magazine
for the international tug, towage and salvage industries and is
distributed worldwide. [Photo - left: Dawn with Neil and some of the
working party on the promenade deck.]
 Dawn
was informed of our existence by a colleague in the States who had seen
our website and she decided to write an article on the Daniel Adamson
and how we are restoring it, hoping it will be of interest to her
readers and show them how a tug was equipped 100 years ago. [Photo
- right: Neil & John explain the
workings of a 3 furnace, coal fired 'Scotch' boiler]
Dawn spent all day with
us and was given the full tour of inspection by Neil Marsden & John
Deakin. The ITS website is
www.tugandsalvage.com
- John Hake |
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October 26
ERRATA
An incomplete and incorrectly
captioned news update was posted on October 11. This has now been
corrected and appears below. Apologies for the error.
- John H. Luxton |
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October 11
THE PRESSURE IS ON
We have started to pressure test the main
steam pipes, the first one is the low pressure pipe that takes the
exhaust steam from the LP cylinder to the condenser.
There are two of these, one on each
engine, each is cast in one piece with flanges and are about 11"
diameter and 7' long.
Kevin Lytton is our expert in this area
and has been busy showing us how it is done.
The Method is :
- Bolt both pipes together and test them as one unit.
- Fill them with water.
- Fit a blanking plate on one end fitted with a pressure gauge
- Fit a blanking plate on the other end with a connection to a
pressure hand pump.
- Remove all the air.
- Pump up to the test pressure.
- Check for leaks
We did have to do steps 6 & 7 a few
times because of leaks on the blankingplate gaskets, but when these were sorted, the pipe retained the
test pressure
of 125 psi for well over 1 hour. |
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| 1.
Kevin prepares one of the gaskets |
2.
The gauge connection |
3.
The pump connection |
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| 4.
The pipe(s) is topped up with water |
5.
The pump connected |
6.
Kevin pumps & Dave Pickup, John Deakin & Gordon Owen watch the
gauge. |
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We did have to do steps 6 & 7 a few times
because of leaks on the blanking plate gaskets, but when these were
sorted, the pipe retained the test pressure of 125 psi for well over 1
hour.
- John Hake
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| 7.
Now we wait for a couple of hours |
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October 04
DO THE SLIPPERS FIT?
The engineering
department have been busy progressing the work on the piston rods and
the slippers plates, under the supervision of Jim Ellis.
Jim has come up with a
method of securing the slippers more firmly to the crossheads which
should reduce the uneven wear that appears to have occurred on the
slippers and the slides.
Various firms were
asked to quote for machining crosshead slides to make them parallel,
because the slides are part of the engine support columns this has
got to be done in situ. The quotes were not cheap, so we have gone to
plan "B".
Plan "B" is to refit
the piston rods with the slippers fitted to the crossheads, then measure
the gap between the slippers and the slides.
The slippers have had
the white metal bearing face machined flat, so, we will see if we can
shim the slippers to give an even gap when they run the full length of
the slides.
If we cannot get the gap right with shims then we will have to revert to
plan "A" and get the slides machined parallel.
- John
Hake |
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One of the slipper plates
showing the oil grooves |
One of the piston rods with
the crosshead nearest the camera |
A slipper plate positioned
on the crosshead (it isn't on square, it was only
placed on for the photograph) |
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L-R John Huxley, Jim Ellis &
Peter Irlam working on a piston rod
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The crosshead slides on the
port engine, the slippers run against these. |
The crosshead slides on the
low pressure cylinder of the starboard engine, the two slippers attached
to the crosshead run between them. The two surfaces, A & B should be
parallel. |
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September 28
THE BUNK SPACE
Now here’s a place we don't feature
much on the website, the crew quarters, that’s because we had to totally
clear it of all fixtures and fitting. After 20 years, everything had
succumbed to the ingress of water through the deck head and very little
was salvageable.
The after deck of the DA was never plated over, it was just planked and
speaking to ex-members of the crew it was never totally watertight.
It was decided that we would try and redesign the crews quarters in
order to
1: Increase the accommodation to 12.
2: Make it more comfortable when we have to stay onboard overnight.
3: Incorporate a sewage tank, which is required to meet the current
environmental standards.
It will be built in the same style as the original and, hopefully,
keeping the same period look.
Dave Pickup, our naval architect, drew up a set of plans and our two
resident chippies, John Broomby and Gordon Owen have started building a
mock-up to see what it would look like and get everybody’s opinion of
the new layout. |
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The leaking deck head |
Starboard side looking aft, showing pipes we have removed and a pair of
engine turning gears |
Starboard side looking fwd, showing the salvaged items of the original
crew quarters. |
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Port side looking fwd, showing the frames of the mock-up bunks |
Port side looking aft, showing he position of the mock-up cabin. |
The two chippies, John Broomby on the left & Gordon Owen on the right. |
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September 13
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE
UGLY
THE GOOD
United Utilities have reviewed the
working restrictions for the silo cleaning and have allowed us back into
the workshop & mess room. The order is Hi-viz jackets to be worn and
care taken when crossing the road.
THE BAD
 As
the last valve was being refitted to the starboard fresh water valve
chest and one of the studs sheared. This meant that the valve
chest had to be disconnected from the 4 pipes, removed from the ships
side using a chain hoist, the old stud drilled out, the hole re-tapped
and a new 5/8" stud fitted. The last valve was again refitted and the
valve chest hoisted up to be reconnected to the pipe work. What was a
relative easy job turned into a bit of an epic.
The sheared stud is arrowed (right).
THE UGLY
For those of you that follow the exploits
of the working parties on this website will have read that last
September Phil Booth and myself successfully, if somewhat brutishly
removed the valve from the forward peak tank.
And know doubt the shipwrights among you,
amateur and professional, will have thought that we had compromised the
watertight integrity of the vessel by removing this valve and you
would be right.
But fear not, because, we
returned to the dark depths of the forward peak tank and the bilge under
the lower saloon to fit blanking plates on both sides of the bulkhead to
re-instate the watertight integrity.
 The
blanking plate in the peak tank
The blanking plate on the
other side of the bulkhead.
- John Hake |
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September 07
TEMPORARY LOSS OF ACCESS TO
THE WORKSHOP & MESS ROOM
United Utilities have
started cleaning out two of the concrete waste silos adjacent to the
workshop & mess room, the operation is scheduled to take between 4 & 6
weeks per silo with a 2 week break in between.
Their Health & Safety
officer was concerned that an accident might occur because of the
extra vehicle movements during this period, so it has been agreed that
we will place workshop & mess room out of bounds and restrict all DAPS
personnel
to an area between the quay and its boundary fence during the 4 to 6
week periods.
This is inconvenient for the
working parties but as UU are the landlords and we have an
excellent working relationship with them, we must respect their wishes
and help them maintain the high safety standards at their plant.
THE HOT WELL TANK
 The
tank had succumbed to the dreaded rust worm and was deemed irreparable,
so the decision was to remove it and cash in on the current high price
of scrap. This proved to be a bit of an arduous task, as there was no
way we could move from its current position, so it had to be cut up in
situ.
Phil Booth & Phil Janion
rose to the task and made a long and noisy job of it. This
rectangular tank is used to pre-heat the boiler feed water using exhaust
steam, it is situated in the aft end of the boiler room on the port
side.
The manufacture and fitting of a new one is on the list of jobs to be
done by the shipyard when the boiler is removed.
Photo: Phill
Booth attacking the Hot well tank
FRESH WATER VALVE
CHESTS
As the access to
the workshop has been temporally halted and the hot well tank has been
removed, attention has turned to another outstanding job, the fresh
water valve chests, port and starboard. These need stripping down and
cleaning, the valves will be re-seated and re-packed.
Wally Graham, Jim
Ellis & Gordon Weston discus which socket to use.
Wally, Jim & Gordon remove
the port valve chest.
Starboard
valve chest waiting for the valves to be re-fitted.
Port side valves stripped
and ready for fettling.
NEW WORKING PARTY MEMBER
 Our
latest working party volunteer, Tony Eaton, cleaning one of the fresh
water pipe flanges.
-
John Hake |
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AUGUST 31
WE'RE BACK!
On Thursday 31st July Svitzer's tug ASHGARTH moved the
DANIEL ADAMSON back to our original berth in Sandon Dock.
We cannot thank Ray Venables and his team
enough for their hospitality and generosity during our stay at Bramley
Moore Dock.
While we were there Ray supplied us with
shore electrical power, fresh water, storage, fuel, transport, waste
disposal, his engineering expertise and access to their shore side
heads.
Initially we thought that being away from our base would curtail the
working party activities because we didn't want to make a nuisance of
ourselves by impeding the lorry & JCB traffic in the "Mersey Sand and
Gravel" site but we found a back way into the site via Waterloo
dock, so access was no problem.
John Deakin thought this would be an ideal opportunity to clean the
engine room in order to get it painted before the crankshafts are
returned.
Over several working party days the
Karcher steam/power washer was fired up and the bulkheads, deckheads and
the bilge were given a good steam clean and then a power wash.
The dirty water being
pumped out into a container so it could be disposed of in a
approved environmentally safe method.
- John Hake
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George Hayes steam cleaning the bilges |
Chris Todd having a free sauna |
This picture is of one of the 110 volt fluorescent light fittings
in the engine room coping easily with all the steam.
Ten of these were kindly donated by Cooper Lighting and Security to act
as
temporary lighting and we have proved that the Ingress Protection rating
of IP65 works in a steam laden environment.
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August 24
TOW LINE 17 - Have You
Received your copy?
All members should have received their
copies of Edition 17 of The Tow Line by now. However, one copy has been
returned by the Royal Mail with a note saying it was loose in the mail.
If you have not received your copy
please contact Kevin Price as one copy certainly hasn't reached it's
destination!
AGM 2008 & MSC CRUISE
A reminder that the
AGM will be held at the National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port on
Saturday September 06, 2008.
A very limited number
of tickets (£10) remain available for the Manchester Ship Canal Cruise
in the afternoon. If you still have not bought your ticket and wish to
go please contact Kevin Price ASAP. |
June 30
WE HAVE MOVED!
As I have reported previously, as the date
of the 'Tall Ships' visit to the Mersey looms ever closer, the need to
temporarily move the 'DA' to another berth whilst our normal one at
Sandon Dock is occupied has come upon us. Accordingly on Tuesday last
with the expert assistance of Captain Stuart Honour and the crew of
Svitzer's 'Ashgarth' the short move to Bramley
Moore was made without a hitch. The vessel is now safely and securely
berthed at the quay used by 'Cemex's 'Mersey Sand and Gravel Company'
where the company's suction dredger, 'Sand Swan'
is kept fully occupied delivering the raw materials of the
building trade on a daily basis.
We are most grateful for the warm
welcome we have received at the 'Cemex' berth particularly from
Nick, Paul and Ray as well as the crew of 'Sand Swan'
whose task of manoeuvring their vessel in the confines of the dock
will not have been made easier by our presence.
The photographs by John Broomby [CLICK
HERE] show us on the move and our arrival at the 'Cemex'
berth with 'Sand Swan' making another
delivery to the berth in the background.
***WORKING
PARTIES***
Owing to the move to the new, temporary
berth at Bramley Moore Dock, it is likely that for the duration of
our stay, the frequency of working parties will be disrupted.
At the present moment in time there will
be a meeting on Tuesday 1st July at the workshop/messroom at Sandon,
where a decision will be made as to the prospect of further working
parties whilst access to the vessel is limited. There are several
issues concerning security, limited car parking and other matters
which might effect access. It is important to remember that this is
a busy working dock with activity of one form or another 24 hours a
day, with people doing their best to operate their businesses. It is
essential therefore in order to ensure our welcome, to minimise any
disruption to those there to earn a living.
There will be much added activity in
the dock area as preparations are made for the Tall Ships visit so
that it appears increasingly unlikely that we could expect to carry
on as normal, at best we might expect to carry out 'caretaker'
duties for the time being only.
In short do not attend
any further working parties for the time being, unless you are
certain one is arranged, or you have been designated a specific task
to perform. If in doubt please contact Working Party Coordinator,
John Deakin, Colin Leonard or myself (See
contacts page for telephone numbers etc) We will endeavour to
provide ample notice via this site of the resumption of normal
routines.
DAPS EVENTS
Last weekend we should have been at the
Anderton Boat Lift/River Festival as our first show of the season,
indeed those of you attending the show on the Saturday would have
seen the stand in our new 'gazebo' and perhaps met a number of
volunteers who had turned out for the event.
Unfortunately, those attending on the
Sunday would have found our stand missing, as we did, along with the
gazebo on our arrival on the Sunday morning! The high winds had
done their worst and to be fair somewhat earlier than had been
predicted, that said everyone remembers Michael Fish and his weather
forecasts!
Luckily the bulk of the damage was
confined to the new gazebo which was totally destroyed, while the
display boards and other items were largely unscathed.
Accordingly the future of outdoor events
requires some careful consideration, particularly in regard to the
safety and security of the display material. In fairness TV viewers
in the Northwest would be aware that other shows in the region
faired far worse with substantial structures, considerably more
robust than our 'gazebo' suffering a similar fate and in some cases
causing actual injury to visitors. So we can be grateful it was just
a modest 'tent' that came to grief!
_small.jpg) _small.jpg) Unfortunately the demise of the DAPS
stand curtailed my plans to debut the completed model of the boat as
she may look following restoration. I had
hoped to obtain photos of activities at the show and the model in
situ, perhaps as an indicator of the interest it might have
generated, but of course the weather put paid to that. Anyway it
stopped raining here earlier today and so I took a couple of shots
of the model in its finished state to provide an impression of how
things may look in the not too distant future.
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June 22
TOW LINE 16
Tow Line 16 has been completed and
will hopefully be with the printers soon.
The initial delay being due to a major
article being lost in cyberspace.
To complicate matters I have been
informed that the new printers which produced edition 16 have a
technical problem with their stapling machine which means that Kevin
Price will be looking for an alternative for edition 16 edition.
Hopefully it will not be too long
before it reaches members and apologies for the delay.
Edition 16 will include details of the
AGM in September and the Manchester Ship Canal Cruise which will take
place on the same date.
Non members can find an archive of
previous editions of The Tow Line in pdf format on this web site which
they can
download.
- John H. Luxton |
|
June 08
BRINGING YOU UP TO DATE
First of all my apologies for the
extended delay in producing my regular update for the web-site, the
truth is that I just don't seem to have any spare time to catch up
with the backlog and so it is that one delay leads to another and so
on....
Well that is not to say there hasn't
been much going on, there certainly has, albeit a great deal of the
work of late has involved the cleaning of the engine room.
As I have mentioned before this is a
labour intensive job, requiring anything and everything to be
cleaned by hand. This is necessary as the use of commercial cleaning
methods while very thorough and quick, can lead to damage both in
the process, but as in the case of grit blasting, long term risk of
damage to bearings etc due to the almost impossible task of clearing
100% of the residual material. So it is that we have chosen to rely
on our willing volunteers and a good selection of scrapers, emery
paper, old rags and whatever comes to hand to make life a little
easier. The result is some fantastic progress and the knowledge that
when completed the engine room will not have been so thoroughly
clean in a great many years. It is hard to imagine how many coats of
paint the engines appear to have received over the vessel's life,
not to mention the variation in colour schemes disclosed as the
layers were painstakingly stripped away!
All this is possible due to the
fact that the crankshafts have been removed for restoration along
with the majority of the remaining moving parts of the engines. With
regard to the crankshafts work is now progressing with these, while
further work is being carried out on the piston and connecting rods.
Notably the crossheads, namely the components which allow the
reciprocating motion of the piston rods to be converted via the
connecting rods to the crankshaft rotary motion. Importantly it was
evident even before dismantling the engines that there appeared to
be excessive play between the crosshead guides and slides which in
service would have had a very noticeable effect, at the very least
making for a lot of noise and worse uneven wear to the components.
This issue is made more
difficult in that the crosshead slides are integral with the engine
support columns. On later designs the slides were often of a single
face, this being attached to the engine frames by brackets and
thereby removable for maintenance. This is not the case with the
'DA's engines which have two slides per cylinder, machined directly
into the columns themselves. Measurement has
shown that these are now 'out of true' and will require machining to
restore parallelism. The wear has resulted from the inadequate
design of the crosshead slipper attachment. The slippers are in fact
flat bearings attached either side of the crosshead which are
designed to run between the two slides. In the majority of designs
the slippers are held in guides which ensure their motion is
parallel, however, on the 'DA' they are merely held in place by two
bolts at the top only. This probably wasn't a great problem when the
engines were built and their design life was hardly a consideration,
but after prolonged use wear has set in and in order that the
engines will operate efficiently when restored this issue needs to
be addressed. Machining the slides in situ is possible but will be a
costly exercise, while incorporating a design modification to ensure
that the slippers and their associated shims remain properly secure
in operation will be an essential element of rebuilding the engines.
I am pleased to say that both aspects of this vital exercise are
well underway and I hope to report further progress in due course.
Work is ongoing with the overhaul of the
steam steering engine which is also in the process of being stripped
down. I am delighted to report that in this regard we have received
the help and support of Mr George Dickinson of Markham Grange Steam
Museum, Doncaster who having recently restored a very similar
engine, formerly installed in the MSC Co's 'Old
Trafford' (later 'Reliant')
and dating from 1909, we now have the benefit of an instruction
manual, produced by George and based on his first hand experience of
carrying out the work. I have no doubt this will prove invaluable in
both the restoration and later operation of the machine.
Elsewhere it has been confirmed that at
least one of the two Drysdale circulating pumps requires some major
refurbishment. We had rather expected this from the rather noisy
test runs which indicated rather too much play in many of the major
components. For a reminder visit the 'film' page on this site (the
video erroneously states 'testing the GS pump' which is incorrect)
As such while this is not great news, better to confirm our concerns
now and if necessary check and repair both if needs be while we can.
Of course all this extra work adds to
the ongoing costs of the project. This is particularly important as
we are hoping to restore the main engines at least, independently of
our major HLF bid, thereby keeping our volunteers gainfully
employed, maintaining the momentum of the project and of course long
term saving a great deal of the overall costs. So your membership
and support is every bit as important now as it has always been, so
if you haven't already renewed your membership this year, please do
so as soon as you can, even better if you can donate a little extra
as well it would really help.
Naturally if you are reading this and
not already a DAPS member, please consider adding your support to
this important project. Thank you.
SPREADING THE
WORD
I mention potential new members as I am
delighted to report that the society has received some great
exposure in the media lately, two examples which spring to mind
include a full page spread in the world famous shipping magazine
'Sea Breezes' along with both an article
(by Chairman Tony Hirst) and enclosed leaflet in the quarterly
magazine of the Shropshire Union Canal Society, 'Cuttings'
So if you are visiting this site for the first time,
welcome, I sincerely hope that you find much of interest and may
consider joining our ever growing membership.
Some may be visiting the forthcoming
event at Anderton Boat Lift, Northwich, the
Anderton Canal and River Festival, over the weekend
June 21st & 22nd where we'll have the DAPS stand and our
display material. Having made its debut at the recent 'Open Day' in
a partially completed state, I am hoping that I will have completed
my model of how the 'DA' may well look when restored at the show, so
please come along, have a chat and bring your cheque book!!
We will be at Anderton, as it is likely
by then we will have been temporarily relocated (the boat that is)
to allow the Tall Ships event in Liverpool, our normal berth being
given over to the Russian tall ship 'Sedov'
while the dock itself will be hosting the majority of the
largest square riggers. Perhaps one day they'll actually invite us
to stay during such an event, being the oldest, most historically
significant vessel present, but not this year I'm afraid. Perhaps
one day in the not too distant future the 'Daniel
Adamson' could feature as the centre of attraction for
a major steam event on the lines of 'Dordt in Stoom'
now that would be something!!
Finally some photos, I haven't forgotten
that I mentioned some additional ex MLPS merchandise in my last
update, but until Chris Todd is firmly settled in his new role as
'shop-keeper' I will hold on for now. In the meantime signed, L/E
prints of the 'Planet' will be available
at the DAPS stall, along with our other merchandise. Hope to see you
there.
_small.jpg) The
saloon panelling has been stripped (starboard side) to access the
underlying steel-work for survey and to prepare the panels as
template for their repair/replacement in due course.
_small.jpg) The
starboard main engine in the process of being stripped of 105 year's
worth of paint! [right]
_small.jpg)
Graham Dean busily cleaning the
underside of the port main engine cylinders. [left]
_small.jpg)
In this view Gordon Weston cleaning up
the port engine control rods [right]
_small.jpg) ....
and in this view John Pickering busy at work around the back of the
condenser. [left]
_small.jpg)
Here Pete Murray emerges from the
fore-peak tank where he has been removing the old cement wash, again
to allow inspection of the internal steelwork before repainting with
modern preservative paints. (To think applying the cement wash, four
years ago was my first DAPS task!!) [right]
_small.jpg) Often
mentioned but I believe a first for the camera, our much valued
pattern maker, Alan Frodsham (right) on one of his regular visits,
seen chatting to Graham Dean (left)
 A
photo [right] from the vessel's days in service showing the
beautiful brass tread plates which once adorned the wheelhouse
ladder, sadly long since 'liberated' by 'collectors' (okay,
thieves!!)
_small.jpg)
A photograph [left] taken just
yesterday at the Saturday working party, showing a replica tread
plate produced by our 'chippy' John Broomby, just a pattern/idea for
the moment, but I think you'll agree a fantastic job, not least when
you realise he's made it from MDF!!
Neil Marsden's
partially completed 'cut-away' model of the 'DA' at the Open Day.
THE TOW LINE
Due to some material for
the May edition being "lost in cyberspace" there will be a delay before
the next edition is completed and mailed to members. Apologies for the
delay, however, it will be completed as soon as possible.
John H.
Luxton |
|
May 18
OPEN DAY
Initial estimates
show that over 70 members and friends attended the open day held at
our Sandon Dock berth on Saturday May 17, 2008.
The
following was posted on the TugTalk web site by George Robinson
who attended the Open Day
"DANIEL" YOUR A STAR
Just a word
to thank all the DAPS crew who organised the Open Day yesterday,
it was great to see the steady progress being made 'below decks'
and to appreciate the extent of the programme over the next few
years ... back in steam maybe in 2011? A date we can all eagerly
anticipate, whenever it comes.
DAPS needs ordinary members who can offer only financial support
via their subs (don't overlook bequests as well) but the real
credit and admiration and thanks should go to all those who are
giving their time, expertise and sheer hard work often in
confined and dirty spaces .... keep up the good work lads and
remember, when it's all done you will still be needed ...
there'll be a lot of coal to shift down in that boiler room!!
NEW SHOP KEEPER
Please note that all
future orders for goods from the DAPS shop should now be sent to our new
shop keeper
Chris Todd
25 Sandringham Drive
Great Sankey
WARRINGTON
WA5 1JG
TEL:01925 572527
|
|
May 09
DANIEL ADAMSON OPEN DAY
SATURDAY MAY 17 11:00 to 15:00
As the ‘Danny’ will
not be accessible at the time of this year's AGM to be held on Saturday
September 06, this Open-Day is provided for members and friends to visit
‘your’ boat, see the work in progress, and meet the volunteers (who will
show you all over, and inside, the vessel), as well as Council, TAG, and
other members.
Refreshments will be
available, served on the promenade deck and it should be possible for
you to view the buildings and facilities we now have on the dock. Toilet
facilities will also be available provided courtesy of Birse.
Society archivist Graham Dean will have a table (on the promenade
deck) for his 'black museum' of artefacts rescued from the Danny. These
will be suitably labelled to let know everyone know a little about the
items on display.
The gates of Sandon Dock
will be manned by our volunteers from 11:00 (please bring your
membership card – which covers guests).
Please note that the
Stanley Dock Lift Bridge on Regent (The Dock) Road is closed for repairs
and members approaching from the Pier Head should follow diversions.
The entrance gate is
marked with a ‘United Utilities’ sign alongside – it is opposite
the ‘Coast’ pub.
If you have any queries or require more
information please contact of Member Relations Officer, Kevin Price
Tel: 07882425674 email:
kevinwprice@tiscali.co.uk
We look forward to
seeing you all! |
|
APRIL 10
VISIT OF MERSEYSIDE PLAY
ACTION
 The
Heritage Lottery Fund ‘Young Roots’ has given a grant to the
Merseyside Play Action Council to create a computer game covering all
forms of transport on Merseyside and Wirral during the last 100 years.
The game, when finished, will be available in local libraries and
museums. The project is overseen by Liverpool Museum.
 The
group has visited the Birkenhead Tramway Museum, the Mersey Railway and
the Mersey Tunnels. On March 29th seven of the young people
visited the Daniel Adamson and were shown around by Kevin. They were a
lively group, they boarded the boat and rushed straight up to the
bridge!! After they had got used to the boat they went down to see the
engines and boilers and found these amazing. They went into the saloon
but the grandeur of the saloon did not create the same interest as the
engine room or the bridge!! The discovery of the speaking tube on the
bridge caused great excitement and messages were exchanged between the
bridge and the engine room. The young people took many photographs and
made sketches of various parts of the boat, such as the steering gear,
the boiler and the towing hooks. Some of these illustrations will be
used in the ‘game’ so it will be good publicity for the Daniel Adamson.
 At
the end of the visit the young people enjoyed tea in the mess room and
were given a copy of ‘Towline’ and a pen- great delight over the pen!
We look forward to
seeing the completed game and, hopefully welcoming some of these
youngsters in the future.
Thanks to Kevin and the
volunteers who helped with the visit, kept the youngsters safe and
ensured that the 'Danny' was treated with respect.
|
|
APRIL 09
I hope you will take the opportunity to
take a look at the site 'Guestbook' and even better add a line or
two, it is a valuable method of gauging public response to the site,
but of course open to all to add their 'two penneth'
As with all such facilities we suffer
our fair share of 'spam' but we do try and monitor the input
regularly and always publish bona fide comments whenever possible.
A recent entry was of particular
interest, being an enquiry by a Cassie Atherton, seeking possible
old ship-mates of her grandfather George Derbyshire who worked for
Alexandra Towing in the 70's. I hope that those readers who may know
George will get in touch via Cassie and maybe assist in her quest to
build a scrap-book of the 'old days'.
In the meantime I hope Cassie has
already introduced George to our web-site which I feel sure he would
find of interest.[WEB
MASTER'S NOTE: To help protect against spam the response page is
"filtered". Please only leave one space between each word. The only
acceptable punctuation comprise full stops. Any other characters
will result in the entry being rejected. ]
DONATIONS &
MEMBERSHIP
If you are reading this, then you will
have already noticed that we have added an 'on-line' donations
facility on the web-site, this means that wherever you are, you can
help with this important project and even better, if you are a UK
taxpayer can add 28% automatically FREE!!! Often
supporters will give a donation to the project, but for one reason
or another miss the opportunity to 'Gift Aid' their contribution
which is a pity as this concession can add a substantial sum to our
funds without additional cost to the supporter. Now with the on-line
facility any donation, large or small can be 'Gift Aided'
Rest assured that every penny the
society receives is used for the restoration project, we have no
'paid staff' so your contribution is used exclusively for the
project.
The same applies with Membership too and
apart from the costs of providing our quarterly magazine to every
member, the remainder is allocated to the project.
Can I remind everyone that
Membership Renewal falls due on May 1st and that for your
convenience a standing order form was enclosed with the latest
addition of 'Towline' it's a lot more
convenient and saves worrying if you've paid or not, I use it to pay
my membership and of course it can also be used for those wishing to
provide a regular monthly donation too.
We frequently report on grants and
donations received by the society, but the truth remains that we
still depend on our members and individual supporters for much of
our funding. In the same way we rely very much on our volunteers for
the bulk of the work we do and I am delighted to report that we have
now exceeded 30,500 hours, a fantastic effort by all concerned.
HOW THE MONEY IS
SPENT
As with major grants and donations, I
regularly attempt to show how the monies we receive are spent. For
example the removal and overhaul of the crankshafts involves a
considerable outlay, both in the overhaul itself but also with the
safe removal, transport and replacement of the shafts, bearings and
so on. Similarly I have reported on equipment which we acquire
either by way of donation or purchase, the portable welding set
courtesy of a donation from Eon by way of example.
Of course there are occasions when there
is a need to invest in equipment to allow our volunteers to carry
out work which we might otherwise be compelled to 'contract-out' for
the lack of the proper kit. Right now with the crankshafts and bulk
of the main engines stripped for overhaul, the volunteers have made
a start on cleaning the engine room. Most parts of the ship can be
commercially cleaned back to bare metal ready for the application of
new state of the art protective coatings, but the engine room must
be treated with a little more reverence, grit blasting is fine for
most compartments, but not necessarily a good idea for an area
housing such sensitive machinery. Accordingly we'll be doing the
bulk of the work very carefully by hand, a slow and laborious
process but far less likely to be the potential source of damage to
the machinery long term. To assist with some of the cleaning we have
purchased an industrial type steam pressure-cleaner as shown in the
following photograph.
_small.jpg) As
you can see this is a substantial piece of equipment and by no means
cheap, but a valuable addition to our ever growing inventory of
equipment. The photograph shows the machine in the care of our
storekeeper John Churchill with just some of the other essential
tools of the trade behind!! Importantly this unit will provide long
term cleaning facilities both now and in the future, making the job
easier and avoiding ever increasing hire costs for similar machines
in the future.
New air tools have also been purchased
and again these have been selected for their long term use. As such
while a basic tool can be purchased for a modest outlay, the old
adage, 'you get what you pay for' was never more true. Top quality
equipment is designed to provide a robust product, capable of
sustained long term use, but of course like all good gear it doesn't
come cheap. We value our volunteers as our greatest asset, but we
can't expect them to struggle with poor equipment so it's in
everyone's interest to invest in good equipment to do the job now
and in the future.
Of course we are delighted to receive
the donation of useful tools which may have become surplus to
requirements elsewhere, the radial arm drill and pedestal drill
fitted in our new workshop being prime examples. Currently we are
looking for a centre lathe to complete our workshop equipment,
ideally the model should be capable of dealing with work pieces up
to say 12" diameter and of course in working order. If you know of
such an item needing a good home then please get in touch.
WORKSHOP IN COMMISSION
Speaking of the workshop, I am pleased
to say that the re-wiring has now been completed by the TTE
apprentices and commissioned by United Utilities. Our existing
machinery is already in regular use and the bulk of our equipment,
materials and stripped components housed under one roof. The working
conditions, particularly in the light of the recent poor weather
have been noticeably improved, so much so that on occasion everyone
seems to find a job in the workshop rather than outside 'on deck'!!
_small.jpg) As
can be seen from the following photos, there is always plenty of
activity in the workshop, the first shows L to R Wally Graham,
Graham Dean and Colin Brogan checking boiler valves (following
overhaul) against records. Ultimately these will accompany the
boiler when it is despatched for overhaul and
_small.jpg) will
be refitted for the boiler testing phase. Background, Pete Irlam
checking where they've put the hammers, while store man John
Churchill continues stocking the shelves!
More valves, here [right] Colin Brogan,
John Huxley and Pete Irlam check for damaged or missing components
so that anything in need of replacement can be made good.
MESSROOM
As well as the workshop, United
Utilities also provided additional rooms in an adjacent building
which we are in the process of cleaning up for use as a
messroom/dining area. Dining 'Al Fresco' on the promenade deck has
always been pleasant for most of the year, but sometimes it can be
bitterly cold and rather exposed to the elements which usually makes
for very short lunch breaks!! The new facility will at least provide
some much needed shelter and a degree of comfort hitherto unknown on
board.
 Importantly
these facilities allow us to continue the work whatever the weather
or in cases when access to the vessel is restricted due to ongoing
work or other activities on site. The first view shows Kevin Price
(on ladder) and George Hayes getting the place ship-shape.
_small.jpg) The
second view shows Kevin adding a coat of varnish to the windows
Though the painting is not quite
finished, we made use of the messroom ahead of time last week when
the high winds, sleet and freezing temperatures decided the issue
for us!! With the temporary arrangements it was a tight squeeze with
about seventeen people in there, but it was certainly warm and as
you might imagine a very popular decision!! All agreed we'll finish
painting it when it's a bit warmer, that way the paint will get a
chance to dry properly, or something like that!!
ONGOING WORK
 As
I have already mentioned there is a lot of activity down below
cleaning the engine room, while elsewhere volunteers have been
cleaning out the aft peak tank. Access is very limited due to it's
shape so that only a handful of volunteers can get in there. It's a
slow process and very hard work mainly carried out by Pete Murray
and Jack Nulty, sadly Jack's efforts led to a severe muscle strain
which has put him out of commission for some weeks now. We hope he's
soon well enough to come back, though we'll make sure he's only
given light work from now on!!
Not such light work was the removal of
the main engine exhaust steam pipes, there are two per engine, the
larger of the two carries steam between the HP and LP cylinders
while the (marginally) smaller one delivers the steam to the
condensers. Amazingly these pipes are cast and are of considerable
proportions, Dan Cross's photo shows the removal of just one pipe to
the deck for cleaning, checking and ultimately testing. As can be
seen just moving them is a team effort, visible in this view Pete
Murray, Graham Dean, Kevin Lytton (foreground) and in the rear John
Huxley. The heavy, dirty job of cleaning the pipes has been
cheerfully undertaken by Kevin Lytton, who's proper job is helping
to run a power station!! (Busman's holiday they call it don't they?)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
The Society held its first show of the
season last month at Birkenhead Town Hall, while space was somewhat
limited, the show was well attended and considerable interest was
shown by a number of visitors, though just a one day show, we raised
over £50 for society funds and hopefully gained some new members
too.
Elsewhere our Archivist Graham Dean (yes
the same chap in the working party photos) has been building up some
items for future display, these include some fine oil paintings
which may well be the subject of some future merchandising
promotion, Graham has also preserved some items from the ongoing
work, for example a small section of the belting to show the scale
and method of attachment to the ship, condenser components and one
of his most ambitious 're-builds' so far.....
 You
may recall last year how Phil Booth and John Hake laboured for
several weeks to remove a badly corroded 'gate' valve from the
fore-peak tank,
_small.jpg) ultimately it was only possible to remove it by
breaking it into pieces and we recorded their triumph with the
accompanying photograph...showing Phil and John with the remains of
the valve. It turns out that far from throwing the bits away, Graham
collected the majority of them and has rebuilt the valve as a
working demonstration piece, showing exactly why a 'gate' valve is
so named!! It's an incredible piece of work and a valuable
educational tool too!
I hope in the next update to give
details of other activities on and around the vessel as well as
mention new (to us) merchandise inherited from the Mersey
Light-vessel Preservation Society, which they have also kindly
donated to DAPS to assist in generating funds...but more on that
next time.- Neil
Marsden
|
MARCH 10
A BUSY WEEK
Last week was a particularly busy one for
the society.
On Tuesday we received a visit from the
Mayor and Mayoress of Halton, Councillor Mike Hodgkinson and his
wife Kathy making their second visit to the vessel. On this occasion
the visit marked the award by Halton Borough Council of a further
£10,000 in support of the project, bringing Halton's contribution to
the restoration of 'Daniel Adamson' to an
impressive £25,000!! A full report with photographs appears as
'Media Release 13' elsewhere on the site.
Thursday saw the realisation of what
such support can achieve with the removal of the main engine
crankshafts, please see the embedded film clips provided by Colin
Brogan on this site.
Basically our plan is to restore the
ship's main engines as an independent project within the full
restoration. This allows our own volunteers to carry out the bulk of
this element of the project, apart from the heavy machining and/or
specialist work required to return the engines to top condition for
which various specialist contractors have been identified.
Throughout the process the work will be under the watchful eye of
MCA Surveyors, who will ensure that the necessary high standards
required are maintained.
If this element of the restoration was
reliant on HLF support, we could not commence the work until all
funding was in place, however, by this method we maintain the
impetus of the project, keep our volunteers busy and save money long
term, so it's a very positive procedure all 'round.
As can be seen from the video clips and
the following photographs removing the crankshafts was a task
requiring the specialist skills of experienced riggers and a
substantial crane. North Western Ship Repairers provided both, as
well as the means of transporting the shafts to their destination,
namely to Mark Rigg's 'Industrial Crankshafts' in Walsall. There
they will be cleaned, tested and provided no major faults are
disclosed will be ground in readiness for the fitting of the newly
re-metalled bearings, work being carried out by bearing specialists
J.H.Richards of Birmingham.
I should stress that the choice of
specialists to remove and transport the shafts, while not cheap
provides a reassuring sense of security, as well as the knowledge
that if anything were to go wrong, everything and importantly
everyone is insured. The NWSR people made it all look easy, but this
is what they do for a living, we don't.
I mention this for often times we'll
hear comments such as, 'we did that ourselves and saved a packet'
well congratulations to them, but what would have happened if just
one of a hundred things went amiss? It doesn't bear thinking about,
far better to be safe than sorry is a good maxim we feel.
Anyway we were delighted and extend our
thanks to Mike, Joe, Peter and all the team involved for a job well
done!! There just remains the little task of doing it all in reverse
and that is definitely not for amateurs.
So some 'photos to accompany this
auspicious occasion which it can be said really stands as a
milestone in the restoration process.
The first photos, also courtesy of
Colin Brogan show the start of the process,
New lifting lugs are welded in place. While the engine
itself is fitted with lugs to allow lifting the crankshafts, these
like the engines are 105 years old, would you risk it? Neither would
we, hence the new lugs, as I say better safe......
 Add
a crane, a big one! I think most people will have seen that video
when somebody's crane wasn't up to the job, first one crane, then
another ends up in the harbour, the video ends with crane No.3 on
the scene, but then what happened??? Ours stayed firmly where it
should be and lifted the shafts with ease...'better safe..'.
The process in full swing (no pun intended)
 
The next photos by Gordon Weston,
provide some atmospheric shots of the work 'down below' (that's
Colin Brogan in the orange boiler suit no doubt providing
encouragement!)
 Finally,
again by Colin Brogan, shows the shafts
looking quite small on the back of the transporting lorry, wrapped
up and secured they take up very little space, though we did add the
cylinder covers which will also receive some TLC from Mark.
We hope at some stage to see the shafts
being machined at Walsall, but in case you can't wait to see what
'Industrial Crankshafts' are capable of, take a look at this month's
'Old Glory' magazine which shows some great photos of the company in
action, we get a mention (twice) in the issue too!!
Finally here are riggers Peter and Roy
of North Western Shiprepairers who removed the crankshafts last
Thursday.
There's still more news to come, but
for the moment that will have to wait for another day.
|
|
MARCH 09
EON LENDS SUPPORT
 When
not lending a hand aboard with working parties, DAPS volunteer Kevin
Lytton's full time job is with 'Eon' at their Deeside Power Station. The
company have a scheme whereby any employee engaged in voluntary,
charitable work can apply for funding for an item to assist their
project. The company stipulate that the volunteer must complete at least
80 hours unpaid work per annum on their chosen project to qualify for an
award up to £250 in value.
Kevin had no problem in qualifying with the necessary time as all
working party hours are fully documented, but in order to qualify for
the 2007 allocation we had just a couple of weeks to decide what was
needed before the expiry date.
 As
anyone involved in this type of project will be well aware, 'decision
making' can be a long drawn out and often unnecessarily complex
procedure. In this instance as time was of the essence, particularly as
the festive season was fast approaching, we decided that a portable
welding set would be very useful. Accordingly pressed by a deadline we
considered our needs and looked for something suitable and managed to
qualify in time!
Kevin is pictured here with the item we bought with the money.
Amazingly light and portable, the machine (not Kevin!) is extremely
powerful and has already been put to good use, easily accomplishing the
manufacturers claims for its capabilities. Another very useful item for
our workshop for which we must express our sincere thanks both to Kevin
and of course to Eon. In closing I am delighted to say that the scheme
is an annual event and that Kevin is already well on the way to amassing
the necessary hours for the 2008 award!!
The photo (by Dan Cross) shows Kevin with the deceptively modest
looking, but very useful welding set.
- Neil Marsden |
|
MARCH 07
WORKING PARTIES
DAPS Working Parties will be taking a
break for a couple of weeks and will commence again on Tuesday 25th
March.
John Deakin would also like to show his appreciation and to thank all
the members of the Working Parties for all their hard work they have put
in during the last few weeks.
- Colin Leonard
THE TOW
LINE
Edition 15
of The Tow Line will be despatched to the printers shortly. Once again
things are a little behind schedule for which apologies are offered.
- John H.
Luxton |
FEBRUARY 04
THE PLANET'S TREAT
Apologies for the 'pun' and to fans of
Gustav Holst, but I expect by now you will have already seen the Press
Release issued on January 29th regarding the most generous donation by
the Merseyside Light-vessel Preservation Society.
As I had been saying we had some great
news to impart and this was it. I could not divulge details
previously but I can now disclose that towards the latter part of
last year we were approached by the committee of the MLPS under the
Chairmanship of Mr Stan McNally of Wirral, Merseyside. The MLPS had
been formed back in 2001 to save the former Mersey 'Bar'
light-vessel 'Planet' and to retain the
vessel on display as a public exhibit near to the Pierhead,
Liverpool. The society received good support and approaching 200
members were enrolled. Not surprisingly the vessel attracted
considerable attention and eventually she was purchased by a local
businessman, so putting to an end the society's initial aim to
acquire the vessel for public display.
Having received some funding support
from the HLF the society conducted in depth research into the
history of the Mersey light-vessels, in fact producing a DVD for
distribution throughout Merseyside's libraries***
as well as other related material. As is widely known there have
been several attempts to have the 'Planet'
moved away from the Liverpool waterfront, a situation
vigorously opposed by the MLPS and to date with some degree of
success as the vessel stills holds onto a place in Liverpool's
Collingwood Dock.
By the latter part of 2007 the MLPS
realised that as a society they had done as much as they could to
achieve their goals and could do little more. They were faced with
what to do with what remained of their charitable funds and
thankfully for DAPS they looked at us.
It was certainly no foregone conclusion
and in fact involved Di Skilbeck and myself attending a Committee
meeting of the MLPS to state our case for their support. I can
assure you dear reader that those present did a very thorough job
and we were thoroughly vetted on all aspects of the project to
restore and operate the 'DA'
In fairness I am delighted to say that I
believe we have made some great friends as a result of these
meetings and in return I feel confident in saying that the MLPS know
that their donation will be properly used by DAPS.
The final figure has yet to be
accurately confirmed but £9,500 is roughly the sum involved. A most
valuable addition to DAPS funds, particularly at this moment in time
as we commence the restoration of the main engines. This work is
being funded separately from the main HLF bid so allowing us to
continue actual work on board which could not be carried out if we
were reliant on HLF funds alone. (The HLF rules stating that no work
can commence until funding has been put in place, which is only
logical, but of course does not prevent us funding elements of the
project independently and thereby reducing the overall bid.)
The fact that we carry out much of the
work as volunteers and therefore free, again saves a massive sum
towards the overall cost of the project. To date some 29,000 hours,
a figure not lost on the MLPS committee.
In return for the generosity of the MLPS
in selecting us as their chosen 'like minded charity' we have
extended an invitation to all former MLPS members to join DAPS for a
period of one year, free. Already many have taken up this
invitation and I am delighted to report that many have made
additional personal donations or insisted on paying membership fees,
we welcome everyone and on behalf of DAPS thank you all for your
generosity.
The effective 'merging' of these two
Mersey based maritime charities will I sincerely hope go some way to
redressing the noticeable absence of 'Maritime Heritage' in this
great port.
It goes without saying that a port city
as significant as Liverpool would be seriously mistaken in assuming
that such a poignant maritime exhibit as it's own lightship is not
needed, for without the river and its trade Liverpool would not
exist. Interestingly the National Register of Historic Vessels lists
at least fourteen light vessels, spread around the country and
proudly displayed in their respective 'home ports' some with pretty
tenuous links to the sea in fact! Why should Liverpool even
question the need for such an exhibit?
Hopefully, before very much longer somebody will look out of the
windows of their 'riverside apartment' or waterfront restaurant
and ask 'where are the ships?' Imagine Hamburg, Rotterdam or
Stockholm without their maritime heritage proudly displayed,
Merseyside pales by comparison. Of course you needn't go abroad,
visit Portsmouth, Chatham, Leith even Hartlepool and see what
can be done.
Notwithstanding Ringo Starr's recent comments, it seems
Liverpool is banking on the 'Beatles' and the 'Liverpool
Duck' to take care of their cultural and
maritime attractions for the foreseeable future, though
hopefully I am mistaken!!
****We have
already received enquiries as to the availability of copies of this
DVD which we are looking into. Please note as soon as we have any
information on this and other merchandise transferred to DAPS we
will report it here. NM
_small.jpg)
A breezy November visit to the Daniel
Adamson by MLPS Committee members (l to r) John
Wilkinson, Bill Harrison and Stan McNally.
_small.jpg)
January visit to formally transfer MLPS funds to DAPS,
here DAPS Chairman Tony Hirst chats with Ken Abernethy and Neville
Pollard of MLPS.
_small.jpg)
As is becoming customary for larger visits
(particularly those involving the transfer of substantial funds!!)
we lay on a small buffet, as usual taken 'al fresco' on the
promenade deck, here former MLPS committee members Bill Harrison,
Jeanette Smith and Stan McNally enjoy some light refreshments.
_small.jpg)
Here Neville Pollard and Ken
Abernethy to the left, flank DAPS' Pete Irlam with Stan McNally,
Jeanette Smith and Bill Harrison to the right. They still managed a
smile despite the bitter cold on the day!!
A framed limited edition print of the
'DA' was presented to Stan on behalf of DAPS to mark the occasion,
unfortunately we don't have a photo of the presentation (yet!) as we
were all in the picture!! Sorry folks!
For the moment that's all folks, but we
do have even more good news to come, but that will have to wait
until next time...keep checking in!
- Neil Marsden
(Words and photos by Neil Marsden)
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JANUARY 29
MAKING THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS
On
Thursday last, the trainees from TTE, Ellesmere Port descended on
our workshop at Sandon Dock accompanied by their instructor Ian
Taylor. They had come along to install new wiring for our machinery,
the original circuits having been previously removed. The work is
being carried out in conjunction with United Utilities who donated
the building for DAPS use and when all is ready and verified safe,
the supply will be re-connected.
In the
meantime it was an absolute delight to witness the enthusiasm of
Ian's team of around a dozen trainees, including three young ladies
who were every bit as keen to get on with the work as their male
counterparts!! While chatting with Ian I was surprised to learn that
the trainees were literally in the early stages of the electrical
skills phase of their mult-discipline training programme, I had
assumed they were 'old hands' such was the confidence with which
they applied themselves to the task!
_small.jpg) As
might be expected with such a large group, a great deal was achieved
in a relatively short time and a further visit should soon see the
job completed. It was another great example of the cooperation
between TTE and the society, which I firmly believe is most
beneficial to all concerned.
TTE's Ian Taylor (Red
jacket) instructs some of the trainees on the job in hand.
_small.jpg)
_small.jpg) The
existing trunking is prepared to accept the new distribution box.
(left)
Equal opportunities
well demonstrated with a strong female element among the trainees!
(right)
_small.jpg)
_small.jpg) The
distribution box is fitted in place! (left)
Generation Gap? What
Generation Gap, one of the trainees lends a hand to DAPS volunteer
Jim Ellis (our oldest working 'lad' at 82 years!!)
SENTINEL
STEERING ENGINE AT MARKHAM GRANGE
Over
the last few months we have been in touch with George Dickinson, a
volunteer at Markham Grange Steam Museum, near Doncaster, Yorkshire
(see
www.mgsteam.btinternet.co.uk/mgsm.htm ) Greorge initially got in
touch with an enquiry concerning the possibility of our having an
owner's manual for our 'Alley & MacLellan' 'Sentinel' steering
engine. Not the first such enquiry I might add, it turns out quite a
few are still out there, we've been in touch with owners in
Australia, Denmark, Holland and now Doncaster! Most interestingly
Markham's engine comes from the steam paddle tug
'Reliant' originally built for the MSC Co. as 'Old Trafford' (? )
dating from 1907. Not only do they have the steering engine,
the museum also houses one of the tug's original main engines, now
motorised for display purposes.
The
Markham 'Sentinel' carries the serial number '2277' by comparison
with ours which is numbered '2174' thereby supporting my theory of
the chronology of installation, I believe.
Anyway,
without the aid of an 'owner's manual' but clearly with a great deal
of skill, George has restored their engine to running
order, successfully undergoing its first steam test on January 16th
2008!!
Judging
by the photographs, George has done a fantastic job and we look
forward to seeing the engine in action in the not too distant
future. I won't 'borrow' the Markham photographs here, but commend
you to visit their web-site (see link above) which details the
entire collection with reports about the 'Sentinel' on the latest
news page. The site also lists the museum's steam/open days so you
may want check your diaries too.
A GRAND DAY OUT
To
close this week, how about this fantastic new (to us anyway!)
photograph of the 'DA' or rather more correctly 'Ralph Brocklebank'
apparently about to embark on a canal cruise, by the looks of things
sometime in the 1920's(?). We counted over seventy folk amassed on
the aft deck, so it's anybody's guess how many were on board in
total. We know that 'as built' 'Ralph Brocklebank' had a passenger
certificate for over 280 souls!! Hopefully the numbers on this trip
were a little lower!
Imagine the 'Health and Safety' issues, not to mention the
restricted 'headroom' imposed by those flat caps, they're fantastic
aren't they?? The photo came to our attention when it appeared in
this month's edition of 'Waterways World' magazine in response to a
feature on the 'DA' in a previous issue. We are most grateful to the
owner of the postcard photograph, Mr Bill Mander for allowing us to
use it here.
 A
stern view of 'RB' taken while she was berthed on the 'West Quay'
opposite the end of No.8 Dock, Manchester Docks. This photograph
from a postcard reproduced with kind permission of Mr Bill Mander.
_small.jpg) By
way of contrast our final photograph, taken by Tony Hirst, shows the
same location today.
Virtually all the
structures from the ports operating days in this area have now gone
and the Lowry Centre and the like named Shopping Outlet occupy the
land area in the rear of the photograph. The quay was regularly
used to unload grain to the nearby flower mills. (Words & photo,
Tony Hirst)
Right then, that's
it for the moment, I'm afraid the 'exciting news' I mentioned in my
last update is not quite ready for release yet, but I guarantee it's
worth waiting for. We also have another tremendous photo from a
bygone age, no not one of me in my youth, but a very rare photograph
indeed from Victorian times....now that's got you wondering!
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JANUARY 13
HAPPY NEW YEAR
As many of you will know next month
marks the fourth anniversary of the formation of the Daniel Adamson
Preservation Society.
Some of us, myself included had rather
optimistically hoped that the restoration phase might have been
completed in time to coincide with this year's 'Liverpool 08'
'Capital of Culture' celebrations and that the 'Daniel
Adamson' might have been up and running in time to
participate. Sadly it has to be said that goal seems unlikely as we
now enter a new year, but perhaps we should reflect on what we have
actually achieved so far. I hope you will take some time to look
back over this site, back to early 2004 when the vessel was
literally hours away from being scrapped. From the early days when
just a handful of volunteers struggled to carry out even the most
basic tasks aided only by a few basic 'DIY' tools, we have made
remarkable progress, both with the conservation of the vessel and
with an ever growing membership of both supporters and volunteers.
As I write these words the opening
celebrations for Liverpool's Capital of Culture Year are taking
place across the Mersey from my home, 40,000 visitors are expected
to attend, motorists are warned not to attempt the journey, but
despite this, congestion is reported in both road tunnels. Visitors
are advised to use the train, apparently extra coaches have been
added for the occasion, but what of the famous 'Ferry Cross the
Mersey'? Despite providing probably the best vantage point to see
the City by night or day with numerous other advantages over a
subterranean train journey, it seems the ferries are not running!!
Remember that waterfront has been declared a World Heritage site,
but like the City itself it would not be there but for the river
that flows past.
As for Merseyside's 'Maritime Heritage'
the future is looking quite bleak, the Oxford Dictionary defines the
word 'maritime' as • adjective 1 relating to shipping or
other activity taking place at sea. 2 living or found in or near the
sea. 3 (of a climate) moist and temperate owing to the influence of
the sea.
— ORIGIN Latin maritimus, from mare ‘sea’.
So then a new inland canal extension
for narrow boats may be many things, it is not part of our 'maritime
heritage'.
Okay then what of ships and the sea?
Despite several vessels of maritime significance being available,
plans exist to acquire others, some from far distant shores, with
proposals to display these in a static 'museum' role, or in one case
sectioned, more for want of space than any great advantage in
viewing access. Sadly we seem, as a nation more accustomed to our
maritime exhibits securely fixed to dry land, even those marginally
'afloat' !
Fortunately around Britain a few
operational vessels remain, but as we know only too well the number
is likely to fall rather than increase. The 'Daniel
Adamson' is one very special exception to this trend
and by year's end we now confidently expect to have everything in
place to progress to her full restoration next year.
Downtime??
Regular visitors will know that for
technical reasons, no updates have been possible on this site, nor
it's long established companion, Irish Sea Shipping,
from early December until just last week. Knowing the web-master,
this will not have been a welcome break for him and I have no doubt
he'll have been bending many an ear to get things up and running
again, so thanks John for your persistence! [Thanks
- it was a period of hair tugging frustration only resolved when I
finally managed to speak to someone who knew what they were doing
and realised I only wanted the line activating and not the creation
of a new internet account! - JL]
Although we've been unable to report
on-line for a while, we had hoped to at least despatch the society
magazine 'The Tow Line' to be with Members by now, but again the
'Gremlins' have been on 'overtime' over the holiday period and it
has been unavoidably delayed. The matter is in hand and the
magazine should be dropping through your door in the next couple of
days, so apologies for the delay, I hope it won't spoil things too
much.
Notwithstanding all that and despite the
weather we've been hard at it both aboard the vessel and ashore too,
so I'll explain what's been going on!
_small.jpg) My
first photo of the New Year shows what on appearances looks like an
idyllic day down at the boat, the next an even nicer view showing
the not unpleasant vista we enjoy from the promenade deck as we take
our lunch, 'al fresco'! Of course the photographs provide no
indication of the temperature at the time which I can assure you was
absolutely bitter!
_small.jpg) So
in order as much to keep warm and to take advantage of the relative
calm of the dock waters, the volunteers took the opportunity to
remove the last remaining sections of the belting. As the remaining
sections were located at the bow the work was even more difficult,
but eventually the job was completed.
_small.jpg) The
removal of the belting is not simply a case of providing something
for the volunteers to keep them occupied, but an important stage in
the assessment of the overall condition of the vessel's entire hull,
allowing a considerable area not normally accessible to be examined
and subjected to NDT examination (that's 'None Destructive
Testing' for we lesser mortals, and allows the plate thickness
to be assessed electronically...) By this method we can assess
the extent of repairs if any required in this area. Quite obviously
it also simplifies the job of replacing the old belting material
with new in the restoration phase and hopefully will reduce the
overall cost of this process.
 Not
surprisingly the winter weather provides a good excuse to carry out
as much work 'under cover' as possible and you may recall how last
year I showed you our 'chippies' John Broomby and Gordon Owen
fitting new doors to our newly donated workshop, (Photo by Colin
Brogan)
_small.jpg) Of
course that was on a beautifully hot summer's day, at the time I
didn't show you what things were like inside. The next photo
courtesy of Tony Hirst provides some idea of what lay within!! As
can be seen, though the new doors have been fitted to secure the
building, the old ones and an assortment of assorted rubbish
remained inside. In addition the concrete mounting plinths for the
original machinery installed in the building and associated trunking
remained also.
Clearing away the trunking and rubbish
was relatively straightforward, but then we received word that a
very useful piece of machinery ( a radial arm drill) would be
available to us, but that we had a very limited time frame in which
to arrange delivery. We measured the doorway and asked what size
was the machine, the answer was not encouraging, but it was too good
an offer to miss!! Literally days later the machine arrived, luckily
aboard a 'Hi-Ab' equipped lorry and as you'll see it did just fit
through the doors!!
 Of course those concrete plinths were still in the
way and once the crane had been disconnected the guys were on their
own, manhandling the monster around the workshop on scaffolding tube
'rollers'!!(Photos by Colin Brogan)
  The
cold weather was the next factor which spurred on efforts with
the workshop, so that the task of removing those concrete
plinths became a priority. A slight over estimation of the
capabilities of a modestly sized (and thus cheap)
hired pneumatic breaker, meant that progress on the blocks was
painfully slow and back breaking work.
To add to that, steel rods
were used to reinforce the blocks and once exposed required
cutting flush with the floor, once again the indispensable angle
grinder came into use and soon resolved the problem. (Photos
Colin Brogan) (It seems amazing now that it
was probably at least six months from formation that the society
acquired the first of its own such machines!!)
The rental was due up on the
'breaker' and we still had two plinths remaining virtually
unscathed, some folk proposed concreting the two to form a large
platform, but we had no real idea what we would do with such a
substantial 'stage' No a clear floor was the ideal. Then
somebody recalled that they could borrow a large electric
breaker from a friend, last used to re-model a family patio. In
no time it had arrived and within little over an hour the
plinths were gone!! Why hadn't we thought of that in the first
place?!!
_small.jpg) _small.jpg) With the floor cleared work really
got underway, everything was cleaned, several times, the dust
was everywhere but eventually we accounted for most of it, then
we levelled the floor where the plinths had been, while Gordon
Weston replaced the old air vent filters with new material
supplied by Kev Price. We then sealed the floor area and made
ready for a coat of paint.
_small.jpg) _small.jpg) The
floor paint was applied liberally and remarkably quickly with
two soft bristle, yard brushes and we retired for a short
Christmas break! On our return we were delighted that not only
had the paint dried, but that things were looking very smart
indeed.
Once again we had utilised
scaffolding tube to allow reasonably free movement of the
machinery around the workshop, but now was the time to locate
the machines where we hope they will be most effective.
Accordingly the machines were carefully coaxed into position and
set down on their supporting blocks. At this point John
Churchill our invaluable storeman and the man in charge of
proceedings, suggested that 'work areas' should be clearly
marked for safety purposes.
_small.jpg) _small.jpg) With
that we got some red floor paint, a brush and gave them to
John!!
My next photo shows John
apparently painting himself into a corner, but we did actually
help out a little, here's Pete Murray, another regular
volunteer helping (a bit anyway!!) as always.
_small.jpg) My
last photo shows the finished (for now) job, even with some
white demarcation lines applied. I think you'll agree it looks a
lot better than when we started out. In much the same way, we
plan that we'll produce a similarly impressive transformation of
the boat herself in the next year or so, keep up to date by
visiting the site regularly.
We do have some other exciting news,
but for the moment until it's 'official' I'm afraid you'll have
to wait until next time.
WORKSHOP
A final word on the workshop.
This update has shown the transformation of an unused
building on the United Utilities site adjacent to our berth
which was generously donated to the society by United
Utilities. As I think you will agree the building provides
us with an excellent facility adjacent to the vessel and
with the machinery we ultimately plan to complete the
fit-out will allow a great deal of work to be carried out
'in-house' by our own people. This will provide a really
valuable asset to the project and on behalf of DAPS I would
wish to express our sincere thanks to Alex Bolton and all at
United Utilities, Sandon Dock.
-
Neil Marsden
(All photos unless otherwise
stated by Neil Marsden
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JANUARY 07
WEB MASTER BACK ON LINE
Your web master would like to wish members, friends and visitors to the
Daniel Adamson Preservation Society web site a Happy and Prosperous New
Year and with that I would like to announce my return to the web
following an enforced month's absence, due to problems moving my
broadband connection to a new address.
Things have now reverted to normal and I will be pleased once again to
receive material either for the web site or "The Tow Line" magazine by
email.
- John H. Luxton |
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Registered Charity: 1104681 
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