News 2012

Daniel Adamson News 2012 Most recent news appears first.
APRIL 11, 2012 WEB SITE CHANGES Your web master has received notification of changes to be made by our web hosting company 1 & 1 Internet to be implemented between April 23 and 27. Between those dates the web site may be off line for a period whilst the hosting company upgrades its severs from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008. As part of this migration the hosting company will cease to support Microsoft Front Page Extensions (FPE), this is due to the fact that Microsoft ceased supporting FPE during 2006 when Expressions Web became the standard Microsoft web editing software. The ending of support for FPE has necessitated some changes to the DAPS web site. To pre-empt the changes FPE was switched off on April 10, this was to enable your web master to identify the elements of the site which had to be changed to ensure the site continues to work after April 27. As it stands the following features have been removed: - navigation link bars which appeared in the margins - please use the menu at the top of the page. - page counters have been removed from each page. A new external counter and Cluster Map feature have been added to the home page. - the site search function has been removed and replaced by a Google search engine customised for the web site. - the original guest book no longer functions and has been removed for now - but it may be possible to use an external one. Hopefully everything has been done which needs to be done at this end to facilitate a smooth change over. It is just a case of waiting to see what happens once the hosting company has completed the changes at the end of the month. - John H. Luxton
MARCH 23, 2012 PERFECT TIMING The eccentrics have now been refitted to both engines. Each cylinder has a set connected to the ends of the crankshaft and as the crankshaft rotates they move the valves allowing steam to enter the cylinders at the right time depending on the position of the pistons. Eccentrics come in three parts, the pulley, the strap and the rod. The pulley is bolted and keyed to the crankshaft and the strap fits round the pulley and is free to rotate. The bottom of the rod is bolted to the strap and the top fits onto the valve quadrant. The pulley is offset on the crankshaft so as it rotates inside the strap, it causes the strap to oscillate up and down, this motion is transferred to the rod which in turn operates the valve allowing steam to enter either the top of the cylinder to push the piston down or the bottom of the cylinder to push the piston up. Just to complicate matters there are two eccentrics to each cylinder, one for ahead, the other for astern, so in total we have eight. Both eccentrics are identical but their pulleys are bolted onto the crankshafts in different positions so the timing of the valve movement is changed. The ahead/astern eccentrics are selected by moving the valve quadrant this causes the valves to change the flow of steam from the top of the cylinder to the bottom or vice versa. The Hunslet Steam Co. refurbished the pulleys and straps for us and we renewed all the bearings that connect the rods to the quadrants. - John Hake

A pair of pulleys and straps ready to be taken on board	A pair of pulleys and straps fitted to the high pressure end of a crankshaft.	Another view of a pulley and strap with the rod bolted to the strap.	Looking down onto the straps and rods, this is the low pressure end of a crankshaft

The ahead and astern eccentrics fitted to the high pressure end of the port engine	The ahead and astern eccentrics fitted to the low pressure end of the starboard engine	The top of the rods connecting to the valve quadrant, the quadrant is moved to position the desired eccentric into the vertical position	A close up of the new bearings that connect the rod to the quadrant.

A view looking down on the quadrant, as neither rod is in the vertical position and in line with the valve spindle, it is half way between ahead and astern.
MARCH 17, 2012 DAPS FEATURES ON BBC WEBWISE FILM BBC Learning has created a series of films looking at the lives of people who live or work along the banks of The Manchester Ship Canal. Each of the films examines how they use computer-based technology to help improve their lives. From the father and daughter karting team and ethnic restaurants to fishermen and maths tutors, the series follows the canal from the docks of Liverpool to the heart of Salford and meet some people with fascinating stories to tell. The series proves that everyone can make use of modern technology to make the most of their talents and interests; whether it’s through a mobile phone, online blog, website or a community magazine. BBC WebWise is an online resource for anyone who wants to learn more about computers, the internet and mobile technology. It guides beginners step-by-step through modern technology, from learning the basics to creating a blog or website. [CLICK HERE TO VIEW]
FEBRUARY 24, 2012 NEW FACES TO HELP BRING TOP TUG-TENDER BACK TO LIFE The ambitious plan to restore Britain’s last steam – powered tug tender, Daniel Adamson, to working order has taken an important step forward with two key appointments. These consultants will focus on the Daniel Adamson Preservation Society’s broader social impact to help it gain the crucial Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Round 1 approval. The project’s future development task plan and volunteering plan guidance will be drafted by Cara MacMahon, a cultural consultant and trustee of Brunel’s SS Great Britain. The society’s activity/outreach plan will be scrutinised by Kate Rodenhurst, former head of community partnerships at National Museums Liverpool. If the HLF Round 1 application is successful (plus a request for development funding), further consultant’s will be hired to help take the project through to a new HLF Round 2 application. The Daniel Adamson Preservation Society (DAPS) made these appointments after its earlier HLF application for £2.8m was turned down last September. It is now working very hard to submit a fresh application for Round 1. This will be a major milestone in returning this unique 1903 Birkenhead-built coal-fired ship to public service on the Rivers Mersey and Weaver and The Manchester Ship Canal. The revised application will include a clearer outline of the project and how it will apply for further development funding. The DAPS management team met HLF officers in November 2011, to address any shortcomings in the previous application. DAPS also consulted other bodies for advice, such as National Historic Ships UK and local authority external funding officers. The society considered it essential to use some of its limited financial resources to engage professional assistance from independent consultants. This has been supplemented with the award of a £1000 grant from National Historic Ships. A keen advocate of returning Daniel Adamson to public service, National Historic Ships lists the steam ship on its Core Collection register of the country’s most important vessels. Dan Cross, DAPS chairman, said: “The appointment of Cara and Kate, as professional advisors, will ensure we can strengthen and build on our previous application. We are so lucky that our regular team of dedicated volunteers have carried on regardless of the delay, and our membership continues to grow.” “If the Round 1 application is successful this year, we hope to submit a new Round 2 application by the middle of next year, to coincide with the Daniel Adamson’s 110th anniversary.” This month is the eighth anniversary of DAPS, formed in February 21, 2004 when the Daniel Adamson was bought from Manchester Ship Canal Company for £1, thereby saving the ship from the scrapyard. For Media Relations enquiries please contact Peter Elson on -07717 733 257 Or e-mail him at : media@danieladamson.co.uk For other enquiries please contact the Chairman, Dan Cross on 07979 865 391 or e-mail him at: chairman@danieladamson.co.uk For Membership enquiries please contact John Broomby, Membership Secretary on: 0161-969-2903 or e-mail membership@danieladamson.co.uk Membership enquiries can also be sent to him at: 28 Brookfield Drive, Timperley, Altrincham, Cheshire WA15 6QR - Dan Cross, Chairman Daniel Adamson Preservation Society
FEBRUARY 04, 2012 LINK TO THE FUTURE The next part of the rebuild was to assemble and fit the four reversing quadrants and the eight drag links. The quadrants fit into a slide block on the end of the valve stems and are operated by the drag links. The drag links connect the wyper arm to the quadrant, so when the reversing engine is operated, the wyper arm rotates which will move both the high pressure and low pressure cylinder quadrants so the correct eccentrics are used to operate the valves. Each bearing on the end of the drag link has been replaced with newly cast ones made out of Gun Metal, there are eight drag links with a bearing on each end, so that makes 16 bearings in total. The bearings come in two halves, a plain one and the other with an integral oil box. Each bearing was machined to a common size that was slightly undersized and we then created matching pairs by measuring each pin diameter and boring out the bearing to fit. - John Hake

One of the four valve stems, showing the bearing that holds the quadrant slide block.	A quadrant slide block fitted in the bearing on the bottom of the valve stem.	A quadrant, the slide block fits in between the two arms and the drag links connect to the centre pins.	One of the 8 drag links with new bearings fitted to both ends

The full set of four quadrants and their corresponding drag links assembled and ready for fitting (the fourth one is on the floor, under the table)	A quadrant fitted in its slide block	One end of the drag link is connected to the wyper arm	Another view of the wyper arm

The other end of the drag link connects to the centre pin on the quadrant	Close up of one of the drag link bearings.
JANUARY 26, 2012 DANIEL ADAMSON LOTTERY SYNDICATE A National Lottery Syndicate has been established to win funds for the restoration of the Daniel Adamson. The syndicate will split all wins 50-50 between the DAPS Restoration funds and the individual syndicate members. Three and four number wins will be retained in the syndicate member accounts. Five, 5 plus and 6 number jackpot wins will be distributed between DAPS and syndicate members. All entries will be lucky dips. Tickets will be bought for the Saturday draw only and will equal the number of paid up syndicate members. The minimum payment is £5 per syndicate member.