Ben My Chree Isle Of Man Steam Packet Co. Live steam model boat
First run of the steam plant post boiler test. This steam plant is fitted to a semi scale model of Ben My Chree, one of the many ferries operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co. Ben My Chree was in service pre WW1 and before being lost in service as an aircraft carrier in WW1. This model was built in 1936, being launched as a straight runner in 1938. The model is 5ft long and weighs 50lb. The hull is yellow pine carved from the solid. The boiler is the water tube type, fired with a petrol blow lamp and is run at 75psi. A single cylinder 7/8" bore and stroke engine drives a pair of contra rotating props through a gearbox, which also provides drive for a gear driven lubrication pump, for lubrication of cylinder, main and big end bearings. A donkey pump is fitted for maintaining boiler level. This video was taken at the end of the first steaming after boiler test, with blowlamp extinguished and approx 25psi on the boiler and shows the engine running at slow speed, contra rotating props and donkey pump operation. Further videos will be posted once the steamer is back on the water
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