Latest from the Engine Room

'Barking' has natural draught and we had found previously that although we could get her up to 9.5 knots, performance soon dropped off.  Primary air was an issue and over the winter Ian Woollett increased firebar spacings.  He also fitted a smokebox temperature gauge.  David Carter and I fired it back from Ramsgate.  Ian had said that ideally we needed to keep the smokebox up to about 800°F.  As you will see from the photos we got it to 1050°F.  Admittedly the tubes needed sweeping but we managed to sustain full pressure of 135psi and achieved 7 knots up the Thames estuary over the ground against the tide.  Part of the secret was to keep cleaning out the ashpit under the grate. Being a scotch boiler the grate is long and the mid length supporting bridge can obstruct airflow if ash is allowed to build up beneath it.

The engine gauge readings indicate a High Pressure steam chest pressure of 93psi; Low Pressure steam chest of 18psi & exhaust vacuum to condenser of 23inches (approx 11.5 psi vacuum).

Jim Hatfield
August 2012