Interesting Old Equipment, Projects & Work Places

**bob10** · 30th May 2020, 06:51 AM

Sometimes just the simple things such as going from one class of ship to another can be confronting. Take patrol boats , for example. The old Attack class , with 2x 16YJCM Turbo charged Paxman diesels developing 1,750 BHP each @1350 RPM, 2x 371 series GM Diesel generators [ 40KW] and 3x 24,000 BTU/ HR [ 2,5 HP ]air-conditioning units were farm machinery , really. Whoever designed the Paxman engine must have worked for Land Rover at some stage. Enough said.

Moving to the Fremantle class was like coming out of the dark ages, the main propulsion machinery comprised two MTU Type 16V538TB91 diesel engines, each driving a fixed pitch propeller through a ZF Type BW Reverse Reduction gearbox without a shaft brake. The auxiliary propulsion machinery was a Dorman Type 12JTM diesel engine driving a controllable pitch propeller thru an isolating clutch and V drive reduction gearbox with two shaft brakes , one manual, one pneumatically controlled.

And here was the most noticeable change. The propulsion control system was basically pneumatic, something new for us. [ I had had some experience with the boilers on the DDG's, 4 Foster Wheeler D type boilers 1275 PSI @ 950 'F superheat, 137,000lb/hr output 7285 sq. ft. of heating surface, pneumatically controlled] but this was a bit more complicated. ON/OFF functions were achieved by 0 and 7 bar signals and settings by analogue signals varying over ranges within the 7 bar system pressure. Electrical signals were used for indications and certain interlocks. Air at 11,5 bar was filtered and reduced to 7 bar by duplex air line equipment before entering the pneumatic system. The alarm system logic was by MTU, in a separate electronic cabinet. The alarm system display lamps were by MTU, but mounted in a Regulateurs Europa Console. In an MCR. An MCR ! airconditioned , and separated from that noisy engine room by a door! with a seat, and a nice big window into the engine room, how long had this been going on? But wait, there's more.

Every normal maintenance procedure had its own tool kit, and if a spanner had to be bent a certain way to fit properly, it was. No more having to have articulated arms to work on Paxmans. Just about everything on the MTU's was accessible , you could eat your dinner off the engine room floorplates. How did the Germans lose the War ?

And the gearboxes. ZF marine gears, [ZAHNRADFABRIK FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG. ZF to us

] BW 1200 offset reduction gearboxes with three shafts and dual multi disc clutch on the input shaft. . The main components subject to wear were situated on the input shaft, output shaft vertically below the input shaft, output opposite to the gearbox input side. An interesting story here. A few of us were selected for a ZF maintainers course, at Transpec's [ ZF division] workshop in Melbourne. We stripped a gearbox to the shell, reassembled it, set it up on a test bed and ran it up, using the SKF oil injection method of removing and replacing gears.

Now we had a problem with a couple of gearboxes on boats back at the base. There was a disconcerting habit of a gearbox not going into reverse when entering or leaving the wharf. So, boats were doing these evolutions in manual control. A few beers with the German technician assigned to us, and sorted! Turns out the pneumatic controlled gearbox oil control valve could jam if the oil system was not spotlessly clean, just a couple of thou. muck on the control surface would jam it. We were doing the oil changes at the recommended intervals, changing filters etc. we went back with the recommendation of less interval between oil changes , a finer filter fitted, and strip down and clean of the control valves. Sorted.
The boats had Vosper Thorney Croft [ type mark 111] hydraulic stabilisers fitted, but we hardly ever used them. Apparently the noise kept the Officers awake at night. Believe it, or not.

**1950landy** · 30th May 2020, 07:23 AM

Originally Posted by 4bee

Interesting Stuff OF.

When I was a little kid we used to go to Hallets Brickworks Pug Hole at Thebarton on the banks of the River Torrens, (probably the oldest clay workings in the state) the place was full of Clay excavations, Water ponds, Reeds & Snakes undergrowth & was a great Adventure Playground & not without some dangers from Snakes & the Speeding returning Clay Tipper Wagons on rails. This was hoisted up by a winch , emptied & then let run down freely back to the workings controlled by the wire cable.

Sometimes when the rail track was blanked off by Clay Banks & undergrowth, you didn't hear the trucks coming until they were right on you. Gave one a bit of a fright & concentrated one's mind to say the least. We would roam barefooted ignoring the shouts of the workmen. How dare they, trying to get us off Dangerous Active Industrial workings. Bloody cheek.

There was also a rubbish dump in one corner of the pug-hole where kids being the scavengers that they are found some interesting stuff.

One day I spotted a 100 gallon Orange Water tank that I thought could make a good Fort. Why not? Rolled it all the way home aprox 2 miles got to the front gate to be met by my old man who told me to take it straight back. We had a Red Kelpie Dog that followed us everywhere, so we (dog & me) about faced & rolled it all the way back to the dump.

He must have heard us coming up the bitumen road when we left the pug hole.

My late elder Brother, bare footed as usual, trod on some very hot ashes from burning rubbish. As luck happened a neighbour riding his treadlie home from work saw us, lifted my bro onto the crossbar & walked him home to be greeted by a worried Mum & Dad. I recall his feet were doused with Picric Acid & when I google that it seems it is fairly dangerous stuff but my My mum did have some so on it went. Seems it can be a burns treatment & I suppose they took him to the Doc's.

Great places Pug holes.

The Hallet's Brick constructed Kiln chimney still stands today & is the land mark/ focal point for a Weekly Market. I believe the kiln interior is now a posh display area with a coffee shop etc & they do tours through it.

The Kiln was a monster Hoffman Kiln.

Adelaide. Torrensville. The Federal Brickworks was taken o… | Flickr

Back in the 50's us kids would go & play in the Darra Cement Works dump & Brittan's Brickworks unused pit that was full of water. We would take out home made canoe ( made out of a sheet of corrugated iron ) to the pit & paddle around & catch tortoise & in the cement dump we would catch birds. Can't do those things today they have fences around them. The cement works is no longer there is a large industrial estate & the brick works is the same with only one small plant operating on site & is now after being owned by Boral owned by PGH.
In later years we did shut downs & maintenance work at booth business until we retired & sold our business.

**Hall** · 30th May 2020, 09:25 AM

Finding good "plastic" type of clay is always a problem for brick making

I worked for J C Steele for nearly two years. They are manufactures of clay working machinery. I had the task of replacing at least two extruder gear box output shafts. These are eight inches in diameter and are made of a shafting steel. As noted a good plastic type of clay is needed,the clay would harden up and the rest is a given. There are two apposing inch and a quarter by ten inch long keys on the drive end of the shaft. A coupling fitted around these and joined the gear box to the extruder. To get the stiff clay moving they would jog the gear box back and forth. Unfortunately in some instances this was not a good idea. This jogging would loosen the two inch diameter coupling bolts done up to 1500 foot pounds. There where eight of these bolts per coupling. The keys would begin to move and break the four five eights retaining bolts and then shatter the end of the shaft. The shaft then being free to move in a lateral direction would move back into the gear box and destroy the small end bearing and bearing cap. In other instances the main bull gear would also work lose on the main shaft and the key that would have held the gear tight would be cranked. This key is also inch and quarter by eight inch long and is a tapered key. Finally and most impressive given the forces required to do this. There where two types of main gears. A welded one and a cast steel one. The welded ones would shear the weld around the hub. This weld was not done lightly. The brick industry has as a whole has down sized quit a bit therefore there are number of spare gear boxes and extruders about. So when it was more than a shaft they would just replace the gear box. So yeah the right type of clay does help.
Cheers Hall

**4bee** · 30th May 2020, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Picric acid was used as an early antiseptic. I know that it was used in WW1 in field dressings. Interestingly it is also a high explosive. About 25 years ago some was found in some medical equipment in the museum then in the main street of Dubbo, and the area closed off while it was carefully removed.

Thanks John, that answers two questions all these years on. ie. how come my mother had it & why would an explosive be used as a First Aid treatment? Funny how these things come from the back/unused part of one's mind.

I haven't checked yet but I have a feeling it was used in WW1 shells since your mention of it being explosive.

When you think about it most, if not all, these Pug holes were filled with "Landfill" & it does beg the question where all that stuff came from & today a lot of that "waste" would be recycled. More importantly what was the "Landfill"? Old paint tins, plastics etc etc & a whole bunch of stuff that today would be considered a definite no no, & considering the acres & acres of pug holes that were in Adelaide & their depth it must have taken thousands of tonnes of garbage to build them up.

The old Rowley Park Speedway was established in one & I have a feeling that has also been filled & Ticky Tacky boxes built on there.

By youngest bro lives in a house whose back door faces a lovely old waste brick wall that surrounded a brickworks hole & was "assured" by the developer" that his bit was inside the boundary which commenced probably a 100' inside the fence. & had not been excavated but was original land.

He doesn't appear to have any subsidence in his gaff so maybe the developer was not telling porkies after all, unusual I realise, but there are a heap of houses that were over the pughole area so would be interesting to know. I don't think he is game to ask those people for a shufti, just in case he has sleepless nights or gives those to the occupants

I can recall probably 6 pug holes of varying sizes but there are probably more that I did not know about but are probably listed somewhere. Certainly more in the Western 'burbs with a few towards the Adelaide Hills.

**emjaya** · 30th May 2020, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by bob10

How did the Germans lose the War ?

Bad management with delusions of grandeur overextending it's workforce and industry with no clear goals except world domination?

Which sounds like most Australian companies business plan.

**4bee** · 30th May 2020, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by emjaya

Bad management with delusions of grandeur overextending it's workforce and industry with no clear goals except world domination?

Which sounds like most Australian companies business plan.

Or China.

**1950landy** · 30th May 2020, 02:15 PM

My brother & my company manufactured a lot of interesting products over the years. We built all the rides for Amazons Water Park Jindalee hqdefault toobobin ride.jpg OIP flying fox.jpg The flying fox was very troublesome people we meant to drop off the fox before it hit the stops but didn't I would go there every morning to change the stops due to damage until we came up with a suitable rubber buffer to stop the damage. We also built all the columns for the waterslide. Another water park Wet & Wild we built the original wave machine.
a mock aeroplane for Brisbane airport for fire fighters to practice fire fighting art-Fire-Training-Plane-Melbourne-Airport-620x349 mock aeroplane.jpg not as fancy as this one at Melbourne , the Brisbane one did not have any wings or cabin for the pilots . We had a contract to make aluminium coal wagon doors & SS bat wings which is the front & real panels on the wagons qhbh 55384r coal wagons.jpg
We fabricated most of the steel work on Mill relining machines foe one client showcase-featue-russell Mill Relining machine.jpg We also built a pilot plant in Brisbane to burn domestic landfill into small gravel that could be used for light weight building blocks , concrete & landscaping. It burnt all the toxins in the Kiln & was very environmental friendly, The BCC rejected it as a solution for Brisbane's waist problem & the company folded. I believe the idea has been taken up in Japan & is being used there. We also built Aluminium Gangways & steel work for two marina Company's , built navigation boys & channel markers for Harbours & Marine . as well as oil drilling rigs during the oil drilling boom
Since we sold the business 10 years ago the company Has carried on supplying structures for the power industry , building steel bridges for parks , aluminium gangways for ferry terminals in Brisbane . They also built this replica of the Story Bridge which is located at the training facility at Salisbury. My nephew who served his apprenticeship with us & is still working for the company was leading hand on this project following in the footsteps of his Grandfather who worked on the original Story Bridge at Kangaroo Point
IMG_0146-e1574030028870 story bridgre replica.jpg The company has now its second owner since we sold , the first could not make a go of it the new owner is doing a lot better & seams to be going well.
These are some of the more interesting projects but we made everything from BBQ plates to flood relief doors for wivenhoe Dam

**1950landy** · 30th May 2020, 02:30 PM

Another interesting project was the supply of new handrails & light poles for the Victoria Bridge in Brisbane to comply with new bicycle safe regulations. After galv & painting we bolted them into large cradles so the paint would not get damaged in transport. They also had to be loaded in the correct order so as the old ones were removed the new would be bolted into place . I had our truck & a hired in body truck & driver with a hiab . Delivery could only be between midnight & 5AM when they would close the bridge to all traffic . We would get two loads each delivered in that time & delivery was every second night for two weeks. 1200px-Victoria_Bridge,_Brisbane_04.jpg

**bob10** · 30th May 2020, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by emjaya

Bad management with delusions of grandeur overextending it's workforce and industry with no clear goals except world domination?

Which sounds like most Australian companies business plan.

Just gammin', emjaya. Not serious , in other words.

**Old Farang** · 30th May 2020, 07:44 PM

Transport of the bricks:

The plant never had any need to stock pile fired bricks. Some production was probably to order, although having several kilns the system seemed to work, and as it was the only clay brick factory serving a big area, most clients had no other option but to wait for delivery.

Also, mainly because of the basic kiln system, there was a big variety in both colour and quality of the bricks. The bricks directly around the firing holes were often over heated and came out as"clinkers", where as some from near the centre would be lighter colored. The colour of the clay mix also affected the end product.

We had a small fleet of road trucks, which I also had to maintain. The grand old lady was a tandem drive "Reo". It had apetrol engine, and I am only guessing now, probably what was known as a"Gold Comet", six cylinders, OHV. It had a "joey" extra gearbox, and I cannot recall how many speeds the main gearbox was. (probably 5)

The rear drive was via a Hendrickson type tandem axle with a power divider. I remember this part because it failed and dropped the input shaft. As it was the first one that I had ever had to deal with I at first thought that it was just a lazy axle, but the old Italian driver, who really cared for the truck, put me right. (the same bloke that knew how todrive the Bucyrus digger)

It also had a telescopic hydraulic hoist mounted at the front of the tray. On more than one occasion this mongrel thing pushed past one of the extensions, resulting in the body being stuck up in the air! I recall making a big heavy steel section to use with a jack to raise the bloody thing enough to get the ram back into one piece. This invariably happened at a customers site miles away from the workshop!

There were also two Ford F600 single axle V8 trucks, a"Knocker" Commer, a Ford "D" 750 series diesel forward control cab, and a small, probably around 30 cwt, Dodge tray back with seats and a canopy over them. This one was used to carry the workers about 8 miles from the big town to and from work, and I used it also during the day to go and buy spare parts.
No OH&S in those days!

I suppose that F600's V8 was a 302 CID, as the 351 did not arrive until later years. They were good reliable trucks that I do not recall having any problems with, just usual maintenance items such as brakes etc. The biggest problem that I had was with one of the drivers! Total arsehole that I clashed with every day! I remember him coming into the workshop complaining that he could ONLY get 82 mph out of it empty!

I liked the old Knocker Comer! I did a de-coke on I it at one stage. Did not remove the pistons, just carefully cleaned it out a bit!The driver was a part native bloke and used to take good care of it.

The D750 was probably the worst truck out of the lot, but even that did not have any major problems. The driver was an Italian bloke that was scared of it. It did not have power steering and was a bit heavy to control, but I still remember him coming into the workshop and telling me:"Da D750, she a jump ofa da road again". I could never induce it to do such a thing!

to be continued

Thread: Interesting Old Equipment, Projects & Work Places

Thread Tools

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions