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 Author  Topic: Engine room communications
David VerValin

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David VerValin  Posted on: Apr 17, 2011 - 9:09am
Gentlemen:

How did the bridge communicate with the engine room? Was the purposeof the communication mainly to change dirrection of the props?

Dave V

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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Apr 17, 2011 - 10:40am
The Bridge communicated with the engine room by innunciators located on the engine panel for the engineer. These guages read FORWARD, NEUTRAL, and REVERSE. The Skipper, using his throttle quadrants could put each engine into whatever mode he wished. The noise of the engines at flank speed was too much for anyone to hear, but they did have an engine bell for emgergency power situations. I had heard that some of the boats had hooked up electric power phones that ran from the bridge to the engineer,. Sound phones went to the chart house, although most times the Skipper could communicate with the boats quartermaaster by simply opening the chart house door, located in the cockpit.



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  Jerry Gilmartin

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jerry Gilmartin   Send Email To Jerry Gilmartin Posted on: Apr 17, 2011 - 1:41pm
Hi,
I was reading an instruction manual yesterday that was part of the Motor Mac Training program at Melville. In it, they review the communication signals between the engine room and the helm using the push button signal bell/light. Each station has a push button which sounds a bell/buzzer/light at the other station (except no light on the helm)
Anyway they have a standard system of 1,2,3,4 and 5 buzzes that mean different things. We use a similar system on the PT658. It is SO LOUD in the engineroom with those 3 packards running nothing else would work. Also Frank is correct there is a dial indicating the engine order telegraph that shows the order from the helm labeled AHEAD, STOP, ASTERN. this uses arrows to point at the word.
I will have to look again to make sure, but I think the buzzer system goes something like this:
1 buzz= get ready
2 buzz-= pick up the phone (I dont know how good you would hear a phone though!)
3 buzz=start engines
4 buzz=ready to reverse
5 buzz= shut them down

I hope this helps! Jerry

Jerry Gilmartin

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David VerValin

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David VerValin  Posted on: Apr 17, 2011 - 8:25pm
Thanks guys, this is a big help.

Dave V

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  Jerry Gilmartin

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jerry Gilmartin   Send Email To Jerry Gilmartin Posted on: Apr 18, 2011 - 12:02am
Hi David I have the book in front of me now so I will transpose what it says here. The book is a collection of copied typewritten small chapters. It looks like it is about 200 pages or so with some drawings. The chapter this is from is called "Four Typical Engineering Squadron Orders" and has the following parts:
I. Spare parts to be carried
II. Daily Checks
III. Engineering Log and
IV. Signals From and To Engine Room

Signals from and to engineroom. The following engine room signalsshall be used by all boat engineers, boat captains and boat handlers:

A. From the Bridge to the Engine Room
1 buzz - standby
2 buzzes - answer phone
3 buzzes - start engines
4 buzzes - operate mufflers
5 buzzes - secure engines

B. From Engine Room to Bridge
1 buzz - while stopped - engines are ready to get underway
1 buzz - while underway - engines ready to operate at full throttle
2 buzzes - answer phone
3 buzzes - engine casualty

OK so this is better than me trying to remember what i read as I was falling asleep yesterday! Jerry

Jerry Gilmartin

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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Apr 18, 2011 - 4:15am
Jerry

Glad you posted this. Many of us were somewhat unsure as to the signaling meanings on the boats. In talking with many Motor Macs over the years, it seems each had their own way of doing things. Many related to me that they could not really hear the buzzer/bells, but relied heavily on the board. Some, as I related to in my earlier post had siad they had power phones rigged, which did help. In most cases, those three Packard Engines must have made it near impossible to hear signals. Next time you get the chance Jerry, head into the engine room of PT-658, when she is running at her top speed, and tell me if you think you could hear those buzzers going off.


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Jeff D

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jeff D   Send Email To Jeff D Posted on: Apr 18, 2011 - 6:03am
From Dick and Al's Elco parts catalog, here are some details of the Elco engine room telegraph. The catalog indicates they went from mechanical to hydraulic for PT's 486-544 and 731-760, and gives a parts list for field conversions to hydraulic.

A Federal Electric Co. Resonating #56 horn backed up the telegraph. It's the same horn that's used as the navigation horn so it should have been at least ample to signal over the engines. The more I learn, the more admiration I have for the Motor Macs...

From the catalog, for all PTs except 565-624, 545 is missing also:




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TheBridge

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of TheBridge  Posted on: Apr 18, 2011 - 8:41pm
Jeff, I always enjoy reading your responses. As ALWAYS this one has such great, detailed, accurate info.


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Jeff D

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jeff D   Send Email To Jeff D Posted on: Apr 19, 2011 - 4:33am
Thanks Bridge! And a big thanks to Dick and Al for digitizing the catalog and making it accessible to us.



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Dick

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Dick   Send Email To Dick Posted on: Apr 19, 2011 - 6:31pm
If I'm not mistaken this is the drive direction for the engines as signaled from the bridge to the engine room's control panel. This is a photo from the Portland's group PT658 (Higgins). The directional arrows have three stops, it appears the top up position is STOP.

Dick . . .





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