Manxman had two boiler rooms and four boilers but lost the forward boiler room in the 1960 - 1963 refit. During normal steaming it was usual to have just one boiler lit. The boiler rooms were entered though an air lock to prevent flashback. Manxman could raise steam from cold in about an hour.
Boiler cleaning was one of the worst jobs. The water tanks and boiler tubes had to be cleaned every 3 - 6 months. The tubes were cleaned with a searcher (long wire brush). When this had been completed, the tubes were checked for obstructions, an E.R.A. on the top drum would drop ball bearings down the tubes to the chap below who would catch and count them.
Turbo Generators
The Stokers 1952 - 1953
L.P. Turbines
Manxman’s boilers ran on Furnace oil. To start from cold the oil was first thinned by pre heating. Portable fans were placed in front of the sprayer. The boiler was lit with a rag attached to a metal rod pushed through the cowling around the sprayer. (You hoped that it would take, if it didn’t you got burnt in the back flash. I was caught behind a back flash once, not very nice I got my hand burnt, no scars though.) When the sprayer was alight and some steam had been raised, the main fans could be started, this would clear the smoke from the boiler, when all the plant was running, the fuel pumps and oil heaters, the turbo generators could be started, and then the evaporators.
From P.O. John (Sky) Larken Killic Stoker Manxman 1952 - 1953
Aft
Forward
