A volunteer crew fired up one of the Delta Queen boilers and rolled the wheel for an event in Chattanooga on November 4. Video of the engine room and close-up of the paddlewheel is posted here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaIuDQK633E

Thread with details posted here:

http://www.steamboats.org/forum/save-delta-queen/3851-rally-river-great-dq-steam-up.html

Wesley

Magnificent!

Many, many years ago I got to go on the Delta Queen during one of its visits to Wheeling, W.Va., and walked around the boat. Saw the calliope that had been installed by E. Jay Quinby back about 1961, noted how the stack went up through the lounge (my dad said I was probably the only person around who would notice that), walked through the boiler room to get to the restaurant, and took the liberty of going back to the engine room.

The engine was stopped, and the throttle (silver horizontal wheel in the video) had a "blue flag," a blue sign with the words, "Man in Wheel," and chains locked through it to prevent anyone from starting the engine while someone was repairg the paddle wheel. I remember the valve gear as essentially being similar to Stephenson, and that the engine is a cross-compound, high-pressure on the starboard side, low pressure on the port, with the low-pressure cylinder having something like a 60" bore and 120" stroke, or 5 feet and 10 feet, respectively! I seem to recall the engine has poppet, valves, too. Pump room directly below, with two fire pumps, one of which would run at all times, and a condensing pump (circulating river water into the condensor as well).

One thing I remember the engineer telling me was that he thought steam was the best thing, and that the boat would outlast the both of us, provided they could find younger people who knew how to take care of and run steam.

I regret never being able to afford a trip on her, and not getting into the pilot house--oh, well. . .

Same day.

Anyone have an understanding why the stroke pauses briefly during the beginning of the video?

On another note, Congressman Oberstar, who docked the Queen, by not allowing any exemption from SOLAS past his committee, was defeated last week. So, perhaps, there will be hope one day!

Bob

My uneducated guess is that they were lubricating during the pause. I also noticed a "broken rhythm" while the wheel was turning at times (not in the video.)

I was on the Belle of Louisville during a recent "Great Steamboat Race" in Louisville where the Belle raced the Delta Queen. I was watching the Delta Queen, and noticed a very obvious "lope" in the Queen's paddlewheel. The wheel would turn quite faster during about half it's revolution, and slower during the other half. I can only guess that there may be something amiss in the valve gear?

I recall seeing that same thing, although not as pronounced if my memory is correct, back in the 1970s.

Sister boat Delta King is still around, also as a stationary hotel, in Sacramento.

http://www.deltaking.com/

The Queen is a cross compound, so at slow speed, and low pressures, the power is unbalanced.

My post was from "The Great Steamboat Race". That means I saw the lope at "Get there by Yesterday, flat out zip-zing speed".

.

I accept Kelly's explanation of the lope. It makes perfect sense. That said, I'll also say Kelly is clueless about steamboat terminology.....a boat has "Pittmans", not "Main Rods". Main rods are train things....geez! (Just kidding Kelly, please don't beat me). Have a good day!

.

He's the poor guy (usually with the least seniority) who has to work in that wet, greasy, dark, smelly engine pit when you're working on the running gear?

This goes back to the days of pit sawn timber........the pit man was the poor schumck down in the pit at the bottom end of the saw, with the sawdust falling down around him. He'd try to dodge the majority of the dust by standing to the side, bending his arm to hold the saw straight in the kerf. Early steamboats had bent "main rods," hooked at the crankpin end to get the end of the rod below deck level with the pin at bottom center, thus referred to as "Pitmans." I've seen the term applied to driving rods with crooks in the shaft in old mechanics manuals about other machinery also.

dave

When racing, the Queen frequently opens a simplying valve to put high pressure steam on the low pressure cylinder, leading yet again to imbalance in strokes.

I would imagine the passengers would feel a noticeable cyclical surge in the vessel, but I have not read any such comments. Alas, I have no personal experience.