Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Guest wrote:

Mac Mackay wrote:I don't mean to be picky, but as I understand it the "uniflow" is a type of steam engine. Skinner's own version was the "Unaflow" [with a capital U and a letter "a"].
So it is quite correct to call the engine a uniflow, but when calling it a Skinner, it could also be called a Unaflow. I hope I have added to the confusion.

Don't mean to diverge from the primary topic here, but wasn't there some type of issue with the Skinner Unaflow engines in that there was not a large degree of interchangeable parts? Or was that just a rumor that went around years ago?

Not all Skinner's were of the same size, so parts of one may not be interchangeable with another, as in parts from a 302 Ford V8 may not fit in a 351 Ford V8. The carferries City of Midland 41, Spartan, and Badger all had Skinner's but the Midland Skinner parts couldn't be used on the Badger or Spartan. However, when the Midland was retired some her engine parts ended up being used on the Southdown Challenger, which had a similar Skinner to the Midland.

Mac Mackay wrote:I don't mean to be picky, but as I understand it the "uniflow" is a type of steam engine. Skinner's own version was the "Unaflow" [with a capital U and a letter "a"].
So it is quite correct to call the engine a uniflow, but when calling it a Skinner, it could also be called a Unaflow. I hope I have added to the confusion.

Don't mean to diverge from the primary topic here, but wasn't there some type of issue with the Skinner Unaflow engines in that there was not a large degree of interchangeable parts? Or was that just a rumor that went around years ago?

I don't mean to be picky, but as I understand it the "uniflow" is a type of steam engine. Skinner's own version was the "Unaflow" [with a capital U and a letter "a"].
So it is quite correct to call the engine a uniflow, but when calling it a Skinner, it could also be called a Unaflow. I hope I have added to the confusion.

As LT 820 for the Quartermaster Corps, the Hannah had a three cylinder Skinner Uniflow, 24.5 x 24," 1200-ihp, supplied by two Babcock & Wilcox water tube boilers, 6306 sq ft heating surface at 225 lbs wp. This plant was replaced in the fall of 1967 with twin war-surplus Fairbanks, Morse opposed piston Diesels, 8.13 x 10," generating 3200-bhp, by Bultema Dock & Dredge Company at Muskegon.

I do not know if the James A. was ever powered by a steam engine. Back in 1982, I actually slept aboard the James A. one night while I was working for Hannah (Tampa Tugs) and was in S. Chicago waiting for the Kings Challenger to arrive. At that time the James was powered by an opposed piston diesel.

the james a hanah as built new was she not a steamer powered by a skinner uniflow steam engine?

Heddle has been in the process of slowly scrapping a number of former McKeil tugs, including the Bonnie B. III, Carrol C. I, Tony MacKay, John Spence, and James A. Hannah.

you are correct i once thought i was right....but i was mistaken!

This is a photo I took back in October 2019 from the Mountain in Hamilton, it shows the tug James A. Hannah and another tug at Heddle Marine and the Spruceglen coming under the Burlington Skyway with the Sarah Desganges docked at the Petro-Canada pier at Bronte.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/57707843@N03/48911414202/

badger wrote:at heddles yard in hamilton, ontario it appears they are in the process of scapping two veteran tugs, pacific standard and a large former andrie tug

That's not Pacific Standard, it's the John Spence. The other one is James A. Hannah.

at heddles yard in hamilton, ontario it appears they are in the process of scapping two veteran tugs, pacific standard and a large former andrie tug