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Thank you for a very informative answer. I sailed on the Greene in '59 and '60 and often wondered what changes had taken place after the diesel conversion.

The propulsion system is controlled from the Pilothouse. The engines are started in the engine room by the engineers, then the controls are switched to the Pilothouse. Usually, the engine speed is constant (750 engine rpm, through a reduction gear for 115 shaft rpm), only the pitch of the controllable pitch propeller is changed to control the ship speed, and direction of travel. There is still a engine order telegraph, in the Pilothouse and engine control room, for use if the bridge controls are malfunctioning. The engine order telegraph is digital, not like the large brass telegraphs from the steamer days. The KEB, LAT, HCJ, and HJLO use heavy fuel in their engines, which requires being heated for use. They all have smaller boilers for heating the fuel, steam radiators in the accommodations, and to heat water for showering, etc. the HCJ, KEB, and HJLO all have economizers, which are used to generate steam while the ship is underway. The economizers use the heat from the engines exhaust to generate steam, allowing the boiler to cycle off, to save fuel. It’s much more efficient operation.

One the formerly steam powered boats such as the Kaye Barker aka Edward B. Greene and the Lee Tregurtha aka Walter A Sterling, are the engines now controlled from the pilot house or are chadburns still used for engine room control? Also, do boats such as these still maintain any steam creating capabilities? If so, what is the steam used for?

Thanks