QE2 Engines (diesel-electric powerplant)

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

It has always intrigued me how QE2's engines were repaired and in some instances replaced.

The new engines (re-engining refit of 1986/87) were lowered into the ship through the funnel opening :

http://www.roblightbody.com/liners/qe-2/1987_Refit/index.htm

Rob's page is highly recommended on the matter!

Once the engines were installed, the funnel was replaced, and any further engine changes had to be carried out by "caesarian section" via the hull of the ship. I wonder whether anyone here witnessed such an event, and would love to know when, and how many times, such an event took place?

In the Officers' Wardroom pictures, I have noted this one of an MAN/B&W engine :

Link not active:

http://www.nansaidh.us/webdesign/nans/wardroom.htm

"Echo diesel engine at 27469 hours 11th June 1992 R.I.P. Ripped itself to pieces."

There must be a story attached to this...

[highlander0108]

Carol Thatcher's book "QE2, Forty Years Famous" details the loss of Echo engine with some detail.  It is mentioned that the engine was disassembled during the cruise or crossing and the various engine parts were lining the corridors of the crew area.  I too am interested in hearing more on this event and even photos if possible.  

I have been doing research on the MAN's and they are not only very reliable, but are in use in over 75% of the container ships worldwide.  Interestingly, the engine is still in production, with tweaks to the turbos and cylinder head design to improve emissions and efficiency.  In the USA, large diesel engine manufacturer Fairbanks Morse is under license to produce this series of engines as well.  I would be interested also to know how many hours are on all of the engines. We all have heard they were barely stressed in service on QE2.  Perhaps someone with contacts with Cunard ship engineers can fill us in on these facts.  

The photo of the part of the Echo engine in the Wardroom mentioned above is the damaged access cover to the internals of the engine, including the crankshaft and the connecting rod, which must have been quite messy when is exited the engine!  If memory serves me, the main frame of the engine was damaged beyond repair.  Normally, once installed, the engines can be totally overhauled while in place. Eventually, the main frame of the engine had to be removed through the side of the ship when there was a break in the ships schedule to perform this.  This photo is from MAN website.

The access cover on the plaque would be on the right hand side of the cross section of the engine.

[Michael Gallagher]

Note from the Forum Administrator - this text below may not be used outwith this forum without permission.


On 11 June 1992 one of the pistons in ‘Echo’ engine overheated which caused the piston to seize in the liner which resulted in the con-rod to seize and fail quite dramatically by shearing and breaking through the side of the engine. The failure physically shook the whole ship and the debris was extensive.
   
Fortunately there were no injuries but the whole engine had to be taken apart and stored in crew corridors on the deck above the Control Room.
   
Later the destroyed engine was laid out in the Terminal area in Southampton.
   
After the grounding incident QE2 was out of service being repaired between 8 August and 4 October but it was not possible to replace ‘Echo’ during this period as the new engine was not ready.
   
Rebuilding ‘Echo’ commenced during November / December period in Hamburg. Cunard described work to take place during this refit as “substantial technical work normally performed during an overhaul” but the work involved was far more extensive than Cunard admitted to publicly as it involved the complete replacement of one of the vessel’s engines. The work required cutting open the hull and replacing the engine frame and crankshaft. The engine was then rebuilt while QE2 was in service and was finally commissioned in January 1993.
   
One of engine’s cylinder ‘lids’ was put on display in the Officer’s Wardroom on board. Also in the Wardroom, at the outboard side of the bar, there is an engine part from that failure mounted on a piece of wood - 'in commemoration'. The brass plate mounted on the piece says 'Echo Engine - R.I.P (Ripped Itself to Pieces)'.
   
The new engine would be known on board thereafter as ‘Son of Echo’.

[Louis De Sousa]

Yes, i remember that day we were in Copenhagen the day before and the 11th was a day at sea before our arrival in Southampton.I remember seen all those pieces lined up on Six Deck.

Louis

[Rob Lightbody]

The main interest in the story of Echo, for me, is how QE2 carried on regardless, keeping to schedule, still capable of 30 knots in the right conditions, still with redundancy remaining.  It validated the installation of such a comprehensive "luxury" system, 5 years before.

[Andrew Collier]

Wow, I knew very little of this story, thanks all for the insight! What a ship, a whole huge massive bus sized engine out of action and it carries on regardless as if nothing was wrong, awesome. 

[Twynkle]

This 'paper' came up under 'Uniforms'
Who might know - is it authentic...?!

[Rob Lightbody]

Rosie, this was handed out on board for many years (available from outside the pursers office!) and also is on QE2.org.uk, where i suspect this was "pinched" from ! http://www.qe2.org.uk/engine.html

[Twynkle]

Thank you -  about the engine info 'paper'.
Is it a fact about the purple stripes too?

(btw - wish there'd been a working 'model' of the engines, gears, propulsion etc -
 aka 'The Works'  on display somewhere, or at the very least, a working model 'sliced in half' - complete with flow chart!
Not sure where - maybe along one of the inside 'decks'!)

[Louis De Sousa]

Is it a fact about the purple stripes too?

Rosie, check this out.

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/explore/sea-and-ships/facts/faqs/general/did-engineer-officers-in-the-royal-and-merchant-navy-wear-purple-cloth-between-the-rank-stripes-on-their-uniform-as-a-sign-of-mourning-for-the-engineers-who-died-in-the-titanic

Colours on naval uniform
http://www.rmg.co.uk/discover/explore/colours-naval-uniform

Louis

[highlander0108]

Rosie, this was handed out on board for many years (available from outside the pursers office!) and also is on QE2.org.uk, where i suspect this was "pinched" from ! http://www.qe2.org.uk/engine.html

I have a copy of this document too.  It was included in a response from Captain Paul Wright to my letter to him asking if it were possible for a engine room tour.  I was declined, of course, but this document was included to soften the response.  This was pre 9/11 and I thought I'd give it a try, even if it was a long shot.

Ken

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

What sort of fuel did / does QE2 use?

Is the fuel used in her first and second life different? Where was / is it stored?

The reason I ask is because a colleague told me the other day that the fuel used by ships is almost solid and has to be heated quite a bit to become usable. Can this be true? I never got the impression that the various bunkering vessels were shovelling solid fuel into QE2...?

[Mauretania1907]

I could be wrong but I think I read somewhere that marine oil was rather thick and treacly, not like petrol. Thick oil probably does have to be warmed up to be pumped. Would anyone on the site know better.

[Louis De Sousa]

Check it out here under "The service speed".

http://www.qe2.org.uk/engine.html

Louis

[Twynkle]

There were both heavy and fine oil(thinner and paler) in  paper cups that I saw
The thick cheaper oil is pretty black, and yes, treacly - it smells!
As far as I remember, there are strict regulations for its use
and I think it can only be used away from the shoreline - maybe that's just in Europe.
There are oil-treating (sort of refining) units onboard ships -
and like you Isabelle and Mauritania 1907, I'd love to know more!

Over to the Engine Room experts....please?