One f*ck-off big engine

[swiss]

Each cylinder head is cast individually, usually from cast iron. The crank case is either made in a oner, for smaller bits like jennies, or made from sections of plate blue-tacked together on the big boys.

Similarly, the shafts on jennies and the like are typically drop-forged in a oner, whereas the big ones are forged in individual bits then the pins, webs, throws and everything else are shrunk-fit together. Then you just need a really big crane.

Usually, the engine is assembled in the factory, tested, then taken to pieces and shipped to the other side of the world. There it's put back together on the ship as it's being laid down and then never works as well as it did in the factory tests. And if you ever need to take an engine or jenny out of your ship, you have to cut a sodding great hole in the side of the hull

Very, very big turbos too ^_^

[Doggy]

My dad used to work on diesel shunting locos, which we thought had big engines, (though nothing like this).
Paxman V8's & V12's, both 7" bore x 7" stroke. The turbo V8's were 450hp & the N/A V12's 500.
This seemed a lot in the days when a big truck engine was a Gardner 150, still it was nearly 40 years ago.....

[swiss]

Paxmans have a reputation for being designed to infuriate marine engineers ^_^

Can't recall who Paxman got bought out by. There's pretty much only two big marine plant builders left in the world now, MAN B&W and Wartsila-Sulzer. Honda makes MAN engines under license. Rolls Royce bought out Pielstick, and still make spares for engines designed in the 40's. One of our Rover-class tankers is about to get fitted out with five brand new Volvo generators... maybe I can hook Welly up with spare parts ^^

I once heard modern loco diesels use some kind of triangular six-cylinder arrangement with pairs of opposed pistons 120 degrees from each other... weirdness...

Also, anyone who hasn't heard of the six-stroke engine ought to have a read. I want one! I love the fact that the guy didn't do any calculations, he just built the thing from parts of old diesel engine and fired it up. In your face, three years at college!

[Nicodemus]

I once heard modern loco diesels use some kind of triangular six-cylinder arrangement with pairs of opposed pistons 120 degrees from each other... weirdness...

IIRC that was just the old Deltic loco's used on the East Coast main line out of Kings Cross. The engine itself was based on a marine diesel - found a reference http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napier_Deltic

[swiss]

Ooh, very interesting article. Next time I see the lecturer who told about these things I shall give him a public "Wikipedia knows more than you do"ing

[Welly]

I like the 6-stroke Diesel engine design - you can go about telling everyone it's a 'steamer'

[Doggy]

Ooh, very interesting article. Next time I see the lecturer who told about these things I shall give him a public "Wikipedia knows more than you do"ing

That'll guarantee a glowing report to your employers

[swiss]

I like the 6-stroke Diesel engine design - you can go about telling everyone it's a 'steamer'

According to Wikipedia, the first Peugeot ever built was steam powered

[Doggy]

Another spooky recollection:
The two 500 hp V12's I mentioned went by the names of D8 & D9

[highlander]

Mmmm, a D9 with a V12 engine ...