Nokomis

[Eddy Matthews]

Here's an interesting article that Joe Brown (towboatjoe) sent me the other day.  Apparently some tests were conducted to see which method of propulsion was the best, fixed paddlewheel, feathering paddlewheel, or screw (prop).

The American sternwheeler Nokomis was even fitted with a feathering sternwheel - I never knew that had been tried in the States!

Anyway, it's a really good read and a fascinating bit of history....

[PJ]

FASCINATING article.  Interesting suggestion is made that any increase in efficiency of the feathering wheel was offset by the the extra maintenance of the complicated machinery.  I wonder what the Brits would have had to say about that, since one of the greatest maintenance headaches of radial wheels was the paddle floats (blades) striking the water flat and the impact causing breaking and loosening of bolts.  I'd love to get a look at that U.S. Government publication explaining the results in detail.

I have just received a slew of pictures taken at the Science Museum in London UK of various 19th feathering wheel patents.  I'll try to post some of these in the forum at the weekend.

PJ

[Walter Snowdon]

HHi PJ,While  in sevice, the WAVErLEY has her wheels and paddle feathering mechanism cheched every tim she stops. (several times a day on her numerous pier calls in the Bristol channel). This entails the inspection door into the paddle box being removed and two engineers climbing into the wheel and inspection the floats and tapping all the moving parts with a hammer to listen for fractures.
On one lay-up day a small split was found in one of the wooden floats and withou forther ado, out came the woodworking tools ang three great baulks of Opopo wood which was then shaped up, ready for fitting. The two engineers again went into the wheel to unbolt the three planks of the offending float and to pass the planks bach through the small inspection door. ( No mean feet on a ship at anchor in a fast running tide) The  old blades were then used as templates to drill  large bolt holes in the new blades. These were then passed back into the paddle box and bolted into place. (Three blades almost 4 inches thick, 12 inches wide and 8 foot long each of a terrific weight being passed through a small inspection hole to engineers standing on the paddle shaft who then had to lift and hold them into place while the securing bolts were hammered into place before tightening). Great to watch and I got some good video footage of the whole process ! Regards, Walter.

[mjt60a]

....Interesting suggestion is made that any increase in efficiency of the feathering wheel was offset by the the extra maintenance of the complicated machinery.  I wonder what the Brits would have had to say about that....

I was under the impression that the main reason for using feathering wheels on 'our' steamers was to reduce the diameter of the wheel and lower the centre of gravity (by keeping the shaft and cranks as low as possible), with the US steamers (usually, in pictures I've seen) being so tall and their wheel diameter so much larger I wouldn't have thought there'd be any advantage in using feathering wheels...