A Steam Tug

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A Steam Tug

CONTENTS

The History of TID 164 Photographs Typical Details from TID 172 Typical TID Plan Construction Full Steam Ahead Miscellaneous Information

2 8 34 40 41 65 69

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TID 164

THE HISTORY OF TID 164

Like most TIDs, TID 164 was intended for wartime service but missed active duty because she was still being built as the war ended. As one of the last TIDs she was built by William Pickersgill & Sons Ltd., in Southwick, Sunderland, for potential use in the Far East. The only concession for the tropical conditions was a steam generator to run a boiler room ventilator fan, as well as electric lights.

Early Service History

1945 For about two years she was in Naval Service at Port Edgar, attached to the shore establishment HMS Lochinvar on the Firth of Forth, Scotland. 1947 The Port of London Authority chartered TID 164 to join other TIDs in the London Docks including Brent (TID 159), another Pickersgill tug. 1948 TID 164 went back to the Firth of Forth and was based at the Royal Naval Dockyard, Rosyth. 1962 She was in reserve, and was then put under the command of the Captain of the Dockyard at Rosyth in May 1967, and remained active until she was put up for sale in 1974.

In 1973, when Martin Stevens from the Medway Maritime Museum was looking to replace Biddick (TID 54), the last coal fired TID; he started negotiations with the Ministry of Defence in Bath, Somerset. They had two TIDs left in service - TID 172 in Chatham and TID 164 in Rosyth, Scotland. The Medway Maritime Museum was based in Chatham but it was not for them to question the decision of the MOD to Page | 2

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offer them TID 164. When Martin Stevens persuaded the Admiralty that they should sell their last TID tug for a "less than commercial price" for preservation, a deal was struck. When the new owner and friends went north to collect the tug, they had calculated that the 9 tons of oil which the M.O.D. supplied would not be enough. Before they sailed another ton of oil was lashed on deck in barrels, Two and a half days later TID 164 joined the Empire Class steam tug Cervia in Chatham and in accordance with Museum policy was used commercially. Compass had been swung and lifesaving equipment had been loaned.

ITL International Towing Ltd

In 1975 the name TID 164 was changed to Hercules. This was done to disguise the fact that TID tugs were only 220 indicated horsepower. The Museum also used the name ITL International Towing Ltd. to increase credibility with customers. Using the tugs commercially certainly worked for Cervia but not for TID 164. Cervia was used for coastal towing and had a regular crew to maintain her. When a vessel had to be towed up a creek in shallower water the crew would transfer to TID, do the tow, and then abandon her. Only when the tug worked in her own right did proper maintenance happen. Tows included gravel barges from Tower Bridge to Rye in Sussex, a tow of another two barges through the Caledonian Canal - one with Cervia, one with TID, and the collection of the Museum's other Empire Class steam tug Goliath from the Clyde.

"Dad's Navy"
A memorable tow was that of the steam powered Thames sewage ship Edward Cruise which Cervia delivered to the River Medway. TID 164 took over, and struggled into the shallower waters of Otterham Creek to Bloors Wharf. This tow produced ITL's most dramatic accident which closed Europe's largest cement factory for a week! Page | 3

TID 164

To cut a long story short, the BBC were on board Cervia filming a feature for the Nationwide programme called "Dad's Navy". The director wanted to match the speed of the engine to Scott Joplin's 'The Entertainer'! Without a thought for the tow which was some 600 feet astern, the skipper duly telegraphed the engine room to slow down. The tow lost speed on a corner of the river and proceeded to demolish the elevators which unloaded ships and barges. Not content with this, the Edward Cruise swung from one side of the Thames to the other, hitting barges and freeing them from their mooring buoys as she went. The VIPs who were on the Edward Cruise were not amused.

Scotland
In anticipation of a contract, TID 164 waited on the west coast of Scotland near Cairnryan where the aircraft carrier Centaur was being broken up, and later in the Crinan Canal. The contract did not materialise and TID suffered more neglect.

1978
The prohibitive price of oil stopped commercial towing and TID 164 reverted to her original name. When the Small Ships Register was introduced the tug was registered as a yacht thus avoiding expensive Board of Trade regulations. When TID 164 was moored at Chatham on a tidal berth with a concrete base she sank at her moorings. Each of the eight original sections of the tug was built with a drain plug which protruded from the hull. On every tide the plug sat on concrete and eventually the thread wore and the plug dropped out. Page | 4

A Steam Tug

Before the Royal Navy left Chatham in 1984 they fabricated the levers which attach counter-balance weights to the funnel. After modifying the funnel a test run under the bridges of the Thames gave the Houses of Parliament its first dose of thick black smoke in many years!

Faversham 1978
When Lloyds Insurance built their smart new offices at Gun Wharf, Chatham, they decided that steam tugs were not compatible with their image and asked for them to be moved. TID 164 and John H Amos first went to Milton Creek and then Faversham Creek. The TID was the right size for the creek but the paddle tug kept slithering on the un-dredged mud to the centre of the creek when the tide went out. To try and control this she was tied to a small building, but when the tide went out the rope demolished the building!

Falklands War
When the Survey Ship Endurance returned from the Falkland Islands TID 164 joined in the welcome parade up the Medway to Chatham Dockyard. While moored at Bull Noze, the main entrance to the Dockyard, the beer flowed freely on TID 164. Somehow an influential officer heard about the difficulties of Faversham Creek and issued a directive that two Royal Navy buoys should be allocated for the use of TID 164 and John H Amos until such time as a new Trust was formed. That's how Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust found they had two steam tugs as "squatters" which are at the dockyard to the present day.

1986
In 1986 the boiler was re-tubed and a lot of other work was done. As a 'reward' for themselves the volunteers steamed TID 164 to a steam rally at Helevetsluis in Holland. One long standing problem had not been repaired. It took a long time, if at all, to go astern. Imagine entering a lock, full of plastic boats, with no means of stopping and being chased by a large collier which had a living to earn.

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TID 164

In November 1999 TID164 became a recognised vessel of Britain's historic fleet. The National Historic Ships Committee added TID164 to their Designated List.

Repairs and Rebuilds

Over the years it is amazing how much fundamental work gets done, and the pain of it gets forgotten:

Re-tubing the boiler. Re-fabricating the smoke box. Grit blasting the hull - several times. Continuous chipping and painting. New funnel stays. New steering chains. Re-building both Weirs oil pumps. Re-building the circulating pump. Replacing the rudder post. Asbestos was removed by the contractors doing the Chatham Dockyard asbestos removal. Installing bunker heating. Recovering wheelhouse roof. Civilising after cabin. Installing diesel tank. (When a welder was installing a diesel tank on the after deck a spark went down a ventilator and the newly fitted-out cabin was burnt out). A big end bearing replaced.

Improvements Continue
It was noticed that the weld along the bottom chines was failing so two shaped steel strips were welded along the full length of the tug. Since 1999 the cabin has been re-fitted again and the boiler has been retubed again. In 2003 central heating was installed, running pipes in cable trays to match the original wiring and hiding radiators. This should reduce condensation and prevent rust. Hot and cold running water may even encourage Martin's wife to come on board! A new fresh water tank has been installed next to the sanitary tank forward of the wheelhouse. This has been made of wood and resin because a steel tank would have meant the compass would have to be reswung - and that would cost 200! A woodstove was installed in each cabin. Page | 6

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2004
The work continued, this time in Rod Bryant's dry dock at Otterham Quay. All the valves which were attached to the hull were removed, grit blasted, re-machined and new tops fabricated where necessary, new studs and nuts fitted and the insides coated with a modern anti-corrosive paint. A program of steam pipe replacement continues. The wood of the rubbing strake was removed, the damaged metal cut away and renewed, and the lower metal strake replaced by individual brackets for each bolt to prevent water retention. The 'new' wood is 150 year old pine treated by Osmose Protim Solignum which gives a guarantee against rot for 25 years The hull was high-pressure water blasted and ultrasonic thickness tested. Where plates were thin an area was cut away and patches welded flush into the hull (not doublers), and the whole area finished with airless sprayed red oxide and gloss paint. The tug received its regular boiler and general surveys and was ready for steaming again. TID 164 is currently berthed at The Chatham Historic Dockyard on the River Medway. There is a group of volunteers on board every Saturday, who are always happy to show interested visitors around the tug.

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TID 164

Photographs

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Bow With Anchor Davit

Base of Mast and Stove Pipe Page | 9

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Rotted Bow Fenders

Buckled Bow Plates

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Planks and Chains laid out on the bow

Anchor Windlass Page | 12

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Anchor Windlass

Wheel House Page | 13

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Toilet and Tanks on Wheel House

Deck Cowl Vent Page | 14

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Steel Door and Life Buoy

Engine Room vent Covers Page | 15

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Rear of Wheelhouse

Steam Whistle

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Hatch at base of funnel

Funnel

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Hatch into Engine Room

Bulwark Scupper Page | 18

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Water Cannon

Water Cannon and Tow Hook Page | 19

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Water Cannon

Rear Cowl Vents

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Rear view of Cowl Vents

Funnel Counter Balance

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Tow Hook

Rear Superstructure Page | 22

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Tow Bars over rear Superstructure

Opening Lights Page | 23

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Engine room Superstructure

View of Towing Deck

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Engine Room Casing

Rear Hatches

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Rear Deck

Storage Boxes Page | 26

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Steering Gear under platform

Stern view Page | 27

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Stern

Stern view looking forward

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Low tide at the Dock side

Starboard view Page | 29

TID 164

Cowl Vent and Stern Light

Stern view looking forward

Stern Starboard Side

Cowl Vents

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On the Slip having hull repaired

Prop and Rudder Page | 31

TID 164

Hard Chine Hull

Three coats of donated paint Page | 32

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A battered and bruised hull

Awaiting restoration many years ago Page | 33

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Typical Details from TID 172

Used for Reference

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Aft Steering

Aft Steering quadrant and bollard Page | 35

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Steering Rod support channel

Steering rod channels alongside the superstructure Page | 36

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Steering rod pulley blocks

Aft Steering chain in channel with cover Page | 37

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Wheelhouse Telegraph

Wheelhouse steering gear

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Steering direction indicator

Octagonal Ships wheel Page | 39

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Typical TID Plan

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Construction
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TID 164

3/16" KS129

1/32" KS1602

100

110

10

150

1/4" KS131

30

7/32" KS130

1ft

11
2ft

6
3ft

4ft

10

Detail Sheet 1
All Dimensions in Millimetres

20

1/2" = 1ft 3/16" KS129

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50

50

20 15

40

36

Outer Skin Litho Plate

6mm Thick Balsa

20

10

1ft

2ft

3ft

Detail Sheet 2
All Dimensions in Millimetres 1/2" = 1ft

45
4ft

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7/32" KS130

1/8" KS127

14

12

14 30

7/32" Square KS154

5.57

2 off 3mm holes 11.14

25

11

8.5
Section A-A 3/16" KS129 0 1ft

10

2ft

3ft

4ft

Detail Sheet 3
All Dimensions in Millimetres

Soldering Jig 1/2" = 1ft

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45

Black inside Green Outside Port Red Outside

15

Starboard

14

13 13 45

32 6.0

14

14

9
R
9/32" KS132

9
1. 5
13/32" KS136

50

14 8
112.5

1ft

2ft

3ft

4ft

Detail Sheet 4
All Dimensions in Millimetres 1/2" = 1ft

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40

16

Soldered Joint

26

R2
3 Single Double

11

1mm Clear plastic 1mm Plastic sheet

15

18 0 1ft 2ft 3ft 4ft

All Dimensions in Millimetres

1/2" = 1ft

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Steam Plant The steam plant is a Cheddar Models Puffin twin cylinder oscillating engine with 4 inch diameter horizontal boiler, steam condenser/oil separator and electronic safety gas cut off valve that was supplied in semi kit form. Supplied with detailed instructions the plant was methodically put together and ready for a test bench run in a matter of days. I was quite proud of myself when the engine started to turn after opening the inlet valve once the water had boiled to produce the required steam pressure in the boiler. I left it running, lubricating the moving parts and occasionally changing the engines direction to ensure it was run in. Hull The glass fibre hull was purchased from Kingston Mouldings and was supplied with a general arrangement drawing of TID 174 tug. The hull is ideal for the fitting of the steam plant with its flat bottom and hard chine sides. The boiler and engine where mounted on an aluminium plate which fits neatly into the hull. The first stage was to start construction of the prop shaft/skeg and after drilling a hole for the shaft to fit through, some fiddling and adjustments everything lined up with the steam plant. Using car body filler paste the prop shaft was cemented in place and the skeg constructed around the shaft with thin brass sheet cut to shape. The rudder tube was located next and the rudder soldered to the rudder shaft and located before the rudder support soldered in place. The next stage was to locate the steam plant using up turned bolts drilled through the 1/2 inch thick wooden support block that lined up with the holes I had drilled through the aluminium plate. Once wooden block had been glued in position and set the steam plant was dropped in place, connecting the engine to the prop shaft with a double Huco universal coupling. Fitting Out the Hull The hull was now fitted out with all the ancillary equipment that is needed alongside the steam plant. First the position of the fuel cartridge was determined in the bow and a platform made for it to sit on. Next the gas pipe was routed, via the servo mounted automatic cut off valve to the burner. At the aft end a platform was constructed to position the servos for the

rudder and engine throttle. On the same platform the radio receiver, switches and two packs of batteries where located to complete the full installation. With an electric powered model the motors, batteries and radio installation usually come at the end but with this steam powered model I needed to make sure everything would fit in and be accessible before I started on the deck and superstructure. Deck and Superstructure I decided that the traditional method of using plywood for the deck and superstructure because of its superior tolerance to heat rather than plastic due to the heat generated from the steam plant when fired up. Using the plans information I installed a number of deck supports cut from ply and then cut out the deck and glued it in place. Next I lined the bulwarks with thin plywood to cover the fibre glass matting that was visible on the inside of the hull. I then marked out the centreline of the ship on the deck and the outline of the superstructure which I planned to build in one piece. First I cut the base from plywood and temporarily secured it to the deck to obtain the correct curvature. Once the sides of the superstructure had been cut out and glued in place I could then removed it from the hull and work on it separately. The superstructure is simply a number of angular boxes and was soon constructed up to wheel house level whereby I could now start to add the detail. Detailing Starting with the hatch covers I constructed them with two layers of thin plywood to obtain the recess around the edge and plastic sheet for the hinges with brass tubing for the portholes. The basis of the funnel is an 11/2 inch diameter piece of copper tubing obtained from a model engineering suppliers with the base constructed from a circular block of balsawood with thin plywood strips bent around to obtain the correct diameter. The top angled section was cut from thin brass sheet and shaped into a cone to give the curved slope. The detail of the folding section of the funnel was fabricated from more brass sheet, tubing and plastic glued in place. The two cowl vents at the base of the funnel were made from cast resin items I purchased to give the basic shape which I modified with brass tubing, plastic sheet and filler paste to get the look I was after of the two original vents. Page | 47

TID 164

The top section of the wheelhouse is constructed using 0.7mm x 3mm strips of mahogany cut to size and glued together to form the correct thickness of the window frames. The roof is made of plywood scored down the middle and folded slightly and covered in printing Litho plate. The mast, see Detail Sheet 1 is made from brass tubing of different diameters, one pushed inside the other with brass sheet used to make the mast light platforms and brass rod to form the aerial on the top. The four towing bows are made from 1/8 inch diameter brass rod bent to the appropriate shape with 5/32 inch diameter brass tubing at the base secured to each side of the superstructure for them to locate in. Constructing the water tank and storage boxes on the stern deck was straight forward using 6mm thick balsawood blocks cut to size and glued together before covering with a thin skin of plastic sheet as shown on Detail Sheet 2. The hinges and lock hasps are made from litho plate and glued in place. The feet were cut from the plastic sheet and scored in the middle, folded at right angles and glued one in each corner. The cross bollard on the stern deck, see Detail Sheet 3, was next with the two upright sections cut from 7 /32 inch diameter brass tube and the cross section from 1/8 inch diameter tube using a small pipe cutter to give a neat finish. Then a 3.5mm diameter hole was drilled through and the cross section tube threaded through the holes to form the basis of the bollard. Next I cut the base from a piece of sheet brass and glued all the pieces together. To form the flanged ends of the bollard I used plastic sheet and heated a piece brass tubing of the correct internal diameter with the gas cooker ring and pushed it into the plastic to form the round ends which were glued in place. The port and starboard navigation light boxes were made from 1mm thick plywood with the base and sides cut to size and shaped then glued together before sanding the edges square, refer to Detail Sheet 4. The wheelhouse fittings were mainly made from brass with the ships wheel being soldered together from individual brass spokes and braces to form the octagonal shape. The support frame was cut from 2mm thick brass sheet and many hours of filing to get the required shape. The gears were placed on brass shafts and everything was assembled on the brass base. The voice pipe is made up of cooper and brass tubing with a length of chain soldered to the Page | 48

main body and cap. The binnacle is two pieces of brass tubing with the dome made from a piece of brass sheet formed around a large ball bearing using a small hammer. Finally the telegraph head is from a piece of brass tubing with white plasticard inserted inside to form the face. Using my PC, I designed the fascia details and printed it out on the printer and glued it in place. The pedestal of the telegraph was turned from brass bar on the lathe. Painting The hull is painted with numerous coats of grey and red oxide spray primer, each having a light sanding with wet and dry paper. The final coat is Tamiya Acrylic Semi gloss Black TS29. When the paint had fully hardened I masked the whole hull with Frog Tape and newspaper so that the inside of the bulwarks could be painted. The paint used was Rust-oleum spray Painters Touch, colour Strawflower with a satin finish. The deck of the vessel is hand with a fine brush painted with Humbrol No. 70, Brick Red because of the fiddly sections around the bulwark supports. The superstructure and funnel are painted with the same paint has the inside of the bulwarks. The funnel was masked and the top spray with the semi gloss black to match the hull. All the fitting on the model were painted with various colours from the Humbrol range of paints. Lighting There are six working lights on the model, two mast lights, port, starboard, stern and one inside the hood of the binnacle in the wheel house. (Please refer to the miscellaneous section at the back for more information about the lighting requirements of a towing vessel.) Each one is an LED of the appropriate colour built into the light fittings and wired to a small resistor board powered by four 1.5v AA size batteries and switch. The board is mounted under the aft superstructure away from the steam plant. Each LED has its own rated resistor and is connected in a parallel circuit using magnet wire, which has a lacquer coating that must be removed before soldering the joints. This allowed the wires to be easily routed around the superstructure and up the mast.

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Mahogany Wheelhouse

Engine Room Casing and Funnel Base from plywood

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Towing gear at the rear of the superstructure

Comparing the Tow Hook with the original photo

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Wheelhouse

Removing the Superstructure

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TID 164

Cheddar Models Puffin Steam Plant

Puffin Twin Oscillating Engine

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Radio Control Equipment and Gas Control Module

Storage boxes and towing bollard

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First coat of grey primer

A little more colour

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Hand windlass gears and shafts

Completed Hand Windlass

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Printed signs on water slide transfer paper using an inkjet printer

Transfers in place on the signs

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A red LED for the port light

A bright white LED for the stern light

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TID 164

Coal scuttles and bulwark supports

Rudder quadrant and steering chain pulleys

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Wheelhouse door

Glazing the wheelhouse windows

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Ships Wheel, Voice Pipe, Binnacle and Telegraph

Wheel house controls with grating

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Wooden rubbing strips around the bow

Wooden rubbing strips around the stern

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Inside of Bulwarks spray painted after masking the hull

Hull painted black

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Mahogany planking around the toilet block

Completed Superstructure

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TID 164

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Full Steam Ahead

Preparing the steam plant

Ready for launching Page | 65

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Miscellaneous Information
Lights and Shapes Application Rules concerning lights apply from sunset to sunrise, in conditions of restricted visibility, and in all other circumstances when it is deemed necessary. Rules concerning shapes apply during the day. Definitions "Masthead light" "Sidelights" A white light on the centreline of the vessel showing from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on either side of the vessel. A green light on the starboard side and a red light on the port side each showing from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on its respective side. If the vessel is less than 20 metres (66 ft) long, the sidelights may be combined in one fixture carried on the centreline of the vessel. A white light placed as nearly as practicable at the stern showing 67.5 degrees from right aft on each side of the vessel. A yellow light having the same characteristics as a "stern light" defined above. A light visible from 360 degrees of the horizon. A light flashing faster than 120 flashes per minute.

"Stern light" "Towing light" "All-round light" "Flashing light" Visibility of lights

Lights must be bright enough to be visible as follows Vessels 50 metres (164 ft) or more in length 6 nautical miles 3 miles 3 miles 3 miles Vessels between 1250 metres (39164 ft) in length 5 miles; except for vessels less than 20 metres (66 ft), 3 miles 2 miles 2 miles 2 miles Vessels less than 12 metres (39 ft) in length 2 miles 1 mile 2 miles 2 miles

Light type Masthead light Sidelight Towing light White, red, green or yellow all-around light

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Lights displayed by power-driven vessels underway A power-driven vessel underway must display: A masthead light forward. If over 50 metres (164 ft) length, then also a second masthead light aft and higher than the forward one; except that a vessel of less than 50 metres in length shall not be obliged to exhibit such light but may do so. Sidelights. A stern light. Lights for vessels towing and pushing A power driven vessel when towing must show Two masthead lights on top of each other, instead of the masthead(s) prescribed above. Sidelights. A stern light. A towing light vertically above the stern light. A diamond shape if the tow is longer than 200 metres (656 ft).

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