Boiler Room vs. Engine Room Questions

Why does the boat have to have a Scotch boiler? Many a small boat would have had one of various types of boilers that were used over the years. It would certainly be plausable that a small boat like you mention could have a locomotive style boiler and be fired right forward of the engineroom. If that's the case, there was probably a fireman/striker and a licensed chief engineer to take care of making the boat move. In other instances, on small ferries a Western Rivers style of boiler would oft times be used and fired from the forecastle of the boat. On my great grandfather's ferry NEW RICHMOND the deckhand fired the boiler. One other thing is that the water level in the boilers was tended to by the engineer or striker in the engineroom.

To answer your questions though, no matter where the boiler room or engine room are the chief engineer is ultimately incharge of both areas and the crew working there. Also any boiler would only have one furnace. The confusion might be because the area where the fireman (or men) stand to tend to the boiler's furnace is called the firebox on a Western River steamboat. In the engineroom where the throttle is and from where the boat's engines are handled (controlled) from is called the footbox.

Hi Frank,

Thank you for your reply. The boat doesn’t necessarily need a Scotch boiler; after doing research, it just seemed like the most plausible one for that size of vessel at that time. A locomotive-style boiler would also be plausible, and is probably a better choice, as it allows the layout you mention (boiler right forward of the engine room).

The firebox/footbox terms are most helpful, as is your description of the layout of both.

I really appreciate your help!

Cheers,
Katrina

Katrina
You might want to visit a small boat (about 65 foot) can't recall is it is a steamer or gas engine. It operated in the Portland, Oregon area but in 2009 a group in Hunting, Oregon were trying to buy her and move her to their area.

Little steamboats

My steamboat, the Graceful Ghost, is based on the plan of a larger boat designed by Chicago Marine Ironworks, about the size you envision for your story. Although the Ghost is smaller, it has a boiler located forward, under the pilot house. The fire door faces aft. One person takes care of the engine and boiler. It is a Scotch marine boiler with a built in furnace. If the Ghost was 15 ft. longer, i.e., 65 ft, it could still be operated by one person on engine and boiler. Never-the-less, another individual might have been needed, depending on the circumstances. I would not rule it out. The boiler would be forward so as to offset the weight of the machinery aft. I have no idea what the inspectors of 1890 would have required for crewing a 65 ft. steamboat. Those smaller steamboats were routinely avoided by most photographers, they were just too common. But if you look hard enough, you might run across some photos that would show the layout.

Note in the middle of Lexie's posting a bit of critical information: "The boiler would be forward so as to offset the weight of the machinery aft. "
Balancing the waterline dictates the location of the boiler. The engines' location is dictated by the length of the pitmans, and design practicality. Also the wheel weight is an important factor. Of course, since your boat is in the imagination, you don't have to do a whole bunch of math to make certain she floats! 🙂
S'
David D.

Hi Carl, Lexie, and David,

Thank you so much for your replies!

In the book, there is one chief engineer, one fireman, and a cub engineer in training. Lexie, based on your response, it sounds like that size team (for the engines/boiler) is plausible for a 65-foot boat.

So it’s clear in my head, on Graceful Ghost, starting from the bow, it’s fire door (facing aft), boiler (would the furnace door on the boiler be facing forward?), then engines. Are the boiler and engines on an open lower deck? I’d like to get a sense of the space they’re situated in (open-air, etc.).

And David, it’s true that the boat in the story does not have to be accurate to the level of working out mathematically. (Which is good, because I am certainly not an engineer!) I don’t go into too much detail about the boat in the book, but I do want to make sure that I’ve checked the facts with experts so that if any of you happen to read the novel, you won’t think, “She should have done better research!” 😉

Thanks again for all your help! I really appreciate it.

Cheers,
Katrina

A cub engineer is usually called a striker or sometimes a striker engineer.

Ghost's boiler

In the accompanying picture, you are looking forward. The small circle is the fire door which is where the fireman sits. The fireman would be facing forward. Thus the door would be facing aft. It could be the other way around though. Most of the main deck is open, but the engine room is enclosed as was usually the case on these type riverboats. Forward of the Ghost's boiler is a toilet which is totally enclosed. It doubles as a sauna as one end of the boiler is in the toilet.

Thank you for the photo and the description, Lexie! That is a fantastic visual and a very helpful description of the layout.

Cheers,
Katrina