Engine control

[Speedwheel]

The classic speedwheel and gear lever we all know so well seems to have been pretty much universal (or at least has become so). 

 

Are there any other arrangements that were used though? 

 

[springy]

Yes is the simple answer, lever throttle and gearchange (S & L tug Bittell has a nice Lister badged throttle lever connected to the engine using a bowden cable and a long lever attached via a number of links to the lister mechanical gearbox), wheel throttle and gearchange (IIRC kelvin gearbox uses a wheel via a long roller chain) and Bolinder installations had a speed wheel (though much different to the usual multi turn speedwheel - only approx half a turn from minimum to maximum) , a push pull clutch rod, a push pull reversing rod and a push pull oil rod. I guess over the years all combinations have been used - I can not recall seeing a lever throttle and wheel gearchange setup but I would expect it has been used depending on the engine and gearbox installation.

 

springy

[David Mack]

This image of Barnes and (probably) Belfast at Tyseley Wharf, taken in 1944, shows the standard Grand Union gear wheel on the right and a lever speed control on the left which appears to move horizontally to vary the speed. I believe this was the original arrangement on the Woolwich boats, although most were later changed to speedwheels.

 

 

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205201191

Edited February 19, 2025 by David Mack

[Ray T]

This, on Mendip, if my memory serves me correctly.

[dave moore]

The Admiralty class had a lever on a pivot for the throttle with a pawl attached that tucked into a set of teeth allowing engine speed to be set. Sorry this is vague, it’s many many years since I used one.

[Tonka]

1 hour ago, Ray T said:

This, on Mendip, if my memory serves me correctly.

Had one of those for the throttle on Adele, had a gear lever which came up from the step which you pushed forward or back

[Speedwheel]

Thanks all, 

 

Having had different controls on different boats over the years, I'm looking for some options and just wondered if there was anything that historically might have been used but had been largely lost in the mists of time. 

 

4 hours ago, Ray T said:

This, on Mendip, if my memory serves me correctly.

That's rather good. I had a far less fancy version on Satellite.

Edited February 20, 2025 by Speedwheel
midst vs mists

[Ray T]

Speedwheel, you could try one of these! 😁

 

Or something different, Anne.

Edited February 20, 2025 by Ray T

[Tonka]

54 minutes ago, Speedwheel said:

Thanks all, 

 

Having had different controls on different boats over the years, I'm looking for some options and just wondered if there was anything that historically might have been used but had been largely lost in the mists of time. 

 

That's rather good. I had a far less fancy version on Satellite.

Just don't have a gear lever where you push it to reverse and pull to go forwards. Ours was like thar when we bought it. Needless to say it didn't stay like that for long

[IanM]

29 minutes ago, Tonka said:

Just don't have a gear lever where you push it to reverse and pull to go forwards. Ours was like thar when we bought it. Needless to say it didn't stay like that for long

If I remember correctly, the Cotswold Canals Trust’s tug is like that. 
 

A Lister HA3 with a Blackstone box however the gear lever comes up through the deck so has an extra pivot which makes the whole thing backwards. 

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Tonka said:

Just don't have a gear lever where you push it to reverse and pull to go forwards. Ours was like thar when we bought it. Needless to say it didn't stay like that for long

I knew of a boat like that and the speed wheel went the wrong way

[David Mack]

3 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I knew of a boat like that and the speed wheel went the wrong way

Which is the wrong way? To increase the volume on a radio you turn the knob clockwise; to increase the flow from a tap you turn it anticlockwise.

[Rob-M]

The speedwheel on Swift is opposite to Scorpio, always catches me out when switching from steering one to the other.

[alan_fincher]

10 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I knew of a boat like that and the speed wheel went the wrong way

Well one of ours must be "wrong" then, whereas the other must be "right".

I do admit to making a few errors if I have to switch between boats!

[Derek R.]

'Wind it up!' 

Most sprung powered (but not all) clocks are wound up using a clockwise motion - clockwise = to the right.

Most music boxes are wound up to the left, as the thread is left handed on the key.

[Jon57]

12 hours ago, David Mack said:

Which is the wrong way? To increase the volume on a radio you turn the knob clockwise; to increase the flow from a tap you turn it anticlockwise.

 

23 minutes ago, Derek R. said:

'Wind it up!' 

Most sprung powered (but not all) clocks are wound up using a clockwise motion - clockwise = to the right.

Most music boxes are wound up to the left, as the thread is left handed on the key.

Any of these diesel powered.😁 Mine is anticlockwise incdently. Got used to it now. But as mentioned in previous post make it a bit interesting when other people have a go on the boat as clockwise is the natural operation. By the way the engine does sound like a music box so anticlockwise must be the correct operation. 🎶😁👍

[David Schweizer]

Pisces, which was a Small Northwich, had a rachet lever throttle control, and a very long pivoted lever connnected to the gearbox for gear change. I do not know whether they were original equipment, or controls fitted when the boat was either converted into a Fire Boat, or later into a Water Bus, but they were the controls on the boat when aquired from Brittish Waterways in the early 1960's. I seem to remember seeing another former working boat with a similar arrangement some years ago, but cannot remember the name of the boat.

 

 

Edited February 21, 2025 by David Schweizer

[alan_fincher]

11 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

Pisces, which was a Small Northwich, had a rachet lever throttle control, and a very long lever connnected to the gearbox for gear change. I do not know whether they were original equipment, or controls fitted when the boat was either converted into a Fire Boat, or later into a Water Bus, but they were the controls on the boat when aquired from Brittish Waterways in the early 1960's. I seem to remember seeing another former working boat with a similar arrangement some years ago, but cannot remember the name of the boat.

 

I believe Sculptor has a lever for engine speed rather hand the near ubiquitous speed wheel, (assuming no more recent change of hardware).

I'm not sure if it is "original" equipment or not.

[David Schweizer]

14 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 

I believe Sculptor has a lever for engine speed rather hand the near ubiquitous speed wheel, (assuming no more recent change of hardware).

I'm not sure if it is "original" equipment or not.

 

Wasn't Sculptor also converted to a London Fire Boat If so, maybe the lever control was fitted at the same time.

[alan_fincher]

16 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

 

Wasn't Sculptor also converted to a London Fire Boat If so, maybe the lever control was fitted at the same time.

 

I think that in the past one of the real experts on the GUCCCo boats, (Steve Priest, I think?) has indicated that at least the Small Woolwiches didn't originally have speed wheels.

 

A search of old forum posts would I believe turn up that conversation, but I don't have time to do so at the moment.

[Derek R.]

Must be several variations of this, but TYCHO's 'other end' of the speed wheel.