SS Jeremiah O'Brien, Chatham - engine

Image: © Chris Allen Taken: 11 Jun 1994

The Jeremiah O'Brien is a WWII 'Liberty' cargo ship built in 1943 and now preserved in San Francisco. She came to Europe for the 50th anniversary of D-Day. The vessel is 441' 6" long by 57' beam. The displacement tonnage is 14,450 long tons. Propulsion is by a 2,500 horsepower inverted vertical triple expansion engine. The cylinders are 24.5", 37" & 70" bores by 48" stroke. Steam pressure is 220 psi and service speed 76 rpm. This is the main engine lower level looking aft. The high pressure crank is nearest the camera with the intermediate pressure crank beyond. The two thinner rods heading up are for the intermediate pressure valve gear. The gear on the left and rod top left are part of the 'all around' reversing gear. The engine, two boilers and all the auxiliary plant share one large space amidships. One torpedo amidships would take out the lot. The Liberty ships were a standardised class known as the EC2-S-C1 cargo vessel and 2710 were built. The fastest build time was 4 days, 15 hours and 29 minutes from laying the keel to launch. The actual time from laying the keel to delivery into service was a bit longer at 7 days, 14 hours and 32 minutes. Seeing this gorgeous vessel in the UK was a real treat as I have yet to get to San Francisco, Baltimore or Piraeus to catch up with the survivors in their usual ports.

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