IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Morgans Lane, LONDON, SE1 2JH

This is one of those important little devices that most people have never heard of and would never give a thought to but it's an absolutely essential device in a ship propelled by a screw. I heard a story about a museum volunteer (not here) who liked to tell visitors that this was a disc brake on the propeller shaft and was used to slow ships down as they would otherwise go faster below the equator!! It is in fact an opened up Michell tilting disc thrust bearing. It is bolted down very firmly to the ship's bottom structure and the thrust generated by the prop is actually transferred to the ship's structure at this point - which in Belfast for this bearing is at the aft end of the forward engine room. The bearing has tilting pads for ahead and astern directions and the pads tilt to allow a wedge shaped oil film to develop between collar and pad and this prevents metal to metal contact. All in all a most amazing device and still an essential part of all modern ships. Our American colleagues call this by a different eponym as the Kingsbury thrust bearing.

A few months before being reduced to the Operational Reserve, Battle class destroyer D86, refitted as a radar picket, is moored in the Upper Pool. This was before HMS Belfast was installed here.

A few months before being reduced to the Operational Reserve, Battle class destroyer D86, refitted as a radar picket, is moored in the Upper Pool. This was before HMS Belfast was installed here.

This WWII cruiser is now looking the best she has for a long time. Due to corrosion, both masts had been shrouded in scaffolding and plastic but thanks to a generous donation they have both been restored and can now be seen in all their glory. This vessel is a seriously good visit for enthusiasts of both steam and killing machinery. Even better, the photograph was taken from a 1927 twin screw steam tug - Portwey.

HMS Belfast is a real adult adventure playground and one of the ultimate big boy's toys. Unfortunately, I believe boiler room access is now restricted to the upper walkway at drum level so that you can't get this view or inspect the various auxiliary machinery at this level. This is the port boiler. It is an admiralty three drum boiler and produced steam at 350 psi and 700 degrees Fahrenheit. The boiler burnt oil and there are 7 burners. If you really want to understand this vessel's propulsion kit you could try to obtain the book HMS "Belfast" An Illustrated Tour of the Machinery Spaces, published privately by John J Hole. John is a retired marine engineer and this is a real tour de force.

Looking south-southwest.