MS Raby Castle

1926.

"The Raby Castle, a single-screw motor ship, which was built to the order of the Lancashire Shipping Co - J. Chambers and Co., Liverpool- by the Caledon Shipbuilding and Engineering Co, of Dundee, and which is engined with an eight-cylinder North-Eastern Werkspoor motor, is a vessel of more than usual interest. She is not large, for her gross tonnage is about 4900 tons, with an overall length of 412ft. 9in., a breadth of 52ft. 3in., and a depth of 37ft., but her machinery is notable on account of the new design of column construction and the fact that the engine is the largest of the type yet installed in a single-screw ship.

The main motor is designed for a normal output of 2200 brake horse-power or 3000 indicated horse-power, at a speed of 92 revolutions per minute. The eight cylinders each have a bore of 28iin. and a stroke of 4ft. 33 3/16in. All auxiliaries are electrically driven with the exception of a small steam boiler, which will be used for emergency starting only. The ship underwent successful trials off the Tyne on Tuesday and Wednesday last, and will take up her work- which eventually will be between New York and the Far East-early next week. In a subsequent issue we hope to give some further particulars of the vessel and of her propelling and auxiliary machinery. "

1928 '... this ship has recently undergone a partial reconstruction of the main engines which may well make her the pioneer in this country of an important change in four-stroke Diesel engine practice. This reconstruction, perhaps more correctly spoken of as an addition, consists in the employment of the Buchi system of supercharging by means of a rotary compressor, driven by a turbine actuated by the gases exhausted from the engine. The output of the latter is thus very materially increased, with, it is claimed, some gain in thermal efficiency, whilst, at the same time, scavenging and cooling are promoted by a special arrangement of the inlet and exhaust valves. .... It may be noted, however, that the engine is of the four-stroke cycle type and is single acting. It was constructed by the North Eastern Marine Engineering Company, Limited, Wallsend-on-Tyne, which firm has carried out the installation of the Buchi system, the turbo-compressor being supplied by Brown, Boveri and Company, Limited, Baden, Switzerland. There are eight cylinders each of which has a bore of 730 mm (28 3/4 in.) with a piston stroke of 1,300 mm. (51 1/8 in.). ...'

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