Escher-Wyss Steam Engine on the Paddle Steamer Stadt Zürich 

RU-vid doesn't want to hurt any of the videographer's feelings. They should give out participation ribbons. Just my opinion........... Very nice video. Thanks!

@@labrd41 I can still see the Dislikes in RU-vid Studio (guess how I maintain these Comments), so "protecting Feelings" is just a Phoney Excuse. RU-vids Advertisement Customers complained about too many Dislikes under their paid Videos, so the Dislikes disappeared.

Aaah, 145psi that's more like it.

First of all, thanks for the video, very nice. I had seen a short with this engine and was quite curious about the details. I was a little surprised by the quoted high pressure cylinder pressure. Thanks for clearing that up. So I guess the next thing is to build a model for my backyard swimming pool.

@@oldfarthacks The Pressure is a Typo; no Idea how the 0 got there. It's actually 145 PSI, 1450 would be beyond Reciprocating Engine Range and require Turbines.

Other Ships with the same Engine still have the original Pressure Gauges (HP Cylinder Inlet, LP Cylinder Inlet, Condenser) there. Where the Displays are located is their original Place, and I'd have preferred if they stayed there. Not only for aesthetic Reasons, but mostly because it makes more Sense ergonomically to have these important Gauges right in your Face instead of having to look awkwardly upwards to the left. The Displays have their Reason too; one of them is a GPS which makes quite a bit of Sense to make the Engineers anticipate upcoming Manouvers, especially given the rather inacurrate Communication (ahead, full ahead and astern literally are the only Engine Orders used). I was kinda surprised that it is a GPS only and no AIS.

I may have a similar Video coming up in the next Months, of the Lake Lucerne Paddle Steamer Stadt Luzern. It has a unique Uniflow Steam Engine with hydraulic Steam Admission Valves.

There are no Volunteers but only full-Time employees, as it's still a commercial Vessel. They take great Pride in their Work though, so they spend a lot of Time cleaning and polishing everything. Plus it's Switzerland, that Place just is spotless.

I'm currently in Contact with the Lake Lucerne Ship Operator, to make a similar Video about the Paddle Steamer Stadt Luzern. Reason is that while all other Swiss Paddle Steamers have fairly similar Engines, the one on the Stadt Luzern is unique, not just in Switzerland but in the whole World.

The Engine Rooms on Swiss Steam usually are off Limits to Passengers, partially for Insurance Reasons because they still operate commercially (unlike the Museum Ships in Germany), and mostly because the Engine Rooms would get too crowded by Tourists with Selfie Sticks, which would be bad enough in itself. But the Crew is employed there and not Volunteers like on the German Museum Ships, so they would be even more annoyed by such Crap. I asked the Zürichsee Schifffahrtsgesellschaft, explaining that I'm studying Marine Engineering, volunteering on a German Steam Ship, and running a small RU-vid-Channel, for which I'd like to make a Video about the Stadt Zürich's Engine. I got Permission to do that quickly and unbureucratically; all I had to do is be there on Time and have a Safety Instruction Sheet + Waiver signed.

@@Genius_at_Work understandable but what a pity!!! my 'local' steamships PS Waverly and SS Sir Walter Scott have very different engines and equally different public access - Waverly has the whole engine in plain view with only waist high steel fences - Walter Scott is closed off but you can get decent views through the skylight.

@@martingruffalump5484 (Almost) all German Museum Ships allow Passengers in the entire Engine Room (except the Steering Gear Room on some). Some allow it all the Time, others close the Engine Room while Manouvering. The Stettin usually allows Passengers everywhere all the Time, except when Soot blowing the Boilers (it's a really, really dirty Business anyway). So does the Cap San Diego, but the Area around the Engine Controls may be closed during Manouvering.

It's literally Rapeseed Oil, aka Biodiesel. You could burn that in a Diesel Engine as well, but there simply isn't enough Farmland to replace all Oil Fuels with that. There are some intersting Niche Applications for Steam Power, e.g. was it considered to rebuild the Lake Zürich Car Ferries to run on Steam supplied by a nearby Incineration Plant, or the projected new Paddle Steamer in Schaffhause which will burn Woodchips if it gets built. But the abyssimal Efficiency of Low Pressure Steam Plants prevents them from having a large Scale Comeback; Steam Powerplants are so efficient because they run on very high Temperatures and Pressures which can't be handled by reciprocating Steam Engines at all and thus require Turbines.

@@Genius_at_Work Our city has a long established waste cooking oil collection system and occasionally one can smell burnt cooking smells behind random city biodiesel vehicles lol. It's so lovely to see such a beautifully restored/maintained steam engine in regular use. Thanks again!

@@Genius_at_Work In Canada “rapeseed oil” is called Canola. So as not to offend today’s “Woke” Snowflakes!

⁠@@Genius_at_Workbasically diesel ship But not a diesel engine It is (bio-)diesel steam ship(not diesel engine ship) Like diesel heater

Welcome to Switzerland

I've got a similar Video coming up of the Lake Lucerne Paddle Steamer Stadt Luzern. It has a Three Cylinder Uniflow Engine with hydraulic Valve Gear; the most over-engineered Machine I've ever seen. I'll upload that Video late October or early November.

He mentions the HP bypass valve is used for engine starting.

Even Mudslides are clean in Switzerland: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5ZKoIZHKRUM.html

I'm currently in Contact with the Lake Lucerne Ship Operator, to make a similar Video about the Paddle Steamer Stadt Luzern. Reason is that all other Swiss Paddle Steamers have fairly similar Engines, while the one on the Stadt Luzern is unique, not just in Switzerland but in the whole World.

Swiss Engineering at its finest. I might make that into a Playlist, as I'm planning to make a similar Video about the Stadt Luzern, make a few informative Electric Locomotive Videos (Ae 3/6", Ae 4/7, Ae 6/6) and might re-shoot a new Video about the Sulzer Steam Engine in Schlieren, as I'm not pleased anymore with the Quality of my Video there from last September.

Dafür, wie wenig Bilder/Videos es aus den Maschinenräumen von Schweizer Dampfschiffen gibt, war es echt einfach, die Erlaubnis für dieses Video zu bekommen. Ich schreib auch mal die SGV von Vierwaldstättersee an, denn die Stadt Luzern hat eine weltweit einmalige Dampfmaschine. Gleichstromdampfmaschinen sind auf Schiffen so schon selten genug, und auf der Stadtluzern werden die Einlassventile (Auslassventile gibt's bei Gleichstrommaschinen nicht) hydraulisch betätigt, was soweit ich weiß gar keine andere Dampfmaschine hat.

Am Freitag bin ich auf dem Dampfschiff Stadt Luzern, für ein ähnliches Video. Die anderen Schweizer Dampfschiffe haben alle sehr ähnliche Maschinen wie die Stadt Zürich, nur halt mal etwas größer (z.B. DS Gallia) oder etwas kleiner (z.B. DS Neuchatel), daher würden Videos dort keinen Sinn machen. Die Stadt Luzern hat keine Zweizylinder-Verbundmaschine wie die anderen Schiffe, sondern eine Drezylinder-Gleichstrom. Einmal durch das Gleichstromverfahren, und wegen der hydraulischen Ventilsteuerung ist das die komplizierteste Maschine, die ich je gesehen hab. Einzig und allein das Dampfschiff Rhone ist ein bisschen ein Zwischending, weil die Maschine auch eine hydraulische Steuerung wie die Stadt Luzern hat, ist aber eben auch eine Zweizylinder-Verbunddampfmaschine. Das Video kommt wahrscheinlich Ende Oktober oder Anfang November, weil ich zum bearbeiten ein paar Tage brauche und mangels vernünftigem Internetzugang nicht ad hoc hochladen kann, wenn ich fertig bin.

I'm currently in Contact with the Lake Lucerne Ship Operator, to make a similar Video about the Paddle Steamer Stadt Luzern. Reason is that all other Swiss Paddle Steamers have fairly similar Engines, while the one on the Stadt Luzern is unique, not just in Switzerland but in the whole World.

I've got another one coming up, probably in a Month or so. The Lake Lucerne Ship Operators allowed me to make a similar Video on the Paddle Steamer Stadt Luzern next Weekend. It has a very unique Steam Engine, unlike the other Paddle Steamers, which all have fairly similar Engines. Hence the Stadt Luzern is the only Swiss Ship, where another Video makes Sense.

Swiss Engineering at its finest. I'm also in Contact with the Lake Lucerne Shipping Company, to make a similar Video about the Sulzer Uniflow Steam Engine on the Stadt Luzern. And I'm planning to make some Videos about old Electric Locomotives, which will probably be in Switzerland too (either Ae 4/7, Ae 3/6" or Ae 6/6. And ideally all of them). Until then, two more Swiss Engineering Videos on my Channel are the Historic Hydro Power Station and the Sulzer Tandem Compound Steam Engine.

Fast alle Schweizer Raddampfer fahren noch mit Dampf, nur auf dem Genfersee gibt es drei Stück, die auf Diesel-Elektrischen Antrieb umgebaut wurden. Vor knapp 20 Jahren wurde ein weiteres Schiff (DS Montreux) mit einer neu gebauten Dampfmaschine wieder von Diesel auf Dampf umgerüstet. Ich arbeite übrigens gerade an einem ähnlichen Video vom Vierwaldstättersee-Raddampfer DS Stadt Luzern. Alle anderen Schweizer Raddampfer haben ähnliche Maschinen wie die Stadt Zürich, aber die von der Stadt Luzern ist sehr ungewöhnlich und "over-engineered". Nur die DS Rhône auf dem Genfersee ist etwas anders; die hat auch eine hydraulische Ventilsteuerung wie die Stadt Luzern, ist aber eine Zweizylinder-Verbundmaschine wie alle anderen Schiffe, und keine Dteizylinder-Gleichstrom wie die Stadt Luzern.

Ich war gerade erst gestern auf der Stadt Luzern. Lief aber nicht so gut und ich muss im Oktober nochmal hin, mehr dazu in einem Community-Post heute Abend.

I'm working on the Final Edit of a Video about the Lake Lucerne Paddle Steamer Stadt Luzern right now. Originally, I wanted to upload it tomorrow Evening, but I probably have to postpone it to next Sunday if I don't cut some Corners, which I won't. The Stadt Luzern has a very unique Steam Engine; all other Swiss Paddle Steamers have Engines fairly similar to the Stadt Zürich, but the one on the Stadt Luzern is the most over-engineered Machine I've ever seen. The Lake Lucerne Steam Ship Operator is looking to hire an Engineer right now, and I briefly considered applying. I'd have to move to Lucerne then, and my Girlfriend doesn't like to move away from her Family though. The Swiss Salary sure is tempting too though.

I'm planning to make a Video of the DS Blümlisalp too, although not only of the Engine; more like my DS Lötschberg Video which also shows the Giessbach Waterfalls. Here's my current planning for Swiss Steam Ship Videos: Blümlisalp on Lake Thun, also showing the Beatus Caves. Two Videos on Lake Lucerne, also showing Vitznau-Wissifluh and Treib-Seelisberg. Preferred Ships would be Uri and Unterwalden. Stadt Rapperswil on Lake Zürich. I couldn't find similar Sights on Lake Zürich, so that Video will focus entirely on the Ship; hence including Engine Room Footage from theis Video (the Engines are almost identical) and the First Class Interior (Tickets on Lake Zürich are much, much cheaper than on Lake Lucerne). I'm also planning to ask the Lake Lucerne Shipping Company about a similar Engine Video like this one on the Stadt Luzern. The Stadt Luzern has a quite unique Engine, hence it makes Sense to make another Engine Video there.

Willkommen in der Schweiz. Ist bei allen Dampfschiffen dort so.

Swiss Engineering at its finest. Too bad it is almost extinct today; all that remains is WinGD, Stadler Rail, and ABB is sort of a Swedish-Swiss Company.

@@Genius_at_Work I’m in engineering, we buy our cutting oil from a Swiss company, Blaser.

@@Genius_at_Work I’m in engineering, I buy all our cutting oil from Switzerland. Blaser Swisslube. It’s good stuff.

He said the lake water is soft enough to not be recirculated. I'm surprised but it's not extreme high pressure and existing boilers have operated since the 1980s so obviously not doing any harm.

Yes, except for the Rhone. All Swiss Paddle Steamers use very similar Engines, except for the Rhone and Stadt Luzern. Some of these similar Engines are larger and some are smaller, some are made by Sulzer and others by Escher-Wyss (plus Maffei on the Neuchatel), but the basic Layout of these Engines is pretty much the same.

@@Genius_at_Work Thank you very much !

Recirculating requires thoroughly removing the Oil. When low-Mineral "Sea" Water is available, it is easier to keep Limescale down by treating the Boiler Water like on Steam Locomotives, which usually take whatever natural Water is available. Pumping Feed Water from the Lake or River is quite common on Fresh Water Vessels.

@@Genius_at_Work Dealing with steam locos using water from a lake, since 50+ years, has shown some things. The last attempt to improve boiler life special chemicals are added to the water, and boiler water is analyzed. But yes, the oil is there.

@@Stefan_Boerjesson TBF, the last Swiss Steam Ship to retain the original Boilers was the Stadt Luzern until 2018. When I recorded this Video, the Stadt Züruch might have had the oldest Boiler on any Swiss Steam Ship, but I'm not too sure about that. Now all of them are being rebuilt, but the main Reason for that is not so much about Boiler Condition, but mostly because new Safety Regulations don't allow a single Room to make up more than 1/3 of Hull Volume. So there must be an extra Boiler Room separate from the Engine Room. Besides the Main Engines, there isn't much historic in Swiss Steam Ship Engine Rooms. When I visited the Stadt Luzern after the 2018-2021 Refit, it literally is more modern than the 20 odd Year old Tankers that I earn my Living on.

@@Genius_at_Work Thank You for the greate explanasion.

It's Swiss

Looks like it. I used to think that they're called Slide Valve regardless until a few Weeks ago. Both Types are called "Schieber" (Slider) in German, with the Piston-Type being called "Rundschieber" (Round Slider) and the Slide Valve being called "Flachschieber" (Flat Slider). Hence the Mistake.

@@Genius_at_Work I think that's the case. Railroads switched to piston valves in the early 1900's, as superheated steam came into use. Gorgeous video!

@@SteamCrane I might have got another one coming up, of the Lake Lucerne Paddle Steamer Stadt Luzern. It's got a Uniflow Steam Engine, which is unusual on Ships. The Steam Intake Valves (IIRC Poppet Valves, and there are no Exhaust Valves as exhausting is controlled by the Piston in Uniflow Engines) are hydraulic, which is unique worldwide. All other Swiss Paddle Steamers have very similar Engines, so there wouldn't be much Point in making more Videos, as they would be very similar to this one, just larger (e.g. Simplon) or smaller (e.g. Neuchâtel) than the Stadt Zürich.

@@SteamCrane Little Addition: Not might have coming up; the Lake Lucerne Ship Company just approved my Request to make a Video there. I'll upload it some Time between October and November.

Because it's oily, and just using Lake Water is simpler than reprocessing the Condensate. The Lake Water is pre-heated by the Condensate in a Heat Exchanger though, and there is a second Steam-heated Pre-Heater after that (not shown in the Video; it's so hot there that my Gopro overheated almost instantly).

@@Genius_at_Work So, as I understand, the contaminated water (with oil) is discharged into the lake?

@@c.k.b6840 Yes, that's why biodegradable Oil is used. The almost identical Stadt Rapperswil is currently being rebuilt to a closed Cycle Water System, where Water is pumped back into the Boiler instead of to and from the Lake. The Stadt Zürich will follow next Year, which will make the BLS-owned Ships Lötschberg and Blümlisalp on the Bernese Lakes the last Swiss Ships with the original open Water Cycle. All other Ships on Lake Lucerne and Lake Geneva don't pump oily Condensate into the Lakes anymore. Little Edit: I forgot about the Neuchâtel on the Jura Lakes, which was restored by Enthusiasts just a few Years ago. Dunno about the Engine Layout on that one; it doesn't even have its original Engine but a German-built Maffei Engine instead.

Haben sie, nennt man doppelt wirkend. Deshalb sind die Kurbelwangen auch um 90° versetzt, dadurch arbeitet die Maschine alle 90° Kurbelwinkel. Erst arbeitet der Hochdruckzylinder auf dem Abwärtshub, eine Viertelumdrehung später der Niederdruckzylinder ebenfalls abwärts, eine weitere Viertelumdrehung später der Hochdruckzylinder aufwärts und nach einer weiteren Viertelumdrehung der Niederdruckzylinder aufwärts. Mit einem 180°-Versatz würden beide Zylinder gleichzeitig arbeiten, einer auf- und einer abwärts. Auf- und abwärts ist bei solchen Maschinen übrigens etwas verwirrend. Abwärts heißt vom oberen Totpunkt zum unteren, also zum Krubeltrieb hin. Weil die Maschinen schräg liegen liegt der obere Totpunkt aber niedriger als der untere. Wie dem auch sei, der 90°-Versatz verteilt die Arbeitshübe gleichmäßiger, und sorgt auch dafür dass die Maschine selbst anlaufen kann. Mit einem 180°-Versatz würden beide Zylinder gleichzeitig in den Totpunkten sein, und wenn die Maschine in der Position zum stehen kommt müsste man sie erst etwas törnen damit sie starten kann.

Kleiner Nachtrag: Doppelt wirkende Zylinder gab's auch bei Verbrennunhgsmotoren, siehe hier: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-g80p28KMX4o.html Hat sich aber nicht bewährt, die Kolben sind schwer zu kühlen, die Verbrennung im unteren Brennraum läuft gerne mal ungleichmäßig, und die Kolbenstange ist schwer abzudichten.

I know, and have no Idea how I slipped that 0 in there, and even less how I couldn"t notice while double checking the Video before rendering

Typos can happen, but I wonder how I did that.

No, it's a Typo. 10 bar equals 145 pxi; dunno how I slipped the 0 in there, and how I couldn't noticed when double-checking before uploading. I doubt 100 bar (aka 1450 psi) would even be possible with Reciprocating Piston Engines; the according Temperatures of Steam at such Pressures probably are way too hot for any Lubrication Oil. Such Pressures require Turbines.

Exactly, see my pinned Comment, I know the Conversion of bar to psi. Dunno how the 0 got there and know even less, how I couldn't notice while double-checking the Video twice before uploading.

Aka about 62 kNm, not much by Marine Engine Standards. Diesel Engines of that Power Category can't drive Propellers or Paddle Wheels directly though, as they run too fast. Slow Speed but much Torque is limited to Steam Engines under 10,000 kW (13,600 HP). And I had to use a Converter; I'm fairly fluent with Imperial Length, Weight and Pressure Units, but Things like Torque are bloody confusing. And don't get me started on Fahrenheit... Tons and HP are Metric btw; the Metric Ton is in between Short and Long Tons, and all of them are too close together to justify naming three different Units. IIRC, there are a couple of different HP Definitions too, but again only slightly different.

I know. No Idea how I cocked up like that, and how I did not notice when double-checking the Video before rendering.

A bit different and much smaller. There is one Paddle Steamer in Switzerland that has a larger (1600 HP) three Cylinder Engine, compared to the very similar two Cylinder Engines (≈500 HP) on all other Swiss Steam Ships. Said Ship is the Stadt Luzern, with a three Cylinder Uniflow Engine. Uniflow Engines are unusual on Ships, and the hydraulic Steam Admission Valves make it unique worldwide. I'm currently in Contact with the Lake Lucerne Ship Operator to make a similar Video about that Engine. Despite it being unique and very interesting, I still think that the smaller Engines of the other Ships look better.

Besides of the Main Engine, it's essentially modern Technology, especially after the 2023 Refit, where the Steam Turbine Generator will be replaced by a Diesel one. The Steam Turbine can be heard through the entire Video (that high pitched Whistling Noise), but I didn't show it. The Turbine is in a separate, Noise-isolated Room but is still audible, so you may imagine what it sounds like inside.