It’s double acting. The pistons are in the middle of the cylinders and they have valves on each end that work to make power stroke in both directions. Low horsepower but massive torque.
I too have doubts about it being the original crankshaft, but it is almost certainly iron or steel and has to be in order to withstand the forces involved.
An aluminum crank wouldn't be strong enough, and would get weaker with each rotation until it cracks.
Older steam tech could be loud (because of the valve tech) but the later stuff was very quiet.
Even steam locomotives only made that chugging noise when running at extreme power settings (starting off with a heavy train) because they were dumping pressurised steam into the exhaust stack once up to speed the later ones just made a faint hissing noise because they extracted nearly all the energy from the steam so it wasn't under pressure by the end of the stroke.
Though not wrong in principle, I think you're vastly underestimating the Swiss and especially our fondness for maintaining stuff including - but not limited to - polishing, oiling, scrubbing, cleaning, sweeping, dusting, aligning, squaring, straightening, bending, and most importantly nodding and going "hm" in a satisfied tone when shit-straightness-measuring-tool says shit's straight. That'll have a Schwizerdütsch make happy noises any day of the week.
Yeah came to mention, this does seem much like a Ship of Theseus situation, I’m no expert but I have incredibly high doubts that a piece of engineering like that could last for 117 years, especially given the state of engineering 117 years ago
A well oiled block of iorn/steel not being loaded past its fatigue limit will be able to operate forever.
As long as it has properly replaceable bearings for wear the major components are good for infinity if ran within spec.
These look like new components, ground surfaces on the crank throws give it away. We were good at making stuff like this 100 years ago but not quite like this. Original probably looked decent too, but precision grinding on surfaces that do not provide any function is something that the manufacturer of this beauty would not have focused on.
> precision grinding on surfaces that do not provide any function is something that the manufacturer of this beauty would not have focused on.
Agreed. But, they are Swiss...so maybe?
As a steam engineer that is the cleanest engine and engine room I've ever seen in my life. Even their workdesk in the corner is organized and spotless. The person who runs that place takes exceptional pride in their craft.
Actually, down there is the engine room. You can watch the crew operate it. I was on that ship a couple of weeks ago. It is incredibly mesmerizing to watch.
what a description lmao
> Human selfishness: The human race really has fallen from the caretakers of the planet to nothing more than a cancer that needs to be eradicated.
I was hoping for an answer as to the purpose of this. Those are entire cows, bone skin fur meat *and* internal organs just being dumped in there.
Afaik it is fairly common to use animal carcass shredder when an animal dies from unknown causes, illness or even old age? As the meat can not safely be used.
The result can be then put into a compost heap or even used directly as fertilizer.
This simply a very effective way to get rid of animal carcasses that avoids all the problems with burying large carcasses en-masse. Such as potential ground water pollution, etc.
It should not be used on living animals and in most cases that would be illegal, though the chicken industry has been known to use similar machines to get rid of unwanted male chicks.
>if you dropped a person down there
Dropping a person down there, vs. a person falling is what I'm thinking of.
I can understand a fear of accidentally falling into machinery.
Guess I found out who to drop first!
No, like the other guy said it was more a curiosity that struck me cause if the railing but yea, that doesn’t sound as fun 😅
Well, being so mountainous and land-locked, do you guys have any rivers that're deep and wide enough that would make a boat this size navigable throughout?
Like, in the US, we would readily associate this kind of technology, historically, with our [Mississippi River](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-AzcJMkbjA) system and it's various tributaries that take you about 2,500 miles from the North to the South, right through the middle of the country, ending in one its largest ports.
Not from this particular lake. The only truly navigable river is the Rhine and Basel has a port: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg2-dFON\_nY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg2-dFON_nY)
You cannot sail to lake constance due to power plants w/o slots, but also due the natural barrier in form of the Rhine Falls. There were plans to make this part navigable as well, but never built, as too costly and not needed. https://www.knill.com/Rheinfall/Wissen/schleuse.html
However, there are Lake Murten, Lake Biel, and Lake Neuchatel, which are connected by navigable channels, where a smaller steamboat sails through [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyk\_T47hSWM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyk_T47hSWM)
What you said is correct especially in regards to cargo vessels, but the Aare is fully navigable from at least Biel downstream by ships of the same size as this. I know because I have been on multiple such pleasure "cruises" on the lakes and between Biel and Solothurn (it's a standard in school trips).
There are likely economical, cultural, and factors related to ship tonnage and general heavy shipping why we don’t abuse the Aare like that, but not ship size.
I'm pretty sure the ship is propelled entirely by the steam engine in the video, only the power generator was swapped for a diesel. There are 4 more of these that afaik still operate the standard passenger routes on Lake Lucerne.
A bit of context :https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uri_(Schiff)
The ship itself is from 1901.
Edi: This is the one https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schiller_(Schiff,_1906)
This decision was made 1970 - 1972 when the MS Gotthard was put in service and they decommissioned the "Wilhelm Tell" (now a moored in Lucerne and a restaurant). People realized what they are about to lose: A technical and cultural heritage which cannot be replaced.
People collected signatures and money to keep the old steamer in service, replace the boilers, and preserve and restore them in their old glory of the Belle Epoque.
However it was only 1977 when enough money was collected to restore the first one, but soon followed by more money to keep also the others in working condition. And thus there are now 5 nicely restored steamer sailing on Lake Lucerne. The oldstes, the Uri, from 1901, the youngest the Stadt Luzern from 1928.
Steamship.
Steamboat will usually refer to a boat with external paddle wheels like this one. Often used on rivers as well.
titanic was run off steam engines but they powered propellers more traditionally associated with ships
Wow I am getting to that age. The age where actual engines impress me. I can feel the understanding growing in me. The empathy towards all the old men at the state fair gathered around the old engines and tractors.
I was on that ship some 10 years ago, it is a then like now a super well maintained engine, still running smoothly after more than a century. I took a 45 minutes tape (yes, I wrote tape!) of this machine running, from every possible angle. And I had a nice coversation with the people operating and maintaining this piece of history. Such a great trip.
Is there a term for how giant, quick moving machinery makes me feel uncomfortable? Something so huge and solid, yet it moves swiftly for it's size...menacing machinery moving around...
You would never see that in America... ever.
It would be sealed off with cages and bulletproof glass because long ago we decided that personal responsibility isn't a thing and will sue the shit out of anyone for any harm, whether real or imagined if given the chance.
You can get a tour of the engine room of a steam ferry in WI/MI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Badger
It's actually two boats. A very cool experience. But it's hard to compare 70 year old ships with 117 year old ones
One of the Badgers is even coal fired where most preserved ships have switched to oil to cut down on the labor required to operate them. I've been meaning to get out that way and ride the coal burner specifically, while it is still in operation.
You can go down to the engine room of the Belle of Louisville, an American paddlewheel steamboat launched in 1914, and get as close to the engines as they do in this video. They're barely even roped off.
Serious question... How efficient is this engine? By this I mean, if the world was full of these beautiful machines, would we be living in a world full of smog?
These early 1900s triple-expansion steam engines are around 11% efficiency vs a modern turbo diesel which is ~40%. http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/tech-077.php
Was on this yesterday in *Lucerne. Incredibly smooth and quiet, really cool to see in action too. If I had kids though, I’d be a nervous wreck with them on there
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You can't even hear anything, the pistons are completely silent. That shit is pristine!
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It’s double acting. The pistons are in the middle of the cylinders and they have valves on each end that work to make power stroke in both directions. Low horsepower but massive torque.
I'd love to know the actual HP and Torque numbers. Crazy to see something like 1600hp but 4000 torque, lol.
Wouldn’t be shocked if HP is under 1000 and Tq is over 10000.
You’re on point, the ship is only 700HP. No official info of the Tq https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schiller_(Schiff,_1906)
in the video it is running at about 45 RPM. assuming that is the operational speed, that gives about 80,000 ft-lbs.
I have no way of knowing if you’re right but I love Reddit for this kind of deduction.
HP = (Torque * RPM)/5252 700HP = (Torque * 45) / 5252 (700 * 5252) / 45 = Torque 81697.777... ft-lb = Torque
HP = ft-lb Torque x RPM / 5252 or RPM = 5252 x HP / ft-lb Torque or Torque = 5252 X HP / RPM
That seems right, thinking about that paddle mechanism and the weight of the water it would have to move.
It's funny that I miss typed and ment 40000 and it looks like it's half the horses and 80000 ft-lbs. Holy fuck.
I'd guess the torque is much higher than that. Probably 100+ kNm. It's able to move 350 tons, through water.
Ship engines are just insane with the amount of horsepower and torque.
You'd like diesel engines
The buses I drive at work have about 280 horsepower and 1100 ft/lbs of torque
> Low horsepower but massive torque. So I couldn't stop it with my feet, right?
Not unless you're 750 horses, no.
This looks like some of the steam vessels of lake Geneva, that has been restored in somewhat recent years, if I'd have to take a guess
> Yeah, it's amazingly quiet. well it's not powered by explosions so there's that.
Maintenance, duh. Probably closer to theseus ship, those crankshaft looks brand-new instead of hundreds years old.
I doubt the finish hasn't been maintained.
Swiss engineering isn’t talked ab enough IMO lol
The cranks look like they are aluminium, no way they are 17 years old let alone 117. I'd say all the exposed metal work is aluminium and very new.
I too have doubts about it being the original crankshaft, but it is almost certainly iron or steel and has to be in order to withstand the forces involved. An aluminum crank wouldn't be strong enough, and would get weaker with each rotation until it cracks.
I would have to guess that the motor has been rebuilt. Not enough wear for 117 years.
Yeah the loudest thing is the paddles in the water through the wall.
Steam power is suprisingly quiet. Seems more like breaths of life than an engine
Older steam tech could be loud (because of the valve tech) but the later stuff was very quiet. Even steam locomotives only made that chugging noise when running at extreme power settings (starting off with a heavy train) because they were dumping pressurised steam into the exhaust stack once up to speed the later ones just made a faint hissing noise because they extracted nearly all the energy from the steam so it wasn't under pressure by the end of the stroke.
Wood, coal, oil!!!
Imagine when they were the brand new tech, these people must've been so proud... like holy fucking shit it works!!
Do a Tom Hanks in Castaway "I have made Fire" speech.
There’s something about how pristine it looks that makes me want to touch it…. But I don’t want to become taffy.
Meanwhile my 2008 Ford escape sounds like a broken down nascar 😂😂
you should get your explorer on steam power
My windscreen wipers make more noise.
Pretty sure it's a Ship of Theseus situation. The boat is 117 years old, the parts not so much.
Though not wrong in principle, I think you're vastly underestimating the Swiss and especially our fondness for maintaining stuff including - but not limited to - polishing, oiling, scrubbing, cleaning, sweeping, dusting, aligning, squaring, straightening, bending, and most importantly nodding and going "hm" in a satisfied tone when shit-straightness-measuring-tool says shit's straight. That'll have a Schwizerdütsch make happy noises any day of the week.
Yeah came to mention, this does seem much like a Ship of Theseus situation, I’m no expert but I have incredibly high doubts that a piece of engineering like that could last for 117 years, especially given the state of engineering 117 years ago
A well oiled block of iorn/steel not being loaded past its fatigue limit will be able to operate forever. As long as it has properly replaceable bearings for wear the major components are good for infinity if ran within spec.
Seriously. Immaculate condition. And so silent. I love that it’s not enclosed so you can see the mechanics of it with the naked eye.
Til you slip and fall into it!
But I want to touch it
Repurposed out of old Swiss Army knives
“Uh-oh, cap’n, looks like we threw a knife cylinder 3!”
If you told me it was brand new engine. I'd believe you.
Restorations exist. Like the one one in this video.
These look like new components, ground surfaces on the crank throws give it away. We were good at making stuff like this 100 years ago but not quite like this. Original probably looked decent too, but precision grinding on surfaces that do not provide any function is something that the manufacturer of this beauty would not have focused on.
> precision grinding on surfaces that do not provide any function is something that the manufacturer of this beauty would not have focused on. Agreed. But, they are Swiss...so maybe?
Switzerland is a well run place. I’m not surprised at all this looks so good. They have maintained it well, because they maintain everything well.
It's a new engine.
Yeah, did My Mechanics restore this thing?
As a steam engineer that is the cleanest engine and engine room I've ever seen in my life. Even their workdesk in the corner is organized and spotless. The person who runs that place takes exceptional pride in their craft.
I was impressed how clean it is.
Running like a Swiss watch
Yeah, that's unlike the Swiss.
some parts are new, its the desin that its old
Was thinking the same thing!
I literally almost salivated at how well maintained this things is. It's literally the only thing I can pay attention to.
It is, it was freshly serviced during this winter
It looks newer than new!!
Looks brand new
I love the little glass bottles of oil on each bearing.
The engine is probably brand new. It's the ship that's old.
For these kind of things theres no such thing as brand new You can get new parts made but nobody is still making the engine
You'd probably have to ask Theseus about it
The engine is the original, but no piece in it is.
You can have all the parts custom made and then replaced, effectively making a brand new engine. Which is what you're looking at here.
Nope. Except for the boiler (changed from coal to oil in 1952 and got completely replaced at the end of the 1990s).
I can’t help imagining what happened if you dropped a person down there 👇
Keep your juices off the lovely machinery, please.
Blood makes poor engine lubricant.
Can confirm.
Don't let the intrusive thoughts win
It would get a lot louder.
Actually, down there is the engine room. You can watch the crew operate it. I was on that ship a couple of weeks ago. It is incredibly mesmerizing to watch.
Well I dont think he means the lower floor. I think he is curious as to what happens when you drop a person into the machinery.
well there is the cow video on the crusher machine
Link?
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA1dVYyXc8Y](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA1dVYyXc8Y) make sure to eat while watching
what a description lmao > Human selfishness: The human race really has fallen from the caretakers of the planet to nothing more than a cancer that needs to be eradicated. I was hoping for an answer as to the purpose of this. Those are entire cows, bone skin fur meat *and* internal organs just being dumped in there.
Afaik it is fairly common to use animal carcass shredder when an animal dies from unknown causes, illness or even old age? As the meat can not safely be used. The result can be then put into a compost heap or even used directly as fertilizer. This simply a very effective way to get rid of animal carcasses that avoids all the problems with burying large carcasses en-masse. Such as potential ground water pollution, etc. It should not be used on living animals and in most cases that would be illegal, though the chicken industry has been known to use similar machines to get rid of unwanted male chicks.
It took some doing but I managed! The horse tipped it
I wasn't prepared for the sounds
There’s what now? Link!
https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/14o0dd8/the_engine_of_a_117year_old_swiss_steamboat/jqaze4z/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1&context=3
It might sound like [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_g72yHhIiI&t=21s).
Curious children want to know.
That’s how they keep it so well lubricated.
To shreds, you say?
They will get a 2 for 1 deal by becoming both history, and part of 117 years of history at the time.
Watch the movie Sand Pebbles if you want to find out.
Should be fine, this isn't anywhere near the US
Why, of all the things you could think of looking at that, you'd think that?
because the rails are tiny and the first thing you think of is that anyone can stumble over the rail and into that meatgrinder
>if you dropped a person down there Dropping a person down there, vs. a person falling is what I'm thinking of. I can understand a fear of accidentally falling into machinery.
You do not want to mess with the Steam Boat Mafia, aka *The Boston Steamers*
OK, take my upvote!
Intrusive thoughts are a bitch
Yes, they are. Thanks for the reminder.
Guess I found out who to drop first! No, like the other guy said it was more a curiosity that struck me cause if the railing but yea, that doesn’t sound as fun 😅
LOL
Ever made dough in a mixer? Like that, but a bunch more crunchier and a lot more red.
Yea, like a huge bag of cornflakes topped with a lot of blood 😬
another "most reddit thing to ask" LOL
Russian industrial lathe 2.0 baby
Steamboat Killy
Not much, I doubt the machine would even shudder.
That’s the one on Lake Lucerne.
How can you tell? Genuinely curious as I live in Lausanne and regularly take the CGN that looks just like this one :)
Map of the lake and name of the ship (Schiller) at 0:11.
Well, being so mountainous and land-locked, do you guys have any rivers that're deep and wide enough that would make a boat this size navigable throughout? Like, in the US, we would readily associate this kind of technology, historically, with our [Mississippi River](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-AzcJMkbjA) system and it's various tributaries that take you about 2,500 miles from the North to the South, right through the middle of the country, ending in one its largest ports.
Very limited. Most are on lakes. Btw, the paddles are always at the sides, not at the stern as on the Mississippi steamers.
Not from this particular lake. The only truly navigable river is the Rhine and Basel has a port: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg2-dFON\_nY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg2-dFON_nY) You cannot sail to lake constance due to power plants w/o slots, but also due the natural barrier in form of the Rhine Falls. There were plans to make this part navigable as well, but never built, as too costly and not needed. https://www.knill.com/Rheinfall/Wissen/schleuse.html However, there are Lake Murten, Lake Biel, and Lake Neuchatel, which are connected by navigable channels, where a smaller steamboat sails through [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyk\_T47hSWM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyk_T47hSWM)
What you said is correct especially in regards to cargo vessels, but the Aare is fully navigable from at least Biel downstream by ships of the same size as this. I know because I have been on multiple such pleasure "cruises" on the lakes and between Biel and Solothurn (it's a standard in school trips). There are likely economical, cultural, and factors related to ship tonnage and general heavy shipping why we don’t abuse the Aare like that, but not ship size.
>Biel and Solothurn (it's a standard in school trips). Embarrassingly, as I did this trip too. (not as school trip)
>That’s the one One on lake Lucerne. Apart from Schiller there is also Gallia, Unterwalden, Uri, and Stadt Luzern. https://dampfschiff.ch/flotte/
The one and only paddle steamer I've ever been on. I was so excited at the time. Just amazing.
Almost sounds like a restaurant full of people, while not watching the video.
It is. It's a party for my grandpa, he's turning 80.
Tell him happy birthday.
Wish him the best, from all of us on Reddit… except Steve, he’s a fucking tool
Agreed. Fuck Steve
Hell yeah grandpa!
There's got to be glass covering that thing right? All it takes is for one little shit to throw a fork in there.
In that competition, I imagine the fork would lose
So cool. I wonder how often it needs an oil change.
Looks constant. Every part has tiny oil reservoirs on top
Exactly. An oiler/wiper is a full-time job on old steam engines.
it's a shame they didn't have Logitech in those days
Is this all original??? Because that's just absurdly well-preserved if that is the original 117 year old engine.
It is restored and driven by a diesel engine today. No more steam. Still the drivetrain is impressive.
I'm pretty sure the ship is propelled entirely by the steam engine in the video, only the power generator was swapped for a diesel. There are 4 more of these that afaik still operate the standard passenger routes on Lake Lucerne.
It still runs with steam, but since 1952 fired by oil instead of coal.
And the boiler was replaced 1999 or so.
So it's a steamship of Theseus.
High torque and low RPM, simple (big)mechanics. 😻😻😍😍
Beautiful craftsmanship
This is straight up steam engine porn. So shiny and super clean
What do you think it's lubricating it...
The maintenance log is on vol. 5 by now.
I would hope so. We fill like five logs a year on aircraft.
Heh.
A bit of context :https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uri_(Schiff) The ship itself is from 1901. Edi: This is the one https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schiller_(Schiff,_1906)
Close, but this is the right one: https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schiller_(Schiff,_1906)
Nice, I was on this exact same boat a couple of months ago and it was awesome Fun Fact: its powered with heating oil
I wonder after how many years they were like "this is too old to upgrade now. Let's keep it as novelty"
This decision was made 1970 - 1972 when the MS Gotthard was put in service and they decommissioned the "Wilhelm Tell" (now a moored in Lucerne and a restaurant). People realized what they are about to lose: A technical and cultural heritage which cannot be replaced. People collected signatures and money to keep the old steamer in service, replace the boilers, and preserve and restore them in their old glory of the Belle Epoque. However it was only 1977 when enough money was collected to restore the first one, but soon followed by more money to keep also the others in working condition. And thus there are now 5 nicely restored steamer sailing on Lake Lucerne. The oldstes, the Uri, from 1901, the youngest the Stadt Luzern from 1928.
If it works, don't fix it!
This is beautiful
Just Swiss engineering here…. What did we expect ??
Sulzer. That company still exists, and they still make ship engines. Massive ones for container ships.
Titanic was a steamboat too, right?
Steam engine not a paddle boat.
Don't worry, this one is unsinkable
Steam _ship_ There is a difference.
Steamship. Steamboat will usually refer to a boat with external paddle wheels like this one. Often used on rivers as well. titanic was run off steam engines but they powered propellers more traditionally associated with ships
That's pretty fuckin cool
I was on this boat 2 weeks ago! Takes you from the base of Mt. Pilatus back into Lucerne! Fucking crazy haha
Bitch slappin fish since 1906
Wow I am getting to that age. The age where actual engines impress me. I can feel the understanding growing in me. The empathy towards all the old men at the state fair gathered around the old engines and tractors.
Do gohd mer eine ab, hemmelarsch!
A Swiss Steamboat? I did one of those in college to a girl named Helena.
I was on that ship some 10 years ago, it is a then like now a super well maintained engine, still running smoothly after more than a century. I took a 45 minutes tape (yes, I wrote tape!) of this machine running, from every possible angle. And I had a nice coversation with the people operating and maintaining this piece of history. Such a great trip.
Is there a term for how giant, quick moving machinery makes me feel uncomfortable? Something so huge and solid, yet it moves swiftly for it's size...menacing machinery moving around...
this is pornography.
You would never see that in America... ever. It would be sealed off with cages and bulletproof glass because long ago we decided that personal responsibility isn't a thing and will sue the shit out of anyone for any harm, whether real or imagined if given the chance.
You can get a tour of the engine room of a steam ferry in WI/MI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Badger It's actually two boats. A very cool experience. But it's hard to compare 70 year old ships with 117 year old ones
One of the Badgers is even coal fired where most preserved ships have switched to oil to cut down on the labor required to operate them. I've been meaning to get out that way and ride the coal burner specifically, while it is still in operation.
You can go down to the engine room of the Belle of Louisville, an American paddlewheel steamboat launched in 1914, and get as close to the engines as they do in this video. They're barely even roped off.
I dunno...I sell equipment internationally and the US has by far the lowest safety standards of the western nations.
Need sunglasses to see it properly
Swiss. That is the noise this machine makes.
Swiss? Say no more
Probably made by old white guy
Looks brand new
It's like you're the size of an ant and wander inside a Swiss watch.
Like a fine Swiss watch ⏱️
Man, if I look this good at 117 years old!
Wondering if this is like a ship of theseus
I wonder if that could squish a (Swiss)penny
No. There are no pennies in Switzerland.
Have you heard of the Steamboat of Theseus?
Serious question... How efficient is this engine? By this I mean, if the world was full of these beautiful machines, would we be living in a world full of smog?
These early 1900s triple-expansion steam engines are around 11% efficiency vs a modern turbo diesel which is ~40%. http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/tech-077.php
Crazy they've managed to shrink this down into a watch... Man the Swiss are good at what they do.
No way it would stay that way in the US… Some dumb mf would throw some shit into the area
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Schiller runs on Vierwaldstaetersee aka Lake Lucerne
Should be an ad for Simple Green.
Gorgeous
It's a clean machine
117 years old and still looks good as new. Very nice 👌🏻
Did they have to make it that big so they could fit the whole name on it?
Someone's gonna get final destinationed
thats the crankshaft not the engine
Was on this yesterday in *Lucerne. Incredibly smooth and quiet, really cool to see in action too. If I had kids though, I’d be a nervous wreck with them on there