Saving Old Seagulls

Has anyone got a picture of the HSD barge pusher?

There are some early post war barge pushers about with the large gearbox but still with nipples. I imagine the HSD was the same. I have some drawings of the HSD as tested at the experimental bridging establishment at Christchurch. Looks the same as the post war engines.

6 holed water inlets normally on these plus sized 102 boxes, 2 nipples in the gear case the same as any sd/p with 2 oil nipples. Pumphousings same as sd/p with an oil nipple.
As for props the jury is out on this one. I suspect there might have been a3 bladed prop specifically for the wartime motors, whereas from what I,ve seen post-war the 4 bladed prop seems to be what was fitted.
However, I,ve also seen a couple of early post-war bargepushers with a 3 bladed prop, so for the moment there is some more work to do here.


To date the only true hsd that has surfaced has appeared somewhere on here not that long ago., but sadly this one has had the spanner monkeys get to it.Everything else we,ve seen pictures of have been sd,s with Bargepusher boxes which is where the confusion has stemmed from.

Have a look through previous postings and you,ll probably find the discussions and pictures
about this.

Jon

Hey Hugo - this is the one, I think. - EDIT - apparently this was an SD crankcase.

download/file.php?id=11439&mode=view

That's the one we all saw on ebay this year.
It's an SD (or what's left of it) with a barge pusher box fitted to it. Too far gone to do it any justice, more a source of parts than anything worthy of restoration. Everything above the pump housing looks very SD as you'd expect. Not sure about the ignition, looks like a flat top going by the pics, but you get the general idea that it's an SD with what looks to be a "period correct" PLUS gearbox. That DOESN'T make this a genuine HSD.

Notice the 3 bladed prop.
To my mind's eye at least, this 3 bladed prop looks a little out of place when you compare all the other props you would normally associate with a wartime motor, but Charles thinks this is right. I'm still in 2 minds over it for the moment. To say with absolute certainty having only seen pictures of 5 other motors (probably AHC's but i can't remember) with gearboxes and props just like this one is putting my neck on the line, but i'd like some more data which might go a bit further to prove one way or the other that this 3 bladed prop is 100% correct for a wartime barge pusher and maybe some of the early post-war barge pusher 102's as well.

I looked at another early post-war AHC (with hex headed core plugs in the cylinder) earlier this year with the exact same gearbox and prop set up.
I wished i had bought it now but it wasn't to be. I've got pictures of it somewhere...

The early post-war AHC that's in my attic originally had one of these 3 bladed props fitted to it when i first bought it and you'll see pics shortly BUT the serial number for this engine puts it at 1949. More than enough time to have passed for any wartime spares (i'm referring to props here) to get used up wouldn't you think! I later swapped the 3 bladed prop with Charles L like a stupid twit that i am for the more common looking 4 bladed cloverleaf type which to me fits perfectly and actually looks right for the gearbox.

I think after all is said and done, a proper un-molested (correctly stamped in the crankcase too) HSD is going to be quite a scarce thing to find in any state of repair. I keep my fingers crossed than a proper one will show itself in time and not just another bitsa'd SD.

Just to remind you of what we're talking about i've uploaded a few comparison photos of a 3 bladed and 4 bladed prop.
You will have seen these pictures before i'm sure, but in case you haven't feast your eyes.


Jon

Jon are you sure it's safe to ignore what the casting alloy used was?

"That DOESN'T make this a genuine HSD."

Hence the edit.

Back to HSD's...

Thanks guys, I was expecting a slightly bigger prop. Why have such an elongated gearbox and then have the space between the top of the prop and the waterpump housing, it is not as though there is anything mechanical happening there apart from pinion/shaft bushing. Unless they wanted the screw lower in the water and wished to use the same SD exhaust/torque tube/driveshaft and water pipe. There is probably a simple reason but I fail to see it.

Looking forward to an original one surfacing.

I really like that 3 blade prop it looks too hav a good amount of pitch to it. Do you have any info for it?

Charles,I can well imagine that these plus sized boxes more than likely were made from the same materials found in other sd and Sdp motors of the time. Not ignoring anything, but pictures can only tell so much of the story.
Until I manage to get of hold of one of these then unfortunately pictures is all there is to go on.
As and when I get one you can rest assured a full on phorensic examination will be done.

Jon