Auction find. What is it?

FLOLDFORD

Well-known Member
Location
Lakeland Florida


Picked this up at an auction this morning. It was presented as the engine control for a ship but I'm not sure about that. Solid brass and weighs about 75 pounds. All the controls are electric contacts and switches. No data plate on it. Anybody got any ideas?
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I think it may be for a Steam Engine Train because most ship ones say astern not back!
Ypop
 
Not for a railroad locomotive but could be for a canal traction engine, e.g., St. Lawrence seaway, Panama canal, etc.

Dean
 
I was wondering what the 'pulsator' and ,'screener' and ' hand puls' meant. It is definitely similar to an engine room telegraph. "All ahead Flank"! I have read all of the books about WW2 Submarines that I can find.

Maybe it is from a dredge or something similar.
 
It's nautical for sure.
I don't know what hand pulls mean but 1/3, 2/3, Full and Flank are all ship's speeds.
Notice most ships weren't geared to go as fast in reverse as forward.
 
from a google search on the part number:

9S4983L 5945002311865 RELAY,ELECTROMAGNETIC NAVAL SHIP SYSTEMS COMMAND
 
Clearly it is a ship's telegraph of some sort. I don't think it's the main bridge-to-engine room telegraph, probably for some other purpose.

"Fore truck", "ford truck" and "main truck" may refer to signaling devices on the fore and main mast.

I think "hand puls" is an abbreviation for "hand pulsate". Note there's a button marked "pulsate".
 
Tom:

"What's in those bottles behind the small water bottles :) "


His favorite "after hours" beverages. LOL


:>)
 
A 'truck' is the cap on the mast, which could have a light on it. A 'screener' is basically a windshield wiper.
 
I might add that hand pulse could indicate it's off a tug or ferry, since they need to do precise maneuvering.
 
Tim. You might have me on the right track as far as what this came off of. On this one the casting is still rough and has never been polished out which would not seem right on the bridge of a ship. but maybe like you said a tug or some other kind of work boat. I've searched the internet under ships telegraph and have not seen a picture of one like this. I work with some retired Navy guys and I'm going to show them a picture and see what they think Thanks
 
Yes, I'm thinking it's off a tug or similar work boat. The "FORD & MAIN TRUCK" switch appears to have positions for "NORMAL" and "RED", as well as an apparently unmarked off position. This is almost certainly a lighting switch; two red lights on a masthead indicate "vessel not under command".

I'm at a loss to understand how the switch with positions "SCREENER SPEED", "MAIN TRUCK" and "FORE TRUCK" would work. Does it change the function of the big knob?

The two "PILOT LIGHT" indicators would be for lighting (as opposed to a "pilot light" such as on a gas appliance). It's hard to tell, but I'll bet they were once red and green.

It appears to be bronze rather than brass.
 
at first I was thinking locomotive too, of some sort, not a main road engine, but the "flank" position has me lost, wasn't a ship the only thing that uses "flank" as a speed term?
 
WWII Telegraph. Check out this link, they have one that looks just like that. http://www.antiquesofthesea.com/telegraphs.html
 
jh2056
I really appreciate the information. I looked at the website and even tried to call but they are only open on the weekend. Someone spent a lot of time making that one shiny. I think I'm going to leave mine as it is but it's not going out on my deck! It will have a place in the shop with the rest of my antiques after I build a stand for it. For what I paid for it ( less than scrap price) maybe one of my best auction finds. Thanks again!
 
Mark
If you read the post above you can see that you were pretty dang close on what it was and I appreciate the info. Like I said in my reply it's not going out on the deck it's going to have a place in the shop. Thanks for the help
 
It seems criminal to polish up a fine artifact like that.

The site lists it alternately as a "destroyer bridge telegraph" and as a "blackout telegraph". I seriously doubt it is from a destroyer. As best as I can determine, all WWII destroyers were twin-screw. Ditto with minesweepers. Clearly this telegraph is from a single-engined vessel. Furthermore, you can't "pulsate" a steam turbine.

So what vessel of that vintage would have a single reciprocating steam engine? A tugboat. Possibly a very large ocean tug.
 
Single screw, WW2 vintage, reciprocating engine instead of turbine? Liberty class ship comes to mind, Corvette/Destroyer Escort/frigate- some had the steam reciprocating engines as that was the commercial standard yet for some 150 to 250 foot hulls made in the smaller shipyards available. Some of the English Corvettes and liberty patterns still used coal. Steam reciprocating engines still in use 1960s some places as tugs, ferries, trawlers, coastal/riverine traders before Diesels became the standard for smaller hulls-and some large hulls. Persian gulf oil from well often 'bunker grade'- WW2 British med fleet had some ships fill fuel bunkers direct from the well pipeline- burned fairly good with a bit of scrubbing of burners needed but the burners were upgrade of multi fuel/coal burners so crud cleaning expected. RN.
 
Open it up. Inside there is probably a label with the manufacturer's name, part numbers and more information.
 

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