The success of H.M.C.S. HAIDA depends greatly on volunteers. One of our very dedicated people is Margaret Mathers, a former Diesel Mechanic in the Naval Reserve, and a tenacious lady who puts heart and soul into every project she tackles. Along with her faithful sidekick Jim Brewer, an ex-Leading Seaman Firecontrol, Margaret's latest achievement has been the awakening of the after, three cylinder diesel generator, a piece of machinery which stood dormant for three and a half decades! In the Royal Canadian Navy, it was affectionately known as the 'gennie' or the 'rockcrusher'.

This notable event occurred on October 4 1997. Approximately two years of effort was expended on the engine just to prepare it for this moment. After having to repair a faulty fuel filter gasket at the last minute and a great amount of cranking, the air was finally vented out of the fuel line and the engine sputtered to life. Since there is no sea water supply available at this time, the engine was operated for ten minutes and then shut down to ensure that it would not be overheated. Without the donation of seven, used 12 volt truck batteries, this milestone would not have been possible. Many thanks are extended to Gerald Reid of Mississauga Ontario who donated the batteries and to Rod Pears of Hillsburgh Ontario who let Gerald know that we needed them.

For those readers who are technically oriented, the engine itself is a General Motors Model 3-268A producing an estimated 135 horsepower. It drives an Allis-Chalmers 220 volt, 100 kw (100,000 watt), direct current (DC) generator. Two of these units were fitted - one in Number 1 Boiler Room and the other in the Gear Room. It is the one in the Gear Room which is now active. In addition, there were two, 200 kw (200,000 watt) turbo-generators comprising a potential generating capacity of 600 kw . This is enough power to illuminate 6,000 light bulbs of 100 watts each. Normally, the ship would never consume this much power by itself but it was available nonetheless.
 
 

Front view of the the GM 3-268 diesel alternator. (Photo by Jerry Proc)

Since there was little or no automation during HAIDA'S heyday, the diesel generator was a totally manual system which had to be constantly supervised while the system was in operation. Electrical loads were constantly monitored and frequent adjustments were made through a manually operated voltage regulator.

This engine employs an uncommon starting system. The starter motor is the actual Allis-Chalmers generator. An electrical generator can act as a motor and vice versa. It takes five, heavy duty, 12 volt truck batteries to crank this diesel. On start, battery power is applied to the generator thus causing it to act like a motor. Once the diesel starts, the battery is disconnected and the 'motor' reverts back to a generator automatically. In contrast, an automobile engine uses a dedicated starter motor which is cranked by a solitary battery.

On October 19 1997, the engine was 'flashed' for the third time. As it likely did on the other start ups, copious amounts of dense, white smoke was emitted for the first several minutes. Objects on deck within an eight foot radius of the stack could not be seen. The small group of us who were present wondered if anyone else was observing the dense smoke at a distance and would they call the fire department. Once the diesel warmed up, the amount of white smoke produced was minimal. Likely, some fine tuning of the engine will help get the exhaust nearly clear.

What an assault on the eardrums when the engine is in operation! No wonder it was called the 'rockcrusher'. It's also amazing how a large cavity such as the Gear Room helps to reverberate the sound so well. In service, many a Stoker spent hours and hours down there without the benefit of any hearing protection. Today, out on deck, on this beautiful October day, it was a different story - the ship sounded wonderful. Life had returned to a major piece of machinery. After running the diesel for five minutes, Jim Brewer also demonstrated how easily it started.
 

A smiling Margaret Mathers demonstrates her skills to some visitors in the Gearing Room. Here, she is manually turning over the diesel engine. (Photo source unknown)

There are tasks which must still be completed. First, the cooling issue needs to be addressed. In 1989, the ship had an firemain installed which happens to pass through the Gear Room. Margaret intends to couple a hose from this fire main to the seawater intake port on the heat exchanger. The exhaust water will simply empty into the lagoon thus allowing the engine to be run continuously.

Next, the exhaust trunking (pipe) needs to be reconnected. In 1989, the original deck plating which surrounded the exhaust trunk was replaced due to deterioration. Since no one ever thought the diesel would ever be flashed again, the welder severed the exhaust trunking right at deck level. As a result, the engine exhausts against the bottom of the uppermost deck, which is not an acceptable arrangement for the long term. Up to now, all attempts to flash the diesel have been done without anyone in the vicinity of the stack. Also, there is a enormously large muffler fitted 'tween decks on the exterior of the ship and its inner workings are completely deteriorated. Imagine the looks on the faces of the folks at a muffler shop when you bring in something this large and ask if they have a replacement! Since we can't afford to replace the muffler with an exact copy, plans are to install a heavy duty truck muffler. For the amount of time the diesel is operated, any additional noise will not be of any consequence.

A cursory inspection through the air intake ports has revealed a generally positive prognosis for the engine. The compression rings on one piston are in good shape. It's suspected that there may be one broken compression ring in each of the other two pistons judging by the large amount of embedded carbon. Since the lower sections of the pistons cannot be easily inspected, it's hard to tell if the old power plant is going to be an 'oil burner' or not. The fuel consumption has yet to be determined as the engine has burned about a gallon of fuel during three 'no-load' run-ups lasting a total of 25 minutes.

Margaret has also done a wonderful job of interpreting Number 3 Boiler Room, and the Engine Room. The new labels, diagrams, and graphics have made a world of difference, not just for our visitors, but also for staff and tour guides who were not familiar with the workings of our main propulsion systems. Thanks a lot, Margaret and Jim, and also to all the other staff and volunteers that have lent a helping hand in completing these projects.

Sep 2/11