Classic British Flight Sim

QE2'S POWER PLANT IS DIESEL ELECTRIC, a system chosen for its inherent reliability and flexibility. In 1986/87, in an operation costing £100m, nine medium speed MAN L58/64 nine cylinder turbo charged diesel engines were fitted, in place of the aging and fuel thirsty steam plant. The diesel engines drive C.E.C. generators, and each develop 10.5 MW of electrical power at 10,000 volts. Each engine weighs approximately 120 tons.

From http://www.QE2.org.uk

There is always one engine running in port to keep lights on and air-conditioning and galleys functioning.

Yep Nigel, on a public information website like that, 'generator' will be used because the public are more familiar with the term. But in the engine room they are referred to as alternators or at least they were in every engine room I worked in. Turbo alternator or T/Alt for steam turbine driven, diesel alternator or D/Alt for the obvious reason. The terms generator and alternator are interchangeable of course, and to all intents and purposes mean the same thing. I just used the term alternator because its what I am most familiar with.

By the way, that QE2 website also states that marine engineer officers wear a purple border to their gold braid in memory of their colleagues on the Titanic. Its a nice story, but In fact purple was used to designate engineers as early as 1863.

Anyway, loathe as I am to quote Wiki, I'll quote Wiki;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternator

The colour between the gold braid was used in the airlines too. Ginger beers wearing the purple of course and I recall seeing white and i think green??.


I was Ops so no colour between my braids:





That jacket's 25 years old..... where does it go?

NigelC wrote:The colour between the gold braid was used in the airlines too. Ginger beers wearing the purple of course and I recall seeing white and i think green??.

Green at sea denoted a radio officer, a profession that has now disappeared. I have a feeling that sea-going electrical engineers wore it too, though the company I sailed with didn't employ them. White...trying to think...maybe Chief Steward ? Would those correlate to airlines in some way ? Mind you, can't imagine the last time an airliner carried a radio operator.

NigelC wrote: That jacket's 25 years old..... where does it go?

Nigel, as long as it still goes round your waist, that's all that matters...

Cheers
MikeW