We start out tour of the Fire Room facing aft and looking at Boiler #2. Originally equipped with two boilers, forward Boiler #1 was removed prior to being acquired by OMM. Manufactured by Babcock and Wilcox, this is a sectional header, water-tube boiler designed to operate at about 240 psi. The three black circles are air registers that regulate air for combustion. At the center of each register is a burner that delivers and atomizes fuel into the firebox. The round, screened device protruding from the lower right side of the boiler is a steam-driven, forced draft blower that provides combustion air.
Panning right, you will see two horizontal cylinders on the bulkhead. These are fuel oil heaters that were required to heat the heavy Bunker C oil that the boilers originally burned. These are no longer needed today as the boiler is now fired with less viscous, easier to handle diesel fuel.
In the foreground is the fireman’s work station where steam, fuel oil and feed water pressures are monitored. The silver device at the center of the bench is a fuel oil regulator used to maintain steady delivery pressures to the burners.
Directly behind this station are two, steam-powered, double-acting fuel oil service pumps that deliver fuel under pressure to the burners. Below and to the right is an electric fuel pump that is used when first firing up and before adequate pressure is available to run the steam pumps.
Panning further right, you are now facing forward and looking at a large open space. This is where Boiler #1 sat when the boat was in regular service. The area is now used for storage and a work.
On the right side of this space is a compartment that houses the auxiliary diesel generator that provides electrical power to the boat when underway. Directly behind the ladder stands a tall, rectangular box called a sea chest. This is used to draw river water for the fire pump, diesel generator cooling and emergency feed water for the boiler.