Get your timing right!

[Greybeard]

My parents worked for Napier aero engines during the 1950's. The Deltic engine is amazing.


The mind-boggling gearing on the Napier Deltic engine. The Deltic is a British engine famous for its complexity and ambitiousness. It is a triangle-shaped, opposed-piston, valveless, supercharged, two-stroke diesel engine with a displacement of 88.2 litres (5,382 cu in). The engine was essentially comprised of three opposed engines, with a crankshaft in each corner, forming a triangle. This eliminated the need for cylinder heads thus reducing weight. Each cylinder contained two pistons, with a total of 18 cylinders and 36 pistons. It produced a maximum of 2,500 hp. Development began in the 1940s, and over its career it powered locomotives and naval vessels, including a few German Schnellboots.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napier_Deltic

[Worty]

I used to trainspot as a young lad, and the sound of the Deltics was lovely.  Could hear them coming from quite a way off.  Always remember that the drivers just used acceleration in brief bursts to keep the momentum up - perfect.  Remember the Bo-Bos and Peaks too, always a great sight as the place I went was all electrified so diesels were rarer.

[Rex]

British engine, but based on the Junkers Jumo engine, it was used in Ton class mine sweepers and layers.
Unusually it had a cartridge starting method similar to the shotgun cartridge used in some old diesel tractors and pumps.

[Worty]

British engine, but based on the Junkers Jumo engine, it was used in Ton class mine sweepers and layers.
Unusually it had a cartridge starting method similar to the shotgun cartridge used in some old diesel tractors and pumps.

First saw that on the original film 'Flight of the Phoenix'.

[Rex]

I remember that too. It only started (and with difficulty) on the last cartridge.