Thread: Destroyers - Fletcher Class

Originally Posted by Dreadnought

Hi Salty, I can give you the frame numbers they are located at and a general description of the equipment nearby, but I dont think I can post the pics. Engineering has yet to be opened to the public so I'm not exactly sure how the powers that be would percieve this. Trying not to rock the boat.

I understand. Frame numbers wouldn't be a help at all. Are the trunks inboard or outboard of the spaces?

I don't think I ever used the escape trunks on the BB's in the approximately 10,000 manhours I worked on them. There's only a little work for our trade on the lower levels of the fireroom. There's the steam fuel oil service pumps and the casing for the steam driven fire pumps. Geeze, I think it's the main feed pumps that are on the lower level of the fireroom that I'm mistaking for fire pumps. The majority of our work is on the upper level with the steam drum and forced draft blowers.

Ytlas,

When you fabricated pads for pipes and lines.... what material did you use?
You have mentioned snaps and zippers (?) In previous post on other threads.
Seems as if you are qualified as a tailor, too.

Originally Posted by blidgepump

Ytlas,

When you fabricated pads for pipes and lines.... what material did you use?
You have mentioned snaps and zippers (?) In previous post on other threads.
Seems as if you are qualified as a tailor, too.

The basic insulation pads were made out of woven fiberglass cloth with a 1" layer of temp matt/matt glass inside. We had numerous heavy duty sewing machines to sew the fiberglass cloth into pad shapes. Pads that were going to be installed on machinery hotter than 400 degrees had one side fiberglass cloth, the other side mesh wire and various thickness of matt glass inside. The fiberglass cloth started disintegrating above 400 degrees. Hooks were places in the ends of the pads where they could be secured.

For each overhaul one or two insulators would be tasked with sketching the necessary pads to fit various systems. The sketches on cards would be turned into the "Pad Shop" to be manufactured. The insulators would then be expected to take the pads out to the ship when finished and install them. Sometimes you'd have the supervisor's favorites who would just walk around all day with sketch cards and do nothing else. When their pads were finished, the supervisor would get other people to try to install them. They rarely fit.

I used to hate working in the Pad Shop. I got stuck up there as a part of my apprenticeship, but once I had my required hours, I requested to go back on the ships.
The supervisor's office was part of the Pad Shop and you could see the suck ups hanging around all day long.

Naturally since I hated the pad shop, in later years when they got back logged I got pulled into the shop for weeks at a time until they caught up. When I was on graveyard some nights I'd have to go out to the ship, make my sketches, go back in the shop and manufacture them and then install them in the same shift. No fun.

In my 20 years, there were probably only 3 of us who could do the complete job of insulator from shipboard work, to fabrication shop to miter shop. There were people who could do very good work on one type of insulation or another, but not every little thing.

Since you mentioned a "Local Power Plant" it probably has a lot of portable insulation pads on the systems. We also manufactured "Spray or Splash shields" to be installed on fuel oil and lube oil flanges to stop the spray of hot liquids to flammable surfaces. Hopefully your local power plant has silver covers on the fuel and lube oil flanges for safety.

Lastly, there were times on graveyard where the work would be slow and we could finish in a few hours. There was a six month time where I was in charge of myself and two other workers. When we finished early on those nights the two workers would run off and find a place to sleep and I'd go upstairs and grab a chunk of heavy canvas or Herculite and lay out and manufacture tool bags, aprons, covers, etc.

Slight hijack. What's the Broadway deck?

Originally Posted by bigross86

Slight hijack. What's the Broadway deck?

It's a long passageway on the ship from which you can access all four firerooms, four engine rooms, a/c plant, etc. There is a watertight door every so many feet and steps to go through. The problem is, if you're over 5 feet tall and don't stoop when going through these doors, you'll smack your forehead on the top of the door hatch or smash your shins on the steps. You can tell the experienced BB person by the way they avoid the steps and just lift the front leg and "Hurdle" the opening. The inexperienced BB people have red lines on their forehead and limp.

Originally Posted by bigross86

Slight hijack. What's the Broadway deck?

As Ytlas mentioned deck #3 the most heavily armored deck aboard the ships. All of the ships vitals are located on this deck, everything from Engineering, SSTG's, water treatment, gun plot fore and aft, 5 in mags, gyro compass room, secondary Conn, among several others. Some call it Broadway, some call it the armored citidel. Broadway is the normal terminology.

Originally Posted by Dreadnought

As Ytlas mentioned deck #3 the most heavily armored deck aboard the ships. All of the ships vitals are located on this deck, everything from Engineering, SSTG's, water treatment, gun plot fore and aft, 5 in mags, gyro compass room, secondary Conn, among several others. Some call it Broadway, some call it the armored citidel. Broadway is the normal terminology.

Slight correction here. 3rd Deck is not the thickest deck. 2nd Deck above is. It's 1 1/4" HTS with 4 3/4" Class B armor on top for a total of 6 inches. Then 30 inches below that is the Splinter deck of 3/4" STS Plate.

But you guys have forced my hand to dig out a photo I took of Broadway on the Missouri when we inspected her in Bremerton for reactivation.

And you can see something else you can crunch your forehead on. That's the end of the monorail with a pad on the end. Sometimes the pads are left off so the monorail secition can be installed for moving machinery down Broadway.

Yes Mr. l. Agreed. It can also be said that the passageway leading from the CEC interior to the Flag Bridge has knee knockers in it as well and some pretty tight fitting ladders and low spaces before you get to the armored hatch leading out to the Signal bridge orAdmirals bridge.

USS New Jerseys Broadway passage.

The machine shop areas aboard also have the knee knockers to access the main passageway. This is a shot from New Jerseys machine shop (One of them)

"Slight correction here. 3rd Deck is not the thickest deck."

Sorry Mr. L. What was meant that the armor protects the third deck or Broadway, not that it is the armored deck. My bad for using confusing terminology.

:highjacked: Sorry for the Hijack, We now return you too your regularly scheduled Fletcher Class Destroyer thread.

My goodness! What some paint can do to change the complextion of "Broadway" deep in the bowels of a BB.

Are those 8 x 8 inch square tiles on the floor? Martha Stewart touch or did they really serve a purpose to reduce wear and tear?




Mr. L when the tour continues of the Flectcher Class Destroyer USS Kidd, some illustrations will be offered to support questions generated as a result of reading your "yellow book". So please stay tuned!!! Also I'm glad to know that the royalty of my purchase went toward spoiling your grandchildren.

To all who contribute to the Fletcher Class thread, please no apology for "hijacking". Some thread starters may be sensitive for good reason, but I perfer spontaneous discussion. I learn quite a bit from the "sidebars", so it is hoped others interested in Naval ships benefit, too.

Originally Posted by Dreadnought

The machine shop areas aboard also have the knee knockers to access the main passageway. This is a shot from New Jerseys machine shop (One of them)

Dread, I'd love to have that mill in the picture, so neat and clean. Obviously well cared for area of the ship. All of this equipment arrives and place to operate by using the monorail?

Originally Posted by blidgepump

To all who contribute to the Fletcher Class thread, please no apology for "hijacking". Some thread starters may be sensitive for good reason, but I perfer spontaneous discussion. I learn quite a bit from the "sidebars", so it is hoped others interested in Naval ships benefit, too.

It's pretty standard on the Navy Board to get the string hijacked. It eventually gets back on course.