Now that is a steam engine!
Steam engines! Visible mechanics without any electronics, so you can experience every single piston stroke and feel them in your body. Jonas Krantz is living the childhood dream of many people both big and small on the "ELBE", the only surviving steam-powered river icebreaker in Germany. A model of the working steam engine in his childhood bedroom wasn’t enough for him. He wanted it to be bigger and joined the "Dampfeisbrecher ELBE e.V." association, which was founded in 2006. He and six other active members ensure the operability of the rare ship, using very large tools from KNIPEX!
Using weight to break through ice
The ELBE was built in 1911 by order of the Royal Prussian Elbe River Administration at the ''Gebrüder Wiemann'' shipyard in Brandenburg an der Havel. The principle of the steam icebreakers was that they pushed their sturdy hulls (driven by powerful steam engines) into the ice to break it up with their weight. Work was done against the current so that the broken slabs could flow downstream.
Despite the powerful two-cylinder expansion steam engine with 280 hp, the ELBE, like all other steam icebreakers, was replaced by more powerful ships from the 1950s onwards. However, it survived this period being privately owned, and was completely restored in 1997. Since 2006, the support association has been taking care of the ELBE. The ship has now been approved as a passenger ship for up to 150 people, which means: The crew have a lot to do.
Regular maintenance work
All active club members have regular jobs and meet once or twice a week or at weekends to work on the steam icebreaker. Maintenance includes cleaning inside of the steam boiler. Regularly checking the bearing clearances of the steam engines is just as important as adjusting the valves on a classic car engine. Ah yes. Valves. All of the valves on the machines are also regularly checked for tightness.
The old timer’s "upper" structure is made almost entirely of wood, which often has to be sanded and preserved again. Every five years, the ELBE sees the inside of a shipyard, where it has its hull inspected for damage. It is then assessed by the Ship Inspection Commission (SuK) in order to extend the ship's valid certificate.
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With the right tools
In every corner of the steam icebreaker, whether on deck or below deck, there are tools, lubricants, and lots of other helpers, both big and small. Especially in the engine room, where heavy equipment is stored, such as the two enormous Knipex pliers which the boys use to counter bolts that need to be loosened, or to tighten screw connections. They are so big that there are no normal wrenches for them. This requires quality that can be relied on for decades. Even medium-sized pipe bolts and screw connections are loosened and tightened with pliers. Every one of the people working here actually always has a red handle sticking out of one of their back pockets.
Almost silent driving
Anyone who thinks that a steam engine is a loud, pounding monster will be surprised to hear it in operation. No roar and hum like you get with a diesel engine - only the hiss of the steam and the valves are noticeable. While the two cylinders do their work in the engine room, on deck you can enjoy nature and the sound of the water in all its glory. In a normal year, the ELBE is on the move around 20 times during the summer months and is a regular guest at Hamburg's Harbour Birthday, the Elbe Festival or at Cruise Days. In 2019, it went as far as Hoya on the Weser, and in 2022, the team wants to try to sail as far as the Netherlands at least once. With good maintenance, reliability should not be a problem.
A final check on the water
The sun is already sinking behind the big cruise ships when the five screwdriving guys reach their destination for today and steam through the harbour facilities for one last round to check whether everything is holding and tight, and whether their work has been successful. Of course, everything is fine. It’s been ploughing through the rivers for over 100 years and will continue to do so. Especially if the ship continues to be maintained so expertly and with such high quality tools. Here's to a good season!
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