FIRE ROOM

The Fire Room contains the boiler, fuel heaters and pumps, and several workstations and tool storage areas.

Even though the Fire Room is not open to the public because of safety concerns, your tour of this photo can start by focusing your attention on boiler #2. The steamer PORTLAND was originally equipped with two boilers. The forward boiler, #1, was removed prior to being acquired by the Oregon Maritime Museum as part of a failed remodel for touring use. Manufactured by Babcock and Wilcox, boiler #2 is a sectional header, water-tube boiler designed to operate at about 240 psi. The three black circles close to the deck are air registers that regulate air for combustion. 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, as the boiler is now fired with less viscous diesel fuel.

In the foreground is the fireman's workstation 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 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 the bow (forward) and looking at a large open space. This is where Boiler #1 sat when the PORTLAND was in regular service. The area is now used for storage and workspace.

On the starboard (right) side of this space is the compartment that houses the auxiliary diesel generator that provides electrical power to the PORTLAND when under way.

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.