Free Three Knots to Nowhere by Ted E. Dubay Page B

mates usually manned the steam plant control panel and was called a throttleman. Designers provided a round eight-inch seat for the throttleman. Because operating the throttle wheels required standing, it could be swiveled out of the way. I swung the seat away from maneuvering’s port bulkhead and sat. Being too small and unstable, and not having back support, it was uncomfortable. Then I sat on the footlocker. I could lean back against the after bulkhead. It certainly wasn’t as comfy as an easy chair, but it was much better than the round seat. After all, this was not a home; it was the control room of the Clay ’s engineering spaces.
    Directly in front of me was the steam plant control panel. Its most notable feature was two chrome wheels. A large one, about two feet in diameter, was closest to the panel. The smaller one, about 18 inches in diameter, was several inches farther aft. Both wheels shared the same pivot point and protruded from the top of the lower portion of the panel. They looked like steering wheels. They controlled steam to the main propulsion turbines, which in turn determined how fast the submarine moved. The big one was for ahead bells. The little one admitted steam to the astern throttles, for backing. A loud bell rang if both were open at the same time.
    An engine order telegraph was in the lower right hand corner of the sloped bench section. The right half of the dial had the ahead bells—⅓, ⅔, Standard, Full, and Flank. The left had astern bells—⅓, ⅔, Back Full, and Back Emergency. Speed changes were called bells because a bell dinged when the officer of the deck ordered a speed change.
    Covering the center of the bench section were alarms and associated cutout switches. There was an array of dials and meters scattered on the remainder of the panel. With my head swimming, I stood. I squeezed by Davis and sat in the seat for the electric plant control panel, with hands clasped behind me. I figured this posture would give Davis peace of mind that I would keep my hands off the panel. It must have accomplished the desired effect, because he did not reprimand me. I did notice that his general body posture implied a readiness to prevent me from touching anything.
    Electricians operated the Clay ’s major electrical equipment from this panel. The bench portion had an excellent one-line representation of the submarine’s electrical system. There were two complete redundant trains. The left side was a mirror image of the right.
    Davis described the icons, at the top of the mimic, going from left to right. The symbol furthest left represented the port ships service turbine generator (SSTG). Next were the emergency diesel generator (E D/G), the shore power connection, and the starboard SSTG. When the reactor produced enough power, two SSTGs were in service and the electric plant was in a full-power lineup.
    I mentally traced the left portion of the plastic representation. The line went left and then down towards me. Then it proceeded to an icon for the 300 kw motor-generator. I recalled seeing it in auxiliary machinery 2 lower level. To the representation’s right were two large black control knobs. They controlled the M/G’s mode of operation. Exiting the M/G symbol, the plastic line continued down a short distance and took a ninety-degree angle towards the center of the panel. In the middle was a representation of the Clay ’s 126-cell battery. I looked at the right half of the panel. It was a mirror image of the left. Embedded at strategic places in both sides of the mimic were circuit breaker control switches.
    The Clay ’s normal electrical configuration consisted of two electrically separated SSTGs. Each generator supplied its half of the electrical system, also called a train. The SSTG provided power to electrical busses, which supplied individual loads. The SSTG also drove the motor end of the M/G. The M/G’s generator end produced DC