Oil firm helps tug project pull through
A project to maintain and preserve the last remaining operational British naval coal-fired steamship to have seen service in two world wars is being supported by a Shrewsbury lubricants company.
Morris Lubricants was happy to help when The Steam Tug Kerne Preservation Society approached the firm for oil to keep the steamship running smoothly.
The company supplied its Golden Film 220 and 460 Bearing Oils, formulated to provide the necessary levels of friction reduction and wear protection required in bearing applications on steam-driven equipment. The products resist water wash-off and have a long service life.
Roger Dibnah, son of famous late steeplejack and television personality Fred Dibnah, has been involved with the preservation society for around six years and turned to Morris Lubricants when the preservation project needed practical support.
He shares a passion for steam heritage with Morris Lubricants’ managing director Andrew Goddard, whose family own traction engines and steam cars.
Roger, who trained as a marine engineer with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, said: “Over the last two or three years we have done a major hull restoration project on the Kerne and she was in dry dock for 12 months. She was returned to steam last October for the cruise to the end of season steam event on the River Weaver at Acton Bridge in Cheshire.
“This year so far, she has been to the Steam on the Dock in Liverpool and we went on a cruise to a shipwreck in the Irish Sea recently.
“Having served my time as a marine engineer, I think maritime heritage tends to be overlooked in this country while steam trains and traction engines get most of the publicity. The Kerne is the last tug of her kind and deserves to be preserved.”
The restoration project received £90,000 from the Heritage Lottery and society managed to raise an equal amount to undertake the work.
The vessel was built in 1913 and was originally called Viking, but was soon acquired by the Admiralty and renamed Terrier.
Based in Chatham, she worked in and around the Medway as a harbour/basin tug for 35 years, which included the two world wars. She was sold out of naval service in March, 1948 to J P Knight and renamed Kerne, which is Gaelic for vagabond foot soldier.
