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John Elder, marine engineer and shipbuilder, died on the 17th of September, 1869.
John Elder was a marine engineer and shipbuilder, who developed practical compounding marine engines and conceived the modern integrated shipbuilding yard, basically without his work the shipbuilding yards of the Clyde would not be the same. Elder gave the world major contributions to engineering and shipbuilding:
The practical development of compounding in marine engines. This made long-distance steam shipping both possible and economic, and also improved the economics of shorter-haul steam navigation. It allowed the extension of steam power to cargo liners and tramp ships, and greatly accelerated the substitution of steam for sail in the world's shipping. To this should be added his patent for triple and quadruple expansion marine engines, foreshadowing later 19th century developments.
He initiated the conception of the modern heavy engineering workshop, with overhead gantry cranes developed, as seen in the still-existing Fairfield Engine Works in Govan.
The conception of the modern integrated shipbuilding yard. With only minor alterations the plan of the present Govan Shipyard survives largely as John Elder conceived it. It was the foremost yard on the Clyde until the great liners were built at John Brown's, and has outlasted most, including the builder of the "Queens". As one of BAe Systems' yards, it is still a highly effective production unit, notable for building the largest elements of the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.
At its peak production in 1868-69, the final eighteen months of Elder's life, the Fairfield Yard employed 4,000 people and produced 18 engine sets of 6100 aggregate horsepower and 14 ships of 27,000 aggregate tonnage. Elder had created one of the greatest enterprises of its kind in the world.
Elder was also a model employer of his 4,000 workforce, with a real concern for the well-being of his men and their families. At his funeral, as reported by the Rev. Norman MacLeod "a very army of workmen, dressed like gentlemen, followed his body - column after column. Respectful crowds lined the streets, as if gazing on the burial of a prince; and every one of us .. felt that we had left a friend behind us."
His statue in Elder Park, Govan, erected by public subscription in 1888, carries the inscription: "By his many inventions, particularly in connection with the compound engine, he effected a revolution in engineering second only to that accomplished by James Watt, and in great measure, originated the developments in steam propulsion which have created modern commerce" and: "His unwearied efforts to promote the welfare of the working classes, his integrity of character, firmness of purpose, and kindness of heart, claim, equally with his genius, enduring remembrance".
If you have ever been in The Lord of the Isles Wetherspoon bar in Renfrew, you may have notice some prints and memorabilia of Elder in the pub. Elder Park, Govan is also named in his honour, you will also see the statue there.
This is what I do for a living, I twist wrenches and get covered in oil. I could not ask for a better job! This is me, rebuilding a V-16, 7,000HP medium speed diesel. Small in HP, GIANT in weight at 20 tons. 50 year old American made steel. This is what gets me going.
7th April 1767 saw the birth in Torphichen of Henry Bell.
Not a well known name to many but Bell would make his name by building the the paddle steamer PS Comet and, in 1812, using it to run Europe’s first commercially viable passenger steamboat service on the River Clyde.
Bell was educated in the local Parish school at Torphichen his family were well known at the time as millwrights, builders and engineers.
After schooling he spent time learning trades as a stonemason, Millwright and Model ship modeler, he was something of a visionary and a jack of all trades, it was another trade, engineering that he ended up excelling.
He became fascinated by the then experimental technology and potential of steam propelled ships. He corresponded with and may have assisted the American steamship pioneer Robert Fulton who, in 1807, introduced a steamboat service in New York. However, Bell failed to persuade the Admiralty to take any interest in his ideas about steam propulsion. While continuing to experiment and speculate, he and his wife moved in 1807 to Helensburgh where they ran an inn and superintended the public baths.
He must have been bored for as well as doing the two jobs in Helensburgh Henry was still tinkering with his steam engines, and he commissioned a Port Glasgow shipbuilder to build a 30-ton wooden paddle steamer with a 3hp engine. He named her Comet after a spectacular comet that had appeared the previous year. In August 1812, after a trial voyage from Port Glasgow to the Broomielaw and then back down to Greenock, during which the boat made 5 knots against a headwind and dramatically cut the usual journey time, Bell inaugurated a regular passenger service between Glasgow, Greenock and Helensburgh. No longer did ferries need to be so dependent upon wind and tide. This was the first commercial steam passenger service in Europe.
Lengthened and improved, the Comet then ran a service to Oban and Fort William via the Crinan Canal, but in 1820 she was shipwrecked off Oban. A successor Comet sank after a collision with considerable loss of life. Bell’s pioneering venture was soon superseded technically and eclipsed by rivals but he had shown the way.
Bell was not a successful businessman and ended his days in poverty, dependent upon a public subscription on his behalf, supported by Thomas Telford among others, and an annual stipend from the trustees of the Clyde Navigation.
He died in aged 62 and is buried in Rhu Kirkyard at Gare Loch, Argyll and Bute, a grand statue of him marks his tomb, there is also an Obolisk monument to Henry Bell on the Clyde at Helensburgh where there is also a JD Wetherspoon bar.
Your first 24 hours as Chief Engineer will define the next 4 months. Most engineers get it wrong. Here's what experienced Chiefs actually do 👇 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ❌ What most new Chiefs do: — Review paperwork in the office — Take the outgoing Chief's word for it — Sign the relief form to avoid awkwardness — Start "properly" after the first week ✅ What world-class Chiefs do: — Walk the bilges BEFORE reviewing any document — Read 2 weeks of trends, not just current readings — Audit the PMS for patterns, not just overdue items — Listen to the most experienced rating before briefing officers — Sign only when they are genuinely ready ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ The uncomfortable truth? You are under enormous pressure to sign quickly. The outgoing Chief wants to go home. The company wants the paperwork filed. The Master is waiting. Sign when YOU are ready. Not one minute before. That relief form is not a courtesy. It is a transfer of every liability on that vessel — to you. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ I've written the full 4-phase takeover framework on Chief Engineer Log. Everything from what the bilges tell you that the logbook won't — to the single document that reveals more about engine health than any briefing. 🔗 chiefengineerlog.com 💬 What's the first space you inspect when you board a new vessel? Tell me below. #ChiefEngineer #MarineEngineering #EngineRoom #MaritimeSafety #Seafarers #MaritimeCareer #ShipboardOperations #MaritimeIndustry
The real measure of your leadership isn't how well the engine room runs when you're standing in it. It's how well it runs when you are asleep. ⚓ Every Chief eventually faces the same moment. You are exhausted after a 12-hour maneuvering operation, finally in your bunk, and an alarm sounds on the plates. Who handles the first 10 minutes? Your Second Engineer. A strong Second stabilizes the plant before you even reach the control room. A weak one hesitates, waits for permission, and calls you when it’s already too late. But here is the hard truth I've learned after years at sea: A great Second Engineer doesn't appear by accident. He is built. If you micromanage every valve swap and double-check every logbook entry, you are creating a paralyzed engineer. You are training them to wait for your command. In my latest breakdown on the blog, I detail the exact framework I use to transition a Second Engineer from a "technician" to a leader: Controlled Responsibility: Why giving objectives is better than giving commands. The Socratic Method: Why asking "What do you think?" is better than grabbing the tools yourself. The "Buffer" Rule: How to shield your technical team from shore-side commercial pressure. Leadership isn't about doing the work. It's about building someone who can run the ship safely when you aren't there. Read the full guide here: 🔗 [LINK IN FIRST COMMENT] Question for the network: Who is a Second Engineer you've sailed with that you would trust to take over in an emergency? Tag them below. 👇 #ChiefEngineer #MaritimeLeadership #MarineEngineering #LifeAtSea #ShipManagement #Mentorship