V's/B's funnels

[Queen of Nanaimo Teen]

Why do they have different funnels? And didn't all the V's used to have huge funnels? Were they made smaller when they were lifted? Personally, I like the B's funnels better, they are so big! ;D

[hergfest]

I *think* it has to do with the generators at the base of the funnel. The bigger the generator (like on the New West) the smaller the funnel looks.

[Ferryman]

All of the Funnels on the V/B Class are the same size. There's just more superstructure surrounding the base of the funnel on the V's.

www.pbase.com/kstapleton/image/50617765

photosbychris2006.fotopic.net/p26162474.html

[Koastal Karl]

I never noticed that before about the B's and V's. Also what is that box thingy on each sides of the funnel on the New West??

[Ferryman]

That was added when it was lifted, and fitted with new engines. But I'm not sure if it's some sort of ventalation for the emergency generator.

[Queen of Nanaimo Teen]

Also, I think the V's funnels look smaller because they are much taller. So what difference does the generator make anyways?

[Retrovision]

(BTW, Sorry for the side-scrolling, folks. Once i realized that the pics from EvergreenFleet.com turned out much larger than on the website, i decided to throw caution to the wind and post all the other pics, cheers)

I've always thought that, if anything, the Bs funnels are taller (although the difference in superstructure around the Bs and Vs funnels makes it quite deciecving). It would make sense, as the Bs were the second genereation of that Spaulding design. We do know, however, that all Vs and Bs had their funnels heightened sometime around their lengthening; I've always assumed that this was try to compensate for the new length of the ship by having the exhaust exit this ship higher up, giving less chance of if it effecting the passengers on the outer decks towards the aft of the ship.

But there's still the matter of whether they realized the exhaust problem before or after lengthening the ships... In this shot, the ship has been lengthened, but has not yet had her funnel heightened:


(or could this actually just be an artist's rendering?)
(I still contend that this is a B, considering the lack of the decoratice curve below the funnel that was on the Vs even before lengthening (or, a version of the currently seen version of the decorative-curve), and not the Esquimalt as noted;
This would not be without precedent on EvergreenFleet.com , as with this mis-print (can u find it? It's in one of the pics): www.evergreenfleet.com/sidneyclass.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chris,
Is it true that the Vs / Bs funnels were the same height before and after heightening? Like I said, the superstructure differences (the decorative curve below the Vs funnels in particular) make it extremely decieving.

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Compare for yourself; B / V Class post-lengthening:


'B' Class (Queens of Burnaby, Nanaimo and New West)








'V' Class(Queen of Vancouver)




And how they looked pre-lengthening:


'V' Class (Queen of Vancouver)




'B' Class (Queen of Nanaimo)


[/img][/size]

[WettCoast]

In fact all of the seven sisters had the same short funnels until after the stretching process. The B class funnels look different only because they have a different base. In the beginning the B class ferries were really V class with only a very slight difference.
During the period from about 1965 to 1975 the Swartz Bay - Tsawwassen route was served by the four V-class ferries running hourly in the summer just as they do today [exept that two of them were replaced with Spirits]. On the Departure Bay - Horseshoe Bay route the three B-class vessels, together with the QoTsawwassen provided the same houly service. In 1974 the Stena Danica [renamed QoSurrey, later QotNorth] replaced the QoTsawwassen as the fouth ship on this route until the C-class came along.

One other note - the photo above of the QoEsquimalt is real. It was the first ship to be stretched and did not get the raised funnel and other cosmetic changes until after the second ferry [the QoVictoria] was stretched.

[Dane]

Here's a question -> Why did BC Ferries choose to lift the Vic, Van, Esq, and Saan rather than the 3 newest vessels and one of the four older ones? It seems, although the differences are minor, that you'd want the latest and greatest version of your design to be the ones that become the backbone of the major routes.

[WettCoast]

dane said:

Here's a question -> Why did BC Ferries choose to lift the Vic, Van, Esq, and Saan rather than the 3 newest vessels and one of the four older ones? It seems, although the differences are minor, that you'd want the latest and greatest version of your design to be the ones that become the backbone of the major routes.

Route 1 was the route needing capacity increases the most, so they increased the capacity of the vessels serving on that run.
In terms of the condition of the vessels at that time I don't know, but I expect that there was not a lot of difference between the seven sisters. Furthermore, the condition of the remaining V-class vessels may have less to do with their age then it has to do with the stresses put on them by lifting, and the 'hard lives' they have lived in service mostly on Route 1.

Another ship that has had a hard life getting pounded in Hecate Strait is the QPR. She needs to take her retirement asap.

[Dane]

Although that's an answer, what was there any meaningful difference between Route 1 vessels and others? It seems like you'd want the newest, best verion of a ship to go through such a process.

[WettCoast]

I do not know. Someone with BCFC at the time might know. Or maybe they never put any thought into it. Just do the ships then assigned to Route 1.

These four V-class vessels owned route 1 for about 30 years - 1962 to 93 when the SOBC entered service. Even today, they remain as the 3rd & fouth ships on that route.

[Ferryman]

BC Ferries always seemed to have the tradition of operating the Ferries in or around the area they operate out of. ie: The Victoria, Vancouver, Esquimalt, and Saanich all being Victoria and obviously, Vancouver names. Therefore, they were the true Ferries of Route 1. Then there's the New Westminster, Nanaimo, and Burnaby. New Westminster is a bit closer to Tsawwassen, but it was probably the better name to use, instead of, "Queen of Horseshoe Bay".
Nowadays, you'll notice that BC Ferries has pretty much eliminated that tradition, with the Queen of Chilliwack operating up North, and the Sunshine Coast, along with the Queen of Burnaby operating out of Comox. I know the Ferries were moved to their current places, as they are better suited there, but that's just the way things go I guess.
The V's were also starting to be lifted right about around the same time the C's were being ordered. So it would have been pointless to lift the Burnaby and Nanaimo, and at the time, New Westminster, for the Southern Gulf Islands route, after the much larger, C's took over Route 2.

[nolonger]

Actually the lifting was started in the early '80s. The 1st of the C's were out in '76.

[Doug]

Burnaby started out of Horseshoe Bay I believe.

1962: the Queen of Vancouver
1965: Queen of Burnaby, west of Vancouver
1976: Queen of Coquitlam, west of Burnaby
1981: Queen of Surrey, southwest of Coquitlam
1991: Queen of Chilliwack: west of Surrey

I just wonder why they skipped Richmond, Delta, Langley and Abbotsford, etc....

[pete]

1962: the Queen of Vancouver
1965: Queen of Burnaby, west of Vancouver
1976: Queen of Coquitlam, west of Burnaby
1981: Queen of Surrey, southwest of Coquitlam
1991: Queen of Chilliwack: west of Surrey

Huh? I think you mean East of in all those instances, if that's what you're referring to, though it doesn't make much sense.

[Doug]

Oops...that's what I meant. It means that they seem to go east when they name newer ships.

[Mike C]

Interesting... I thought that they would be moving towards the coast... Oh well...