About Us  |  Programs  |  State History Conference  |  Community Museums Program (CMP)  |  History Matters Magazine  |  Photographic Collection  |  History Resource Centre

> History Resource Centre
> Glass Negatives Collection
> Accreditation Program
> Community History Fund
> Advice and Training
v S.A. History Projects
   v Roads Through History
      > Road Making History
      > Heritage Objects
      > Restoration Projects
      > Men at Work
   > Sharing Their Legacy
   > SA Dry
> State History Conference
> History Matters Magazine
> Consultants and Designers
> S.A. Community History Directory

Ferry Mechanical Drive

This complete ferry Mechanical Drive, was manufactured in 1950 by the Highways Department. It is typical of the drive machinery that remained relatively unchanged for 80-90 years, and was used on all River Murray ferries until the 1970s. Dimensions 3.1 x 1.3 x 1.4 m.

Photograph courtesy Ted Newman. The Wellington ferry was the first installed in South Australia and has been replaced several times. This image shows the Wellington ferry in 1975. The Mechanical Drive is on the side deck of the ferry.

The first government ferry across the River Murray went into service in 1949. Since that time ferries have formed an essential part of the road network in South Australia.

All drive machinery is on the deck of the ferry. Where only one drive is fitted (only long ferries have dual propulsion) it is on the downstream side of the ferry.
Originally the bearings on ferry drives were plain bronze bushes that were difficult to maintain. Later the bearings were replaced with anti-friction bearings, more commonly known as roller bearings. They required less maintenance and usually had a long trouble-free life.

Over time the engines used to power the drives became larger to provide faster crossing times, until the limits of the original propulsion machinery were reached. The petrol engines were replaced by diesel engines. The diesel engine drove three V belts to an intermediate shaft. From this shaft two flat belts drove another shaft on which were three pulleys, one fixed, and two free. One flat belt was straight and the other crossed. When docked at the bank with the engine running, both flat belts were running on their respective loose pulleys.

To set the ferry in motion, the operator slowly moved the appropriate belt for the desired direction of travel on to the fixed pulley, accompanied by much screeching as the belt initially slipped until the driven shaft reached its operating speed. From this shaft further reduction was accomplished via a double pair of straight spur gears to the 1200 mm cable drive sheaves, which reached a maximum speed of around 22 rpm. The haulage cable was 22 mm diameter and the upstream guide cable 28 mm diameter. This type of drive was used on all types of ferries.

Hydraulic drives are now used on ferries.

<< back to objects