Casgliadau Arlein

SEA ALARM towing motor tanker LOUISE. Photographers stamp on reverse.

The Sea Alarm is typical of the many steam tugs which worked in the South Wales ports and plied up and down the Bristol Channel. Indeed, the tugs used today are basically very similar and differ only in that they are powered by diesel instead of steam engines. Her tall, narrow stack suggests that she is an old vessel, but, in fact, she was built as recently as 1941. Constructed by John Crown and Sons of Sunderland for the Ministry of War Transport, and christened Empire Ash, she was acquired by the Clyde Shipping Company in 1946 and remained on the Clyde under a new name, the Flying Fulmar. Ten years later she was bought by C.J. King of Bristol and became the Sea Alarm. She remained in the Bristol Channel, coaling regularly at Barry, until she was acquired by the Museum in 1973 at the end of her working life.

The tug's steam engine is of the triple-expansion type. It appears to be a large engine in relation to the size of the tug itself, but it should be remembered that the tug had to manoeuvre ships of up to 10,000 gross tons whereas her own weight is only some 260 gross tons. The engine is typical of the types that powered the majority of the world's ships for nearly half a century, but which have now disappeared entirely.

Source: Welsh Industrial & Maritime Museum Guidebook, 1984

Mae'r Sea Alarm yn nodweddiadol o'r nifer o dynfadau stêm a weithiai ym mhorthladdoedd De Cymru ac a deithiai yn ôl ac ymlaen ar Fôr Hafren. Yn wir, mae'r tynfadau a ddefnyddir heddiw yn ddigon tebyg yn eu hanfod, ar wahân i'r ffaith taw diesel yn hytrach na stêm sy'n eu gyrru. Mae ei simnai gul, uchel yn awgrymu ei fod yn hen fad, ond nid yw hynny'n wir oherwydd yn 1941 y cafodd ei adeiladu. Fe'i wnaed gan John Crown a'i Feibion o Sunderland ar gyfer y Weinyddiaeth Ryfel ac fe'i fedyddiwyd yn Empire Ash. Yn 1946 fe'i brynwyd gan y Clyde Shipping Company ac arhosodd ar afon Clyde dan enw newydd — y Flying Fulmar. Prynwyd y tynfad ddeng mlynedd yn ddiweddarach gan C.J. King o Fryste a'r adeg honno y cafodd ei alw'n Sea Alarm. Arhosodd ym Môr- Hafren gan gario glo yn Y Barri nes i'r Amgueddfa ei brynu pan ddaeth ei ddyddiau gwaith i ben yn 1973. Injan stêm dri-thrawiad sydd i'r tynfad. O'i chymharu â maint y tynfad ei hun mae'n ymddangos yn injan fawr, ond rhaid cofio bod gofyn i'r tynfad symud llongau oedd yn pwyso i fyny at 10,000 o dunelli gros, er nad yw'n pwyso ond rhyw 260 o dunelli gros ei hun. Erbyn hyn mae'r math hwn o injan, sy'n nodweddiadol o'r rhai a yrrai'r rhan fwyaf o longau'r byd am yn agos i hanner canrif, wedi diflannu'n gyfan gwbl.

Ffynhonell: Arweinlyfr Amgueddfa Diwydiant a Môr Cymru, 1984

SEA ALARM. Built in 1941. Constructed by John Crown and Sons of Sunderland for the Ministry of War Transport, and christened EMPIRE ASH, she was acquired by the Clyde Shipping Company in 1946 and remained on the Clyde under a new name, the FLYING FULMAR. Ten years later she was bought by C.J. King of Bristol and became the SEA ALARM. She remained in the Bristol Channel, coaling regularly at Barry, until she was acquired by the National Museum of Wales in 1973 at the end of her working life.