| The Krippen, built in 1892 in Dresden, Germany, served on the Elbe River until 1979, when her boiler busted. The East German shipping company could not afford to make the necessary repairs, so in 1983 the boat was sold to the German city of Klosschwitz. City officials planned to convert the steamer into a restaurant, but the end almost came when the boat was pulled ashore by two Russian tanks for the winter and was damaged. The rusted hulk remained on shore until 1989, when a West German shipping company offered to buy the Krippen. Because of politics the sale could not be completed. The Junghans family discovered the ship in a pitiful state in the early 1990s and fell in love with the grounded piece of history. In 1993 they had the hull refurbished and the engine a year later. Rebuilding the ship was no easy task, as all original technical drawings and manuals had been lost or destroyed during World War II in the bombing of Dresden. Luckily, a boat built by the same Dresden shipyard with the same specs the Diesbar was still operating along the Elbe, so missing parts could be copied. The engine is of unusual design, with two oscillating double-action cylinders. "The engine is probably older than the ship," said Swiss national Matthias Staehelin, the Krippen's engineer. "But we don't have definite proof." His assumption is based on engraving on the Diesbar's crankshaft that reads 'Made by Krupp, Essen in 1854, ten years of warranty'. Staehelin dispays a great understanding of engines. "Once we had a group of automation technicians on board who tried to convince me to install sensors in the bearings to show if they needed grease, and I told them the Good Lord had given me two healthy hands that tell me if a bearing is running too hot," he said with a smile, while scrubbing the last speck of dust from the crankshaft. It is clear to see Staehelin knows his engine. Methodically he identifies any loose bolts and tightens them. He knows where his baby needs an extra pinch of oil or which one of the paddles on the wheel is causing trouble. He claims to be one of only 200 remaining steamship engineers worldwide and one of five capable of running low pressure engines. "We are an endangered species," he said, with a hint of regret. "I wish there was a mechanic or engineer I could teach my trade to, but there are no volunteers." The heating up procedure on the Krippen has been simplified by exchanging the old coal furnace for an oil burning one. "This has made the housewives happier with us, because we used to steam by with all the coal dust coming out of the chimney, converting their freshly washed linens into a black mess," the engineer said, while hitting the start button for the furnace. "Debris in the water is a problem, but I think I've solved it," said Staehelin. Well, not quite. A few years ago, the outboard water pumps aspired some quartz sand, causing deep scratches on the condenser pump rod, which now needs to be oiled from time to time to keep the water in. "Just another repair project for winter," said Staehelin, who builds all the spare parts himself. After it was brought to Frankfurt/Main, the Krippen made trips on the Main River for the Koeln Duesseldorfer (K-D) shipping company. In 2000, the ship was returned home to the Elbe. Besides regular excursions, the ship is available for weddings and special parties. It has inside seating room for 101 passengers and outside standing room for another 120. "We try to do all we can to preserve this boat," said Junghans. His precautions include anchoring in quiet waters so the rivets don't suffer extra strain and keeping out of heavily contaminated and corrosive waters. Indicating the youngest member of the Junghans family he said, "We hope he can inherit this ship someday so the Krippen can sail along European rivers well into this century." Click here for more information on the Krippen Back to TheTraveler.
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