Paxman Diesel Engine Applications - Marine, Non-Naval — entry for MY Pomeroon (1936), MY Lady Northcote (1937), MY Barima (1939)

What this source establishes

An engine-builder heritage register entry, unconnected to the 2026 disaster, documenting the three British Guiana Railways twin-screw ferries and their Paxman machinery: Pomeroon (1936), Lady Northcote (1937) and Barima (1939). It records the builder as Ferguson Brothers (Port Glasgow) Ltd, the order placed through the Crown Agents for the Colonies for the Transport and Harbours Department, a length of 125 ft 9 in with 29 ft beam, two 6-cylinder Paxman MRZ engines of 180/200 bhp each, and an average speed of 8.5 knots. It is the strongest independent source in this corpus for the MV Barima's provenance and dimensions.

Key claims

• Barima one of a class of three: Pomeroon 1936, Lady Northcote 1937, Barima 1939 — delivered across four years, not as one batch
• Builder: Ferguson Brothers (Port Glasgow) Ltd
• Ordered by Crown Agents for the Colonies for the Transport and Harbours Department of British Guiana Railways
• Length 125 ft 9 in, beam 29 ft
• Two 6-cylinder Paxman MRZ engines, 180/200 bhp each at 1,000 rpm, reverse/reduction gearboxes
• Average speed 8.5 knots, maximum nearly 10.5 knots
• Barima's engines cost GBP 1,970 each
• Auxiliaries: one 47 bhp 3RQ genset (16 kW), one 53 bhp 4RQ set (30 kW), both at 1,100 rpm

Quotations

• “Twin screw vessels, built by Ferguson Brothers (Port Glasgow) Ltd. Ordered by Crown Agents for the Colonies for the Transport and Harbours Department of British Guiana Railways.”
• “The engines for Barima cost £1,970 each.”

Vessel facts recorded

• fact: MV Barima built 1939 by Ferguson Brothers (Port Glasgow) Ltd
• source: https://www.paxmanhistory.org.uk/mar-nonnaval.htm
• fact: One of a class of three twin-screw vessels: MY Pomeroon (1936), MY Lady Northcote (1937), MY Barima (1939)
• source: https://www.paxmanhistory.org.uk/mar-nonnaval.htm
• fact: Ordered by the Crown Agents for the Colonies for the Transport and Harbours Department of British Guiana Railways
• source: https://www.paxmanhistory.org.uk/mar-nonnaval.htm
• fact: Length 125 ft 9 in; beam 29 ft
• source: https://www.paxmanhistory.org.uk/mar-nonnaval.htm
• fact: Two 6-cylinder Paxman MRZ propulsion engines, each 180/200 bhp at 1,000 rpm, each coupled to a propeller via reverse/reduction gearbox
• source: https://www.paxmanhistory.org.uk/mar-nonnaval.htm
• fact: Average speed 8.5 knots; maximum nearly 10.5 knots
• source: https://www.paxmanhistory.org.uk/mar-nonnaval.htm
• fact: The engines for Barima cost GBP 1,970 each
• source: https://www.paxmanhistory.org.uk/mar-nonnaval.htm
• fact: Auxiliaries: one 47 bhp 3RQ generator set producing 16 kW, and one 53 bhp 4RQ set producing 30 kW, each at 1,100 rpm
• source: https://www.paxmanhistory.org.uk/mar-nonnaval.htm

This page is a research summary prepared for comment and review. It is not the article. Copyright in the original remains with The Paxman History Pages (paxmanhistory.org.uk); the full text is held only in the private research corpus from which this archive was compiled. Follow the link above to read it at the source.