Talk:Naphtha launch

Naphtha engine
I think that Naphtha engine should be split off into a separate article. The technical details of the engine should be separate from the legal reasoning for creating these launches. 65.95.13.213 (talk) 06:14, 24 May 2011 (UTC)


 * Oppose The engines had no independent use or existence, other than as a power unit for the launches. The need for a water-cooled condenser made them impractical on land. Andy Dingley (talk) 12:12, 24 May 2011 (UTC)

External links modified (February 2018)
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Disney Jungle Cruise
I've reverted the claim that these were supposed to represent 'naphtha launches'. I'd be happy to restore some of that if it can be sourced that "there used to be a sign claiming they were naphtha launches" (technical inaccuracies are Disney's problem, not ours), but it would need at least a photo. Andy Dingley (talk) 17:35, 23 February 2019 (UTC)
 * Unsourced.
 * Naphtha launches were a particularly US vessel, owing to the legal reasons (as noted).
 * Not much petroleum in a jungle. They can't improvise another fuel.
 * Small launches in jungles were steam launches, with large-grate boilers (often Woolnoughs) to burn whatever timber was to hand.

Please forgive my ineptitude with the tools of this program. I managed to upload a file called Naphtha_Launch.jpg, which I wanted to place here for purposes of this discussion, but it ended up somewhere else in Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Naphtha_Launch.jpg#file It would be good to insert it into this document. Historical accuracy may not be Hollywood's forte, nevertheless, when Disney chose to replicate the movie "The African Queen" in attraction form, they indicated that the boats were "Naptha" [sic] launches on the sign that you can see in the photograph. Apart from the pop-culture significance, this attraction represents most* people's familiarity with the concept of a Naphtha Launch.


 * It's operated a cumulative total of 160 years now in four parks around the world, and has transported nearly a billion passengers: 160 years x 365.25 days/yr x 90% open rate x 12 hours/day x 1600 people/hour. The total fleet is 49 boats. Timnmnangers (talk) 19:05, 3 March 2019 (UTC)
 * OK, thanks for the photo. That's exactly the sort of thing that was needed.
 * I'd be happy to re-add this then, but I think the wording might be clearer. Something like "Disney's ride described them as 'naptha [sic] launches', even though launches in African jungles were wood-fired steam launches.' Andy Dingley (talk) 21:11, 3 March 2019 (UTC)
 * Something like that. Although it wouldn't need to duplicate anything (such as the US focus of naphtha launches) that's already in the article. Andy Dingley (talk) 09:52, 4 March 2019 (UTC)

And along the lines you have also suggested, "Disney's ride described them as 'naptha [sic] launches', with such engines being American in origin and therefore more familiar. The launches in African jungles were wood-fired steam launches, utilizing the locally available fuel." Is this accurate? Timnmnangers (talk) 03:42, 4 March 2019 (UTC)

Are you going to put that in the article? Timnmnangers (talk) 19:42, 27 April 2019 (UTC)