Glen said... I can add a bit of info. Firefly was gas operated with a flash boiler just inside the back doors.
In fact it was a two-drum water-tube boiler from the Thames Steam Launch Co. (a water-level rather than a flash boiler but low capacity - not terribly suitable for canal use where you need to be able to deal with prolonged demand on long pounds and then reduced demand at locks or passing moored boats, but safer in the hands of hirers). She had a twin-cylinder oscillating engine, like a Mamod on steroids - the cylinders had aluminium cladding and looked like a couple of beer cans, while the boiler casing looked like an airing cupboard. The whole thing had none of the steam 'look' (brass etc.) which was sensible for a hire-boat; Benson (again a two-drum boiler, but a conventional engine, from Kew as I recall) fitted far more what a private owner or onlooker would expect. Sean [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
