The Titanic Engines

[Mike Marcu]

Dear Friends

There is a mistery on the Titanic Engines. Nobody says who manufactured them? They say only Steam Engines and nothing else. However the steam turbine is identified clearly as the Parsons turbine fabri cated by Parsons company but the engines? Were they fabricated directly in the Harland and Wolff shop?
There is somebody who knows? I called even the archives department at Harland and Wolff.But I had no answer.
The masive engines like the ones at Kempton and the ones at the Bufallo pumping station are clearly identified but not the Titanic engines.
Please help . Mr.Gowan are you there?

All the best,

Mike Marcu
Ancaster Ontario

[Timothy Trower]

Mike,

In all honesty, Phil would do well to be able to tell you that the Titanic had four funnels and three engines! He is very much a passenger and crew researcher, and knows very, very little about the ship itself.

However, there are any number of rivet counters out there of which I am one; the ship's two reciprocating engines were engineered and built at Harland & Wolff. After being erected in the Engine Works building, the two engines were dismantled and re-erected within the bowels of the Titanic.

You are correct in saying that Parsons' turbines were used in the Olympic and Titanic, but Harland & Wolff designed and manufactured the center turbine engine for the Britannic.

[Simon Mills]

Mike/Tim,

The turbine engines for the Britannic were indeed manufactured by Harland and Wolff. However, when the Olympic class was first contemplated (and I suppose we should also include the Laurentic in this as well) Harland and Wolff did not have the required experience or technology to design and manufacture marine turbines. The main reason for this is that turbine technology was still relatively new, and with few military contracts (the largest potential user of marine turbines), there had been little incentive to develop such expensive facilities at Belfast.

As a result the company's early turbine work was contracted out to John Brown & Co. of Glasgow. Each company purchased a number of shares in the other (basically a merger) and upon obtaining the appropriate licenses from the Parsons company the turbine work was sub contracted to Brown's (on a commission basis) until the required facilities and expertise had been established at Belfast.

The reciprocating engines, of course, continued to be built in Belfast.

Hope this helps.

S.

[Daniel Díaz]

Hello Friends.



The propellers could operated by separate for diferents Times and maneuvers?

Timonthy Trower and Simon Mills regards and Thanks you very Mutch