In the Spring of 1998, the Director of the White Star Line Memorial Foundation created a detailed scale model of the Olympic Class Engines as part of a Mechanical Engineering presentation at Purdue University.
The Port Engine was rendered in AutoCAD Release 14 using plans and other data collected over many years of interest in the White Star Line ships, and many conversations with Harland & Wolff who made so much possible in his early days of discovering the marvelous ships they built and the wonderful history of the Yard.
The AutoCad renderings were later re-created in GIF format and featured on the original White Star Line Memorial Foundation web site.
Given the advancements in Internet speeds and capabilities, the drawings were improved over the originals and are presented here.
Due to the limitations of GIF format, much detail is lost from the original Autocad renderings.
The representation reflects the engines from the Olympic and Titanic. The Britannic incorporated piston valves in her Low Pressure cylinders, as opposed to double ported slide valves in the other two ships, which gave a shorter profile to the balance cylinder head. The Britannic also utilized an additional shaft bearing in the center of the engine to further reduce vibration.
This page is dedicated to Harland and Wolff and the Ulster Folk and Transportation Museum who keep the memory alive.
Special thanks to:
Dr. Denis Griffiths
John Maltby
J Maltby & Son Marine Engineers
Joe Burgard
Click builders plate to replay.
| Engine Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1,000 tons (Brit.) |
| Height | 38.5 feet |
| Length | 62.8 feet |
| H.P. Cylinder Diameter | 54 inches |
| I.P. Cylinder Diameter | 84 inches |
| L.P. Cylinder Diameters | 97 inches ea. |
| Stroke | 75 inches |
| Aft LP piston to IP piston | 184.5 inches |
| IP to HP piston | 249.0 inches |
| HP to Fore LP piston | 184.5 inches |
| Crank Shaft Diameter | 27 inches |
| Connecting Rod Length | 168.75 inches |
| Operating Speed | 76 r.p.m. |
| Operating Output | 16,000 h.p. |
| Figure Height | ~ 5' 7" |