RARE PHOTOS

OF THE CONSTRUCTION

OF

THE OLYMPIC AND THE TITANIC

By

Søren Nielsen

2023

The construction of Olympic and Titanic took place virtually in parallel, with Olympic's keel laid down on December 16, 1908 and Titanic's laid down on March 31, 1909. 

Both ships took about 26 months to build.

Building Titanic.

Olympic’s keel was laid first, with Titanic’s following a number of months later. The sisters were built in close proximity – and, when completed, registered in at approximately 45,500 gross tons and measured 882ft 9in long and 92ft 6in wide at the maximum breadth of the ship. 

The cost for both ships was £3 million for the pair (£322 million in today’s money). Harland & Wolff’s usual arrangement with the White Star Line for ship construction was by their usual terms, "Cost plus 3 per cent".

Titanic’s four huge funnels rose 72ft above the topmost deck, with the after one being a dummy used purely for ventilation. This gave the illusion of power and stability, which the public wanted, and also followed the four-funnel arrangement seen on some of the competitors’ ships. 

The engines were capable of giving a service speed of 21–21½ knots. The steam required to power the ships was provided by 29 boilers that comprised 159 furnaces.

To feed these massive boilers, the coal bunkers had a combined capacity of 6,611 tons and, operating at 21–22 knots, could consume 620–640 tons of coal per day.

Practically unsinkable.

Titanic’s hull was divided into 16 watertight compartments, considered a safety feature that drew the phrase "practically unsinkable". 

She could withstand damage sustained through any collision that was probable in the minds of the maritime community at the time. 

It was believed that the ship could remain afloat long enough to shuttle the passengers and crew to another ship using the lifeboats on board.

After successfully completing her sea trials on 2 April 1912, "Titanic" departed Belfast for Southampton. 

She arrived late the following evening and docked alongside Berth 44 just after midnight. Everything appeared to be exactly as it should be. 

Sadly her designers discovered the sad truth when the unthinkable happened and "Titanic" struck an iceberg. 

It took her just over two and a half hours to sink.

The Construction.

The order to begin construction was given on 17 September 1908.

Construction of Titanic began on March 31, 1909 when designer James Andrews laid the first keel plate in the Harland & Wolff Shipyards Belfast, Ireland.

Titanic’s sister ship The Olympic had begun some three months earlier and the two ships were essentially constructed side by side by over 15,000 workers, constructing the Titanic would cost 8 employees their life working on such a mammoth and often dangerous construction site.

Hull of the Olympic in the foreground and the keel of the Titanic in the background. 

This is what the Titanic and the Olympic looked like while it was under construction 1910.

A rare view of Titanic’s internal construction, 1910.

The Olympic and The Titanic

Olympic and Titanic’s empty hulls have been under construction beneath the gantry for 2 years.

Preparations are almost complete for the launch of Titanic on 31 May 1911.

Titanic in the Great Gantry under construction at Harland and Wolff shipyards in Belfast.

Hydraulic rams for launching, 1911.

Titanic’s Engines.

Harland and Wolff, the builders of the Olympic-class liners, had very little experience with the relatively new turbines, and White Star had to settle for a traditional system of two huge triple-expansion steam engines, powering the port and starboard wing propellers, together with a small turbine driving the center propeller. 

It wasn’t exactly state-of-the-art, but it was proven and reliable, two factors that were of immense importance to a company with a reputation for quality, not speed. One of Titanic’s massive engines lies almost compete in the Harland and Wolff Machine Shop.

A triple-expansion steam engine works by re-using steam that would otherwise be wasted as exhaust, like in a steam locomotive, or it would be returned to the condenser, to be turned back into water to be used again. 

This extracts the maximum amount of energy out of the steam, and also provides a better level of economy, using less coal, less firemen, less boilers, etc.

Side view of both of Titanic’s reciprocating steam engines in Harland & Wolff’s Engine Works, May 1911.

Once the steam leaves the boilers, it is continually expanding, yet dropping in pressure and power. Therefore, each cylinder is slightly larger as the steam passes through the engine to provide a greater piston surface area for the reduction in pressure, which offsets the reduction in pressure somewhat.

Titanic’s Turbine Rotor.

Turbine casing used on the Britannic, same as that used on the Titanic.

Titanics Propellers.

The Olympic-class liners had a system of propulsion which was really a compromise between the old way and the new. 

This system comprised of two three-bladed wing propellers each independently driven by a four cylinder triple expansion reciprocating steam engine, and a four-blade center propeller which was driven by a small low-pressure steam turbine using exhaust steam from the two main engines. 

The center propeller was made from manganese bronze, and cast in one piece, whereas the two outer propellers were cast in sections.

The weight of the outer propellers was about 38 tons, whilst the smaller center prop. weighed in at 22 tons.

And this is what one of the Titanic's smokestacks looked like before being put on the ship. 

Note the tiny little man in the corner:

Construction of the Titanic. Transporting funnel.

Titanic had three functional funnels. The fourth was purely aesthetic to make the ship look more imposing.

Fitting-out, 1911–12.

Titanic, side view.

By late January 1912 the date of Titanic’s maiden voyage had been officially announced as 10 April 1912.

Titanic fitting-out at the deepwater wharf early in 1912. 

The Last Time The Titanic and The Olympic side by side.

The Olympic and the Titanic.

Olympic (left) being maneuvered into dry dock in Belfast for repairs on the morning of March 2, 1912, after throwing a propeller blade. Titanic (right) is moored at the fitting-out wharf. Olympic would sail for Southampton on the 7th, concluding the last time the two ships would be photographed together.

Titanic leaving Belfast for her sea trials on 2 April 1912.

This is the last photograph ever taken of the Titanic.

It sunk three days later.

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