Great Eastern

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

It is very common in Holland and quite a few German yards to splash launch the ships sideways into a canal or river. Usually quite a spectacle as the wave floods the opposite bank.

Most launches, as Paul suggests, while perhaps looking a little uncontrolled are actually very carefully worked out as regards the speed at which the ship enters the water. Even today great chains are a common way of creating the drag to prevent the speed getting too high.

Having said that the QE2 went straight across the river and buried her rear in the opposite bank!

Just a related story that some may find interesting. My last ship was built in a German shipyard 37 km inland from the North Sea. All ships built in this particular yard are built indoors then floated out of the shed for the final fitting out. The river transit to get to the North Sea is factored into the build at the design stage, maybe two or three years before the actual transit takes place. The tide, time of year, flow of the river all have to be factored into the plan. The ship is dragged backwards down the length of the river and its passage is timed to the minute to be at certain spots along the transit to ensure the water is at its highest point to give the required clearance below the keel. There are a couple of railway bridges over the river along the way, which have to have a section dismantled and removed by a floating crane to enable the ship to pass. This means that road and rail traffic all also have to be coordinated with the transit. When I saw this happening the removed section of a railway bridge hanging on a barge crane was being swung back into position before the ship had actually cleared the gap in the bridge. Two gangs of work men were waiting to start the job of reconnecting it.

The planning of this river transit is unbelievable and some of the clearances on either side of the ship are frequently less than a metre.

Float Out day:

The lock into the river:

Clearance through the lock:

Section of removed railway bridge:

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank Richard for your very informative posting

I`ve seen plenty of the so called modern day ship launchings

They look very scary at times and chaotic too.

Its a pity they don`t inform the onlookers about the resulting tidal wave!

I did read that Brunel insisted on no public spectacular launch, but the builders needed the money and charged One Shilling per person per day!

Of course, the Riff Raff booed and cheered, as they would today, at the launch failure

Brunel had designed a strange contraption to retard the downward plunge of the ship. A rotary cable drum with torque arms and a dozen brave souls to hang on for dear life. I don`t know what device they used to trigger the launch, but it shot down the ramps at speed, launching the Torque men into space and a few were killed!

By coincidence, the Telford Bridge was being built at the time on the Menai Straights, Anglesey and had used Tangye Hydraulic Jacks to raise the structure into position. In the days on no quick communication, I can`t imagine how they corresponded with each other over such a long distance. I suppose, they could have had the Jacks standing by……For emergencies?

Poor old Brunel must have had a frightful time, no wonder, he suffered a Stroke and passed away some time later

Time to give it a rest, Bob……Bye

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

During Great Eastern`s first voyage to Holyhead, Anglesey, there was a chimney explosion near Hastings!

Several crew members were killed and others severely scalded

The damaged chimney was used as a garden water filter for several years. It is now on show in the Brunel Museum, I believe

My Photoshopped image shows the event as suggested by Colin

Also included is a version of the incident as etched in 1859 ish, for the newspapers of the time, a bit OTT?

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Yes a bit OTT Bob, I think the ship would have Been blown apart with that sort of explosion!

Your version much more likely.

Ashley

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

It would be interesting to know whether it was an actual explosion, which could well be as a result of soot build up in the funnel, which will actually ignite when it reaches combustion temperature, or whether it was a sudden release of steam from somewhere. Neither would create the sort of flash and bang shown in your final picture, I think yours looks far more credible Bob.

It reminds me of a very long passage on stand by I once did as a youngster on a ship with a very large slow speed diesel. Being on stand by the engine never reached ideal combustion temperature so the flue gasses were dirty with a lot of unburned fuel. We eventually dropped the pilot and started the sea passage and the clowns on the bridge pushed the stick fully forward and went to make themselves a cup of tea. Relatively quickly the very sooty exhaust manifold reached combustion temperature and there was an almighty bang as it ignited. I was in the engine room at the time and saw all the soot escape from leaking manifold joints and a cloud of insulation was shaken out of the lagging to descend over the cylinder heads.

I think the chief went for a chat with the Captain!

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Dear All

GE suffered a massive steam explosion which was caused by a valve being left shut by accident after a pressure test of the system.

This explosion killed five men.

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you Paul

No health and Safety in those days, but it could have lit a spark for future Generations?

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

The Funnel Relic

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Technical question for you chaps out there…..

I`ve been reading about the Great Eastern Ship and the article mentions that ……..

The ship weighed 19000 tons

It had a displacement of 22500 tons

What do these figures mean?……..That it can float?

Bob

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Bob, It depends on whether the weight you mention is gross tonnage, net tonnage or the actual physical weight of the ship. Both gross tonnage and net tonnage are actually measurements of volume, frequently quoted in tons.

Gross tonnage is total internal volume whereas net tonnage is basically cargo carrying capacity.

The actual weight of the ship is the displacement tonnage, which is basically the amount of water displaced converted into a convenient unit such as tonnage.

Basically if the total weight of the ship with cargo is of a greater weight than the weight of the water the ship displaces then it will sink.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you Richard

As I expected…..All very confusing

I am most impressed with the ability of IKB in calculating the forces involved when it comes to bridges and ship design etc

Especially the Clifton Bridge over the Avon Gorge!

It looks so flat for a suspension bridge…..For the span!

I often wonder about the security of the anchored strands of wire, being so old etc

How can they be checked and replaced etc?

I really don`t like or trust most bridges these days

Jobe`s Comforter

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Don't worry Bob, it was all distilled down to one basic consideration, "Will it float for as long as I am on it?"

Bridges are a fascinating subject and the calculations involved get get very complex. I did simple lattice structure calculations when I was at college and that was more than enough for me.

As regards testing nowadays there are a number of very sophisticated Non Destructive Tests that can be done on structures. Not only surface crack detection but even deeper hidden cracks can be detected with such things as ultra-sound.

The concern is very real however with age related cracks. One of our ships once had a con rod fail, which exited through the side of the engine, and was eventually found to be an internal crack that was undetectable from the outside.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you, Richard

The pleasing bridge breakthrough for me was the advent of the suspension bridge with a central tower, with the cables simply draped over it

The cables can be easily changed

But then , I think about what are they fastened to?

Such is life. eh?

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Here is a picture of Launch Day

1839 `ish

Ps….I`d forgotten about the Gate crasher….Ha Ha

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

My last post is worth a look, chaps

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

What am I looking for Bob??

ONLY JOKING!

You were improperly dressed Bob and should have worn a topper…how could you!

Interesting program on the fourth bridge ages ago. The suspension cables are one continuous thing, end-end and if memory serves were composed of individual strands of wire gathered together. Although the actual cable had to carry 40,000 tons strain (just a figure for illustrative purposes) the individual strands, of which there were hundreds that made up one cable,only had to support 2 tons (for instance) well below their breaking strain and thus the cable is incredibly under-loaded unlike wot you might think.

Ashley

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

But would they have been adequate for the Fifth Bridge? I think we should be told!

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Ok…. sorry bloody iPad auto correct. It takes me twice as long to post anything on it. Ashley

Edited By ashley needham on 29/07/2021 18:51:42

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Never mind Ashley, it could have been the Third Bridge and there would we be?

Colin

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Ashley

You probably remember this little snapshot from a few years ago?

Me ` n` old Izzy

[The Long BuildParticipant @thelongbuild]

Posted by Bob Abell on 27/07/2021 11:30:13:

Here is a picture of Launch Day

1839 `ish

Ps….I`d forgotten about the Gate crasher….Ha Ha

Bob

So Time travel is Possible…

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Nice one, TLB

Just had a thought

Wouldn`t it be interesting, should a photo of the actual launching be uncovered from the distant past?

And they must have been a few, taken at the time. surely?

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

There may not have been any photos of the launch given the long exposure requirements for photography at the time?

Ashley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

There are no photo`s of the actual launch, as far as I know but this is a rathe nice self explanetary etching of the event

Wonder how they removed something mechanical, in order to set the ship on it`s downward slide?

The ship weighed 11000 tons on a 5 degree slope approx

It would a few very brave men to get it moving again

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

Brunel had 2 massive winches positioned on the opposite bank to drag the ship down into the water.

Paul

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