A Complete Guide to Titanic's Engines

Titanic's colossal engines were a work of mechanical art, towering three storeys tall - but they were just one part of a much larger system that propelled the massive ship through the ocean at 22 knots. Today we'll explore the various parts of Titanic's engineering systems; the boilers, the reciprocating engines and finally the powerful central turbine and how each system served to drive this massive ship at great speed!

With special thanks to the team from @TitanicHG for their spectacular 3D graphics, created by the talented Jack Gibson.

Main sources of information:
The Shipbuilder, 1911
The Engineer, 1911
Titanic the Ship Magnificent by Daniel Klistorner, Scott Andrews, Bruce Beveridge and Steve Hall
Encyclopedia Titanica
Oceanliner Designs explores the design, construction, engineering and operation of history’s greatest vessels– from Titanic to Queen Mary and from the Empress of Ireland to the Lusitania. Join maritime researcher and illustrator Michael Brady as he tells the stories behind some of history's most famous ocean liners and machines!

[OceanlinerDesigns]

This video is a remake of a video from about a month ago where we explored how Titanic’s engines worked. Some annoying issues and missed points have been eating me up though so I decided to see out the year by revisiting the subject and overhauling the video with new additions and information. Enjoy and happy new year!

[illbehim]

The fact that you have remade this video shows your commitment and effort, and love for this topic. Thank you Mike! A treat as always!

[alexandercortez]

As an industrial Millwright and a man obsessed with Titanic, this is one of the most interesting and best made videos I've ever watched. The attention to the details, the CGI with the engineering drawings, the obvious level of research and care to get this right, this was fantastic. I learned so much here that I never knew before, thank you!

[lvbdevinelove]

I can't believe I get to watch this for free. What a privilege, ty for ur hard work and brilliance

[Truecrimeresearcher]

the fact they were able to do this in 1912 is still amazing

[adobedirtblues]

This really is a tour de force. Whoever made this deserves tremendous success. The combination of old photos. amazing CGI and excellent dialogue and reading is almost unsurpassable. Thank you for this labor of love.

[beany]

Really got to love the level of engineering in these old ships, don't think people realise that almost everything was moulded by hand 1st then cast afterwards. All done by thousands of skilled workers in tough conditions.

[jmar]

It blows my mind to see such engineering marvels existing in 1912. I'm sure many of us would be in awe to see this process in person.
But this video is darn close to it. Awesome work!

[PainHurtss]

Well done to Mike for accepting his mistakes, addressing them, and then rereleasing this masterful video with the information that he had learned. Kudos to you, Mike!

[xcofcd]

If you see all the thousands of tons of coal it needed its equal to just an icecube sized block of uranium 235 for the entire trip. Shows you how far we've come...

[leolui]

Being a marine engineer and having sailed on steam turbine passenger ships, I fully endorse this great video 😊!

[BigWalkinTallV]

I am not even finished yet but I just wanted to say that this video is an absolute masterpiece. The script and flow of the narrative is wonderful. The animations are immersive and so helpful in feeling like you are actually there on the ship taking this tour. Thank you for producing something with this level of quality, it is almost unimaginable to find this level of information anywhere, let alone on YouTube.

[etxcwwq]

The engineering of Titanic was truly extraordinary Mike . Absolutely loved this . Very well done .

[offthegridwithbert]

I am heavily involved with vintage steam machinery, engines etc at the Melbourne Steam Club here in Melbourne Australia, we have two triple expansion ship engines at the museum, both are operational with an output 0f 600hp each, small compared to Titanic but the operation of them gives you an idea of the sound that would have been normal in Titanic's engine room. There are hundreds of checks and ongoing checks to keep these engines operating reliably including lubrication, and using your ears which for the operators was a paramount skill as any change in sound meant an issue. This was a great video, and the CGI was very good giving us a feel for the interior of one of my favourite ships.

[paulsemeraro]

This has to be, IMHO, one of the best Titanic videos ever made.

[nickmerrick]

As an ex condenser repair contractor thanks for this stunningly researched and produced piece .

[cameronaberdeenuk]

This channel just gets better and better. Wonderful video. Integrity at the heart of what Mike does.

[LeaderOne]

This video is a masterclass on Titanic’s propulsion machinery, but so thoughtfully presented that it’s easy to understand the complex technology. So glad I found this channel, which is one of my favorite subscriptions! Excellent production and narration!

[sheacd]

as a veteran of a Sacramento class fast combat support ship, i find the engineering of this ship fascinating. the fact they could do what they did, when they did is absolutely amazing.

[American_Savage]

You could make a 36 minute long video about Titanic’s toilets and I’d watch it.