SS Great Eastern
The SS Great Eastern was an iron built sailing / steamship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
At the time of her launch, in 1858, she was the largest ship ever built with the capacity to carry 4000 passengers from England to Australia without refuelling. Brunel died shortly after her maiden voyage.
SS Great Eastern
The SS Great Eastern was an iron built sailing / steamship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
At the time of her launch, in 1858, she was the largest ship ever built with the capacity to carry 4000 passengers from England to Australia without refuelling.
Brunel died shortly after her maiden voyage.
This reconstruction cuts through a central section of the deck in which four ‘Rocking Donkey’ steam engines can be seen. These were used to power the two flanking, seventeen meter wide paddle-wheels.
The engines were visable to the public through a glazed roof up at deck level. Furthur down at keel level you can see the steam boilers, whilst luxurious lounges and cabins occupied the upper decks. The ship was additionally equipped with five fully rigged masts, thirty square sails and a second engine at the stern powering four seven metre wide screw propellors. However the sails proved to be unusable when the paddles and propellors were under steam as hot exhaust fumes from the ships five funnels would set fire to them. Every remaining nook and cranny within the ships bulk was used to store coal.
This reconstruction cuts through a central section of the deck in which four ‘Rocking Donkey’ steam engines can be seen. These were used to power the two flanking, seventeen meter wide paddle-wheels.
The engines were visable to the public through a glazed roof up at deck level. Furthur down at keel level you can see the steam boilers, whilst luxurious lounges and cabins occupied the upper decks. The ship was additionally equipped with five fully rigged masts, thirty square sails and a second engine at the stern powering four seven metre wide screw propellors. However the sails proved to be unusable when the paddles and propellors were under steam as hot exhaust fumes from the ships five funnels would set fire to them. Every remaining nook and cranny within the ships bulk was used to store coal.
