Posted by Bob Read on May 30, 1999 at 20:55:36 in 208.142.225.90:
In Reply to: Attention Mike,Bob and the rest of the detail people! posted by Bruce Beveridge on May 30, 1999 at 10:24:38:
Bruce:
As far as the first subject regarding the well deck door I share Mike Pell's caution in using the drydock photo as a definitive source because of changes we know that were made subsequent to this photo. I share your feeling that the Titanic probably had her doors on the angled part of the bulkhead like the Olympic. Unfortunately these are doors that Triumph and Tragedy do not show in either position perhaps because they were just storage locker doors it appears. As far as the
"shed" goes, I'm not sure exactly what it is. Could it be one or more large shipping crates for
things that had to be assembled or installed in that area? I'm clueless.
Subject #2:
I love this photo of the fourth funnel area. I agree that forward of the hot air ventilator assembly there is a door and a window forward of that. That answers the questions about the port side. As far as the starboard side goes the going gets rougher. One difficulty with this photo is the depth of field. It is hard to judge relative distances. For instance, would there have been enough room for a Sirocco between the door and the hot air ventilator? I have my doubts based on the photo. That leaves a couple of possibilities for the starboard side. #1: Forward of the hot air unit you have the Sirocco ventilator and its connection to the bulkhead then a window forward of that, then a door forward of that. # 2: Same as #1 only no window forward of the Sirocco.
I favor option #1 because on the Triumph and Tragedy plans there is a section across the forward part of the deckhouse that is designated as "L & A" or Light and Air. The position of this corridor aligns with the most forward window on the port side with the door showing on the plan just aft of it. On the starboard side you would most likely have a window in the same position as the port side with the door forward of it as on the plans. That's my best educated guess.
Regards,
Bob Read
: It looks as though modern technology has crashed another Norman Rockwell moment for us here at the detail nut house. But I don't feel to bad since Ken missed this one to in the cut away.
: I got my hands on that picture of Titanic in the graving dock seen in Illustrated History on page 25. I super enlarged the aft well deck and specifically the perpendicular bulkhead that is fore and attached to the #5 hold. That is not an open door folks. IT IS A DAMN CONSTRUCTION SHED! there is no door on the starboard side of the bulkhead. ( this is a good picture, trust me ) Many of us were thinking that was an open door and disagreeing with what the Olympic G/A plans showed. The doors must have been where the Olympic plans say they are, on the angled area of the wall.
: SECOND SUBJECT:
: I was doing some looking into the picture in the book "The Night Lives On" and I found that there was no screen between the foreward door on the port side of the fan room and the hot air drum aft of it. There is a screen fore of the door however. I would then assume that the starboard side may have mirrored the port side and I would remove the screen between the cowl and the drum aft of it also. The Olympic had these two screens for sure, at least during her early days. Perhaps the addition of the port side rectangular horizontal duct called for the removal of the screen on the Titanic. The starboard rectangular duct on the titanic was also configured different then the Olympics. In fact, the addition of the starboard 20" fan/cowl on the roof of the Olympic replacing the old duct coincides with the addition of the curl vent on the starboard side of the fan room matching the cowl/fan that Titanic was built with. These changes must of happened during the 1912-13 refit because both new apparatuses are in view during the Dazzle days. This is speculation for the starboard side but there has to be some reason why the port screen was not installed and the ducting and vents on the roof were the only real visible difference betwen the two ships.
: Bruce