Titanic's steam engine - photo

The RMS Titanic was powered by two triple-expansion reciprocating steam engines. Made by Harland & Wolff's Engine Works, each engine was the size of a three-story building and had a combined output of 30,000 hp.

https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/h...nic_engine.jpg


More:

Titanic - Titanic's engines
Titanic’s Propulsion Plant

Previously:

https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...654#post123533
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...107#post103313
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...299#post110063
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...4656#post80329

After the low-pressure pistons, the steam was routed to a turbine that powered the center propeller. 16000-18000 additional horsepower. Steam was also used to power various equipment around the ship and the dynamos, but I believe that the auxiliaries got steam tapped prior to delivery to the engine room. They got a lot of use out of the steam that they produced.

Served on HMNZS Lachlan, a NZ Survey Ship as late as 1974 - 1975. She was a WW2 River Class Frigate of which around 151 were built in WW2. They had two triple expansion steam engines looking very similar to Titanics, but much smaller of course. Open crankshaft, open con rods, open sump. The main lube was Olive Oil, the sumps were full of it, and we carried many spare drums of it onboard. Watchkeepers had to reach into the moving engine to touch and feel the main crankshaft and big end bearing temperatures to check for overheating. No laser thermometers back then. Old machinery but very reliable.