Olympic class ocean liner

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RMS Olympic
Class overview
Builders:	Harland and Wolff, Belfast, Ireland
Operators:	White Star Line
Built:	1908–1914
In service:	1911–1935
Planned:	3
Completed:	3
Lost:	2
Retired:	1
Preserved:	0
General characteristics
Type:	Ocean liner
Tonnage:	app. 46,000 gross - Titanic's figures displayed as all three vessels differ in dimensions, tonnage & horsepower.
Displacement:	app. 52,500 tons
Length:	882 ft 9 in (269.06 m)
Beam:	92 ft 6 in (28.19 m)
Height:	app. 60 ft (18 m) above water line
Draught:	34 ft 7 in (10.54 m)
Installed power:	24 double-ended (six furnace) and 5 single-ended (three furnace) Scotch boilers Two four-cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating engines each producing 15,000 hp for the two outboard wing propellers at 75 revolutions per minute One low-pressure turbine producing 16,000 hp to the centre propeller 59,000 hp was produced at maximum revolutions
Propulsion:	Two bronze triple-blade wing propellers One bronze quadruple-blade central propeller
Speed:	21 kn (38.9 km/h; 24.2 mph)
Capacity:	3,295 passengers,officers,and crew
Notes:	Approximate cost 7.5 million (USD) (approx. $177.56m at 2008 prices)

The Olympic-class ocean liners were a trio of ocean liners built by the Harland & Wolff shipyard for the White Star Line in the early 20th century. Although the three were the largest and most luxurious of their time, two were lost early in their careers: Titanic sank in the infamous disaster on the morning of 15 April 1912, and HMHS Britannic sank after hitting a mine laid by the Germans during World War I. Olympic, the eldest sister and namesake of the class, continued in service until she was laid up and scrapped in 1935, alongside Cunard's RMS Mauretania.

Origin

The Olympic-class ships were built to surpass rival Cunard's largest ships, the Lusitania and Mauretania, in size and luxury. The Titanic, along with her sisters, the Olympic and the soon to be built Britannic (provisionally named Gigantic), were intended to be the largest and most luxurious ships to operate on the North Atlantic, but not the fastest, as the White Star Line had already switched from high speed to size and luxury.

6 March 1912: Titanic (right) had to be moved out of the drydock so her sister Olympic, which had lost a propeller blade, could have it replaced.

This image shows the external difference between Titanic and Olympic's A and B decks. Olympic's A deck is open, while the one in Titanic is enclosed. Also note the difference in spacing on the B deck windows.

Further reading

• Titanic & Her Sisters / Tom McCluskie, Michael Sharpe, Leo Marriott (1998) ISBN 1571451757

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