Preliminary design for the Olympic class

[Aurélien WOLFF]

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/29/9f/23/299f2381f2bf786f15f11dfb9d048ace.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e5/db/54/e5db54e21bd23408ddd33b496402e3d7.jpg

Timeline Article: Contract Signed for the Olympic Class Ships

The official website of Joshua Allen Milford - Titanic Historian.

www.jmilford-titanic.com

I would like to know if these preliminary drawing are real/or historically accurate or not.

Thanks for your answer and sorry for my english,I'm french.

 

[Harland Duzen]

The top one / link can be found in "Olympic * Titanic * Britannic: an illustrated history of the 'Olympic' Class Ships" by Mark Chirnside on Page 8. It came from March 1908 issue of The New York Times.

I think it was just an imaginative guess based on what previous White Star Ships looked like and the fact she would only have 3 (working) funnels.

Someone's recently made a 3D playable version* of this concept, but I don't know if there any concept plans that actually looked like this.


[*Model made by Alex Beaut Line]

 

[313_Iron]

Notice: I apologize if this thread is in an improper place. If anyone reads this, I’d appreciate it if you could properly place this thread. Thanks!

So I was doing some research on the Olympic class, and found this picture. Was this a real picture depicting what a prototype of the Olympic class ship? I was unsure of this myself, and I was wondering if there was a real blueprint or some kind of real concept art of the early designs of the Olympic class. I would appreciate it if someone could clear up the confusion.
Thanks!

 

[Dave Gittins]

This appears to be a modern version of a drawing that appeared in the Washington Post on 15 March 1908. It accompanies a story which quotes Bruce Ismay as saying that White Star will build two ships about 1,000 feet long. In the drawing, the new ship is compared with Lusitania, to show its greater size. I've no idea what the origin of the drawing is.

 

[Seumas]

Notice: I apologize if this thread is in an improper place. If anyone reads this, I’d appreciate it if you could properly place this thread. Thanks!
View attachment 44823
So I was doing some research on the Olympic class, and found this picture. Was this a real picture depicting what a prototype of the Olympic class ship? I was unsure of this myself, and I was wondering if there was a real blueprint or some kind of real concept art of the early designs of the Olympic class. I would appreciate it if someone could clear up the confusion.
Thanks!

Am I alone in actually quite liking that three funnel and four mast design ?

 

[Jay Roches]

Am I alone in actually quite liking that three funnel and four mast design ?

That observation made me notice that the New York Times' artist's impression of the "thousand foot ship" doesn't have a radio antenna between the masts. Why four masts, though, on a steamship? And what is all the rigging for?

The best guess I have is that it was thought that four masts would command respect, as it would make Olympic qualify as a full-rigged ship (though I'm not sure if the masts were intended to be capable of carrying sails). In the end, it turned out that four funnels and two masts were thought to be more impressive than three funnels and four masts.

 

[Harland Duzen]

Why four masts, though, on a steamship? And what is all the rigging for? The best guess I have is that it was thought that four masts would command respect...

Your right. In the book The First Great Ocean Liners in Photographs" they wrote that when the White Star Line were building the "Big Four" (made up of Adriatic, Baltic, Cedric and Celtic) They gave all 4 ships 4 masts as a aesthetic feature:

"...Futhermore, instead of having three or four funnels, the design pattern was reversed somewhat: four masts and two rather thin stacks, The number of masts were intended to be a reminder of the great sailing ships of the previous century. White Star felt that potential passengers wanted a conservative, sound looking vessel--- not one that simply opted for a more modern approach. The theory worked. The Celtic and her sister Cedric, delivered in 1903, were the most successful liners on the North Atlantic..."

 

[313_Iron]

Am I alone in actually quite liking that three funnel and four mast design ?

You are not alone. I honestly think that this design is really cool looking. I personally think that this design would’ve been impressive for a ship of a different class. But as for it being what the Olympic class should’ve been? I think that the design Bruce Ismay went with in the end, (the designs we know now) were the best choice for the Olympic class ship. I’d imagine this design being for some other ship class like I’ve stated. Maybe it could’ve made for a type of ship that would’ve been built for speed instead of overall luxury. I think it could’ve even broken the speed record set by the Mauritania and Lusitania if it were built properly. It’s possible that if this design were used for a real class of ship aside the Olympic class, maybe it would’ve been just as, if not, more famous than the Olympic class ship. But that is just my opinion, and I don’t know for sure if the White Star Line could’ve afforded to build TWO classes of ships at the same time. It probably best that this design just be left to it own devices.

 

[RMSTitanicfan1912]

Am I alone in actually quite liking that three funnel and four mast design ?

i like it too tbh but the finalized design looks good too

 

[Aurélien WOLFF]

Aren't the 4 mast design more speculation than anything else? It doesn't much as survived of the olympic class preliminary designs outside of the models and 1908 D design (other must've been done before it I think).