Coal bunkers

[McCready]

Hello, I am new to this forum, hopefully, this is a proper subforum to ask my question.

I am curious how Trimmers on board Titanic would access the upper coal bunker on G deck. This area where the coal is deposited into the coal chutes would end up.

Did Trimmers simply climb up from the stockhold level through the lower bunker? Or was there some access way from F or G deck?

Regards,

McCready.

 

[Andy Carter]

Hi,

how and where was the Coal loaded into the coal bunkers?

Thanks

 

[Roger Southern]

There were coaling ports dotted down both sides of the ship where coal was loaded into the various bunkers. Normally an oblong plate with a 'strong back' fixing on the inside, they were sealed with red lead caulking and paint by the carpenter every time they were used. A small landing at each port gave enough room for a man to push the loaded bags in which were lifted from the barges below on a hoist. Coaling took (I believe) about 18 hours from start to finish and was a hellish job. Plus the ship had to be completely cleaned inside and out afterwards due to the coal dust. Others no doubt can give you more details,

 

[Mike Spooner]

Coal bunkers were fed through 35 ports running both sides of the ship just above F deck.
If want a good book on this subject. I recommend Richard de Kerbrech. DOWN AMONST THE BLACK GANG.
Yes the job was dirty filthy dusty job filling the ship and required a good clean down afterwards.

 

[B-rad]

Here's a fun tidbit from Sept. 1912

 

[Rancor]

Was there ever a more efficient mechanical means developed for coaling ships? Or was it never deemed necessary due to the transition to oil fuel?

 

[Roger Southern]

In the dim and distant past I recall reading that there were some systems using an Archimedes screw feed that were used but the nature of the raw coal (much bigger lumps than domestic coal) meant they weren't too successful. Also the fact that the coal had to be spread evenly throughout the bunker meant that there was a limit to how much 'input' the team in the bunker could deal with. Don't ask for a source as I'm remembering something from forty years ago.

 

[Jim Currie]

Post 1945, they were still loading coal by hand in many of the ports in India.

 

[Mike Spooner]

Thanks. I wonder why The Ship Magnificent costs so much.

It's a big book A4 size 689 pagers! Probably took years to research as well!

 

[Harland Duzen]

And it features a million rare photos they had to analyse for minute details and get permission to use! And it's really really heavy...

 

[AGUK]

To those having questions around the relationship between the bunkers and the boilers it may be an idea to look at plans of the ship either online or through purchase of one of the many detailed books on TItanic. Some understand better through visual references . I would also agree on investing in some of the key books on the subject. Whilst some of the books may be considered expensive the wealth of information they hold makes them worth every penny

 

[John E. Smith]

Not sure if this is the right thread for this but I have a question about the coal bunkers.

I already know that trimmers would even out the coal to keep the ship from listing to one side, break it apart into smaller chunks, and bring it over to the firemen in wheelbarrows.

How did a trimmer get inside the coal bunker and to the top of the bunker? Was it through a hatch on the upper decks (G or Orlop Deck)? A door in the coal bunker with a ladder to the top?

I’m very curious about this. I’ve been looking but I haven’t found on it. Thanks.

 

[John E. Smith]

Not sure if this is the right thread for this but I have a question about the coal bunkers.

I already know that trimmers would even out the coal to keep the ship from listing to one side, break it apart into smaller chunks, and bring it over to the firemen in wheelbarrows.

How did a trimmer get inside the coal bunker and to the top of the bunker? Was it through a hatch on the upper decks (G or Orlop Deck)? A door in the coal bunker with a ladder to the top?

I’m very curious about this. I’ve been looking but I haven’t found on it. Thanks.

Nevermind, I think I got it figured out

 

[Samuel Halpern]

Nevermind, I think I got it figured out

So what did you figure out?

 

[John E. Smith]

I think I figured out how the trimmer got inside the coal bunker. I found a picture of a model of the coal bunker between BR 5 & BR 6 looking down. The picture helped a bit.

I only had problems finding the info bc the deck plans didn’t show the coal bunker hatch and other sites didn’t shay how they got inside the coal bunker