The Object on the Barge – Part 1

Photograph Analysis:

• A photograph from early February 1912 shows an object on a barge at the Harland & Wolff shipyard.
• Some speculated it was a four-bladed propeller for Titanic’s center propeller shaft.

Claims and Evidence:

• Richard de Kerbrech suggested the object was a four-bladed propeller, but admitted he had no proof.
• The author, Samuel Halpern, and others analyzed the photograph to determine the object’s true nature.

Propeller Specifications:

• Titanic’s center propeller was specified to have three blades, a diameter of 17 feet, and a blade area of 120 square feet.
• Olympic, Titanic’s sister ship, had a four-bladed center propeller with a diameter of 16.5 feet.

3D CAD Analysis:

• Halpern used 3D CAD models to compare the object in the photograph with known propeller designs.
• Tony Taylor created detailed 3D models of both three and four-bladed propellers based on historical specifications.

Findings:

• The three-bladed propeller model matched the object in the photograph more closely than the four-bladed model.
• The analysis concluded that the object on the barge was likely a three-bladed propeller intended for Titanic.

Conclusion:

• The object on the barge was not a four-bladed propeller as some had claimed.
• The evidence supports that Titanic was fitted with a three-bladed center propeller, aligning with the specifications found in Harland & Wolff’s engineering notebook.