RMS Olympic

[SeaTravel]

I was very pleased to find this Ken when I was trying to find the world's first steam ship- hard to say which it was (as there were steam boats...I bet you know the history of all this...) but this ship could be the contender and she is from 1843, restored and a museum!!!! Now this is what I wish had been Olympic's fate.....


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Great_Britain

[VW1956]

Hello SeaTravel. Thanks for that link. I visited HMS Gannet a few months ago at Chatham Dockyard. Thats sail and steam powered but is a youngster having been built in 1878. Ken.

[SeaTravel]

Just seen her photo on wiki- an an attractive ship which gave good service- nice she is being taken care of.
We had a few old sailing ships come in to Liverpool at the Tall Ships event back in September- my Mum and I went. It was a very interesting day- we could actually look around some.
A few years back when living in Greenwich I went in the Cutty Sark- this was superb- was very sad when I heard she had caught fire but she is almost restored now.

[pat toms]

The Olympic was a success that is because the ship was not the original design but was upgraded and then set sail after the catastrophe of the Titanic, also sailing full speed ahead through ice fields was not practised. Also managing directors and shareholders probably let the Captain and crew get on with the job they supposed to do. The scrapping of the Olympic like a lot of Ships was a shame but the ships were built for profit not just to look and and admire.

[VW1956]

Hello. On Febuary 24th 1912 Olympic "threw" a propeller blade. What does that mean? Did it hit something and get broken off or was it possible for a blade to somehow slide off? Ken.

[VW1956]

Hello. I guess no one knew the answer to my last question above or it was not made public knowledge as to what damaged Olympics propellor.

Another question. Did Olympics funnels get repainted after the merger with Cunard so as to have red funnels? Ken.

[cameron]

Hello. I guess no one knew the answer to my last question above or it was not made public knowledge as to what damaged Olympics propellor.

Another question. Did Olympics funnels get repainted after the merger with Cunard so as to have red funnels? Ken.

Hi Ken, wow I haven't been active on here for a while. The answer to your second question, Olympics funnels were not painted after the merge between the two competitors. To my knowledge, the whole ship's paint scheme pretty much stayed the same, the only notable differences resembling to the fact that she was under mainly Cunard ownership was being that she probably would of flown the Cunard flag (which I'm not 100% sure about), and that her Officers were assigned different ranking titles, like Junior 2nd Officer, Junior 3rd officer etc etc.

[MAB]

All of the White Star ships that went into Cunard White Star remained in White Star livery for the balance of their careers. all the way until the retirement of Britannic III, the last survivor, in 1960. They also continued to fly the White Star burgee; from 1934 through 1949, it was flown above the Cunard house flag, from 1950 on, below.

her Officers were assigned different ranking titles, like Junior 2nd Officer, Junior 3rd officer etc etc.

I don't think I've ever come across this information before, cameron; where did you find this?

[cameron]

All of the White Star ships that went into Cunard White Star remained in White Star livery for the balance of their careers. all the way until the retirement of Britannic III, the last survivor, in 1960. They also continued to fly the White Star burgee; from 1934 through 1949, it was flown above the Cunard house flag, from 1950 on, below.

her Officers were assigned different ranking titles, like Junior 2nd Officer, Junior 3rd officer etc etc.

I don't think I've ever come across this information before, cameron; where did you find this?

That was mentioned in Mark Chirnside’s ‘Olympic’ Class Ships” book. Since Cunard acquired 60% ownership of the Cunard-White star coalition, they quite obviously had a more partial control over the general management side of things. And from what I’ve read, newly established rankings for the officers where implemented, including a ‘Staff Captain,' from which I didn’t mention earlier.

But someone please correct me if I’m wrong. Unless I’m turning gradually blind of course...

[MAB]

OK; I'll have to check that. Thanks.

[EvilEmperorZoRG GR]

Well, scrapping Olympic was the most STUPID move ever to be done!

It was the sister of Titanic and Britannic, 2 of the most known ships of all time.
Imagine how many people would have paid to travel on Olympic, Titanics twin sister !!!
Imagine walking on the decks, the bridge, the boiler rooms ect of Olympic!

I personally would have paid to do so, and I wouldn't care of it being outdated or not safe!
Or otherwise, if it was a museum....
I made a topic about this!

[VW1956]

Hello EvilEmperorZoRG GR. I have answered this question before. It does seem such a shame that Olympic was scraped as indeed many if not all the big liners. But although Olympic to us now would be an amazing ship to see back in the mid 1930's Olympic was just another big liner that had done the job she was built to do. At least there are many of her fittings still in excistance some of which are known and lots which will remain as just old furniture. Maybe some will turn up as April approaches in auction rooms. Ken.

[882 1/2]

Do any of you agree that reason they scrapped the Olympic is because of the Queen Mary?

[Michael H. Standart]

>>Do any of you agree that reason they scrapped the Olympic is because of the Queen Mary?<<

That's part of it but it really wasn't quite that simple. Olympic and Mauritania were both old ships and outdated by the standards of the day, and worse, they were part of a glut of tonnage which existed in a time of an economic depression. When times are hard and shipping companies have excess tonnage, their typical response is to keep the most modern and most profitable with the old and outdated tonnage going to the breakers.

You see the same thing happening today with tankers and dry bulk vessels. Even some which are reletively up to date and at what might be considered the midpoint of their useful service lives are being scrapped in favour of the glut of brand new tonnage which is coming out of the shipyards.

[VW1956]

Hello. I am reading "Titanics Last Secrets. It states that after the Hawke collision Olympic was taken back to Southampton for temporary repairs. Wood repairs were done above the waterline and steel repairs below the waterline. Have seen pictures of the wooden repairs which look great but how were repairs below the waterline done? Ken.