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The RMS Titanic, launched in 1911 in Belfast, is probably the most memorable passenger liner due to her tragic sinking during
her maiden voyage on April 1912. She is notable as well for having been, when she was launched, the largest ship ever built as
well as the most luxuriously decorated passenger liner. However the RMS Titanic was not a unique jewel, for she belonged to a
group of three similar ships ordered by White Star Line.
In comparison with the former RMS Mauretania owned by Cunard Line, the RMS Titanic was underpowered for she had been created with a focus on comfort
rather than speed. To reduce the amount of vibrations the propulsion plant had only one steam turbine, attached to the center
propeller, whereas two reciprocating engines were attached to the outer propellers. The machinery could be forced to give up to
59000 horsepower, but 51000 was the regular setting, which provided a service speed of 21 knots, about three knots slower than
that of the RMS Mauretania. The RMS Titanic could carry about 7700 tonnes of coal, which lasted for roughly eleven days.
The complement was 892 crewmen, of which 176 were stokers, and up to 2435 passengers could be accommodated, divided into three
classes as it was usual in that time. The first-class dining room could accommodate 500 sitting diners and the second-class room
almost 400. The ship had ten decks, eight of them allowed for passengers. The first and second-class luggage occupied about
551 cubic meters, while another 760 cubic meters were reserved for storing letters, parcels and other valuables. The powerful
electric powerplant astern supplied energy to the lighting network, to winches and cranes and to a radiotelegraph capable of
broadcasting on a radius of 563 kilometers.
Saving money was not a priority for the White Star Line when ordering the RMS Titanic and her twin RMS Olympic, for each ship costed
1.5 millions of sterling pounds. However, the high price of the passage should have covered the investment in a reasonable time.
The most luxurious cabins had a price of 800 sterling pounds, which surpassed the annual income of the average captain in command
of a passenger liner, and was equivalent to the salary of eight years for the average shipyard worker.
Class: Olympic (3 units - Britannic, Olympic, Titanic)
Type: Oceanic passenger liner
Length: 269.1 meters
Beam: 28.2 meters
Height: About 53 meters from keel to funnels' top
Draught: 10.5 meters
Displacement: 52310 tonnes
Tonnage (gross register): 46328 tonnes
Propulsion: 3 x shaft, 2 x triple-expansion four-cylinder reciprocating steam engine,
1 x steam turbine Parsons, 29 x boiler, 51000 horsepower
Speed (service): 21 knots (38.9 kilometers/hour)
Range: About 5500 nautical miles (10200 kilometers) at 21 knots
Fuel: 7700 tonnes of coal
Complement: 892
Passengers: 2435
Cargo: N/A
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