Brunel and his boys have epic top hats, quite a mega-project all by themselves.

@ryshow9118

3 жыл бұрын

They look like a Lincoln lookalike competition lol

@LionheartNh

3 жыл бұрын

Love those top hats...any taller and they could have been back ups for the ships funnels.

@pickeljarsforhillary102

3 жыл бұрын

Stovepipe Chapeau Union #212

@PenisMcWhirtar

3 жыл бұрын

@@pickeljarsforhillary102 Epic middle names in those days too. I wish my parents had called me.... 👁 👁 👁️ 👁️ 👁 👁 👄 👄 👄 Penis KINGDOM McWhirtar

@johnbockelie3899

3 жыл бұрын

The epic top hat was a sign of success and greatness.

“Too Big To Sail” Operated for thirty years, laid the first transatlantic cable, and generally still had a more successful career than most steamships of the time, not to mention much more remembrance of its existence.

@Slowcause

3 жыл бұрын

well, i doubt they used sails for all that cable laying

@raymondhutchinson7156

3 жыл бұрын

@@Slowcause The sails on steamships back then were there as a precaution. Steam power then was still new when she was built . If a ship ran out of coal, why not have sails as backup

@panda4247

3 жыл бұрын

Oh, so they meant "sail" in the specific meaning "sail powered by sails", not in the broader meaning "move on water"

@mrviking2mcall212

3 жыл бұрын

@@panda4247 Yes. I believe this video’s clickbait-y title makes it sound like the ship was too useless to even move itself, regardless of its methods of propulsion.

Just a quick note, the SS Great Britain is still around after a long existence. She's on display in the drydock where she was originally built in Bristol England.

@teresathornburg9518

3 жыл бұрын

thats why i need to go to europe

@Seregium

3 жыл бұрын

You must go! If u are an USAnian (or how to call an american chitizen) it is not so hard to have a visa to England.

@aerofiles5044

3 жыл бұрын

@@Seregium Yeah, you call an American citizen an American...

@simonwells2213

3 жыл бұрын

It's a fab day out. You get a good feel for what a long voyage would have been like. You can walk "under water" too, I'm sure there are lots of photos on their website.

@lelsewherelelsewhere9435

3 жыл бұрын

Amazing how it survived so long, even as a big abandoned rusting hulk (somehow not scrapped/recycled for metal). It was saved and refurbished while in a really derilect state.

I have a rivet head from the Great Eastern sitting on my mantlepiece from when she was broken up. My great great grandfather was one of the men who oversaw her being broken her up.

Oh, as wide as the height of two giraffes. I was thinking "damn those are some really thick giraffes".

@Uncle_Torgo

3 жыл бұрын

The giraffe must become the standard unit of measure on all of Simon's channels, I can't think of a more elegant gauge.

@derrekvanee4567

3 жыл бұрын

But how many bananas has you can have?

@robertwoodliff2536

3 жыл бұрын

I'm sure there is a standard unit of pineapple.

@kaltaron1284

3 жыл бұрын

It's an east mistake to make but giraffes are only referenced by their height, never anything else because only their height defines them. They are 1-dimensional creatures if you will.

@skyden24195

3 жыл бұрын

@@kaltaron1284 by that reasoning, if you're gonna go by width, I'd suggest elephant or even hippopotamus. How often do you see giraffes laying next to each other head to feet? ;-}

Maybe you should do an entire episode on Isambard Kingdom Brunel, his life and the projects he worked on. He really was an amazing engineer.

@Axel_Andersen

Жыл бұрын

Hard to top Jeremy Clarkson's program on KB

@who-gives-a-toss_Bear

Жыл бұрын

@Adam Smith Give us all a brake. This guy and Clarkson both desecrate the name of Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Maersk Triple E class container ships... Not just one ship, but a fleet of 31 monsters

9:55 "This was about as bad a start as You can imagine!" The Vasa puts on its best "I'm not here, don't look at me, I never happened!" expression.

@txgunguy2766

3 жыл бұрын

Same for the RMS Titanic. Also, the Titanic's Captain Edward Smith was previously the captain of the Titanic's sister ship the RMS Olympic when she collided with HMS Wolfe while leaving port.

@idontknowwhatimdoinghere

2 жыл бұрын

The SS Principessa Jolanda too, since she was launched fully fitted out without ballast and had sank due this XD

Time Team did an episode on the Great Eastern. They studied the remains of the slipway (still there) and found an error had been made when the slipway was built which caused the vessel not to be launched as planned. Basically there was a high point and the ships total weight was resting on one spot.

Megaproject Suggestion. Longest deep bore ice core in Antarctica. Took years, loads of drama with it and they found some cool stuff like a fresh water lake under the ice containing previously unknown lifeforms. Would go Well with the other hole projects that are popular Speaking of deep holes, how about the Kidd Mine as well?

@MS-pi4um

3 жыл бұрын

I’ve never heard of this one! I’d love to see this too!

@--enyo--

3 жыл бұрын

I see this so much in the comments. Sounds interesting.

@badbenjy

3 жыл бұрын

yes please

@jameszipp6673

3 жыл бұрын

Ha deep holes!

@anarchyantz1564

3 жыл бұрын

@@jameszipp6673 We like em deep, we like em holey.

Interestingly, the iconic photo of Brunel with the giant chains behind him was taken at Millwall yard.

@Erakius323

3 жыл бұрын

Didn’t he collapse just after that photo?

@kralle98

3 жыл бұрын

@@Erakius323 i saw a documentary maaany years ago and i do believe you are right

@MindBodySoulOk

3 жыл бұрын

Missed it, was mesmerized by that fascinating eggskull

@scotmac5143

3 жыл бұрын

Yes he did Master Erakius. (great name pal), honestly.

@Erakius323

3 жыл бұрын

@@scotmac5143 Thank you. It matches my narcissistic and arrogant nature perfectly. :) It was a damm shame what happened to his ship.

British people: Make fun of Americans for using other measuring systems. British people: Tw0 gIrRaFFes wIDe

@PhilJonesIII

3 жыл бұрын

2 giraffes = 8 Cheetas 1 cheeta = 6 rabbits 1 rabbit = 53 mice Ah, the good old animaletric measuring system.

@DukeDanseMacambre

3 жыл бұрын

Worked fine till cats started getting fat...

@jonathanpena9833

3 жыл бұрын

Lllllloooool😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 this had me rolling ahagagagahhaha

@liamcanavan5970

3 жыл бұрын

He referenced feet first

@chazzyb8660

3 жыл бұрын

To be fair I think that was a joke. We usually user double-decker buses, the cricket pitches, football pitches, then Wales (the country, not the animal). This is also a joke, though true!

Still waiting for the episode on Simon's beard.. the pinnacle, of Mega Projects.

@nicosmind3

3 жыл бұрын

Followed by Simons glasses, and then Simon's joint rolling skills!

@derrekvanee4567

3 жыл бұрын

Eeeewhat. Yes! The creams the dews. The stuff you talk bout on doller shave club but for your man sail.

@anarchyantz1564

3 жыл бұрын

@@derrekvanee4567 You forgot the butter. He likes to make sure he is covered in butter first before he lubes up his dry bits.

@rockets4kids

3 жыл бұрын

Simon's wife cancelled the megabeard project.

@skyden24195

3 жыл бұрын

@@rockets4kids lmao! nice

Brunel has been one of my engineering heroes my whole life. The innovations he made set the path for many of the standards and practices today. The fact that a number of his feats stand tall and proud today are a testament to his skill!

Excellent introduction to Isambard Kingdom Brunel, but you did rather forget to mention that his father, Marc Brunel, was an absolute titan in the world of engineering himself. It really did run in the family.

@anarchyantz1564

3 жыл бұрын

He was mentioned during his biographics channel. Only issue was he was crap at finances though a genius on engineering.

@--enyo--

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, that’s more of a Biographics detail on Brunel himself. Highly recommend his video. 🙂

@flyingbeaver57

3 жыл бұрын

Yes. There used to be a display - at Greenwich, I think - of the machines that Marc Brunel developed to produce blocks and sheaves (pulleys) for sailing ships. The Royal Navy of the day used hundreds of thousands of these, and of course they wore out, cracked, or were destroyed by flying chunks of iron fired by rude strangers. Brunel took what had been basically a "one-off every time" device, and built a whole system of machines that formed a uniform production line, each machine doing just one thing. Wood went in one end, and finished pulley blocks came out the other. The models were really interesting, and I hope the display still exists. (Note to Henry Ford: sorry, you didn't invent the idea of an assembly line using machinery). I came across the Marc Brunel display by accident; I had gone to see one of the original Harrison #1 or #2 chronometers. And come to think of it, Harrison's Chronometer really was another engineering masterpiece, and qualifies as a technology Mega-Project. although not physically large. Harrison was truly a wizard.

It's said that plates from the Great Eastern can still be found in the mud off Rock Ferry on the Wirral (opposite Liverpool)

@sc1338

3 жыл бұрын

I’ve actually seen a documentary where they found a piece. I want to buy some lol

The story of Brunel's death is a bit more tragic than you let on. The boiler explosion and deaths upset him so much that he suffered a fatal heart attack. So, in a way, the Great Eastern killed him, although his design was eventually largely vindicated.

I suggested this a few weeks ago! So happy that you finally got around to make a Megaprojects video about this ship. Thank you - love the channel :)

You forgot about the entire period of the Great Easterns history where it sat idle on the shore, reduced to being a gigantic billboard.

@spartan09_Oni

3 жыл бұрын

he also didnt mention the story of the deaths during her construction, nor the story of two bodies sealed between the hulls during construction, the skeletons found during her deconstruction... (note: i believe the story is just a legend, but it wouldnt surprise me if it were true... plus its an interesting part of the ships history)

@CrazyPetez

3 жыл бұрын

....And, the temporary repair after striking the Great Eastern Rock and opening up the hull. It was done before the ship could return to England.

@danijelujcic8644

3 жыл бұрын

@@CrazyPetez And the fact that the ship was saved by her double hull.

@musketslinger

3 жыл бұрын

@@spartan09_Oni Its curious cus, When I was a kid like in kiddergarten i was fascinated by titanic and so i shearched by info arround the matter I then discovered ss great eastern, I knew there was the need for two rebitors(?) To be in both sides of a plate to unify them so I questoned myself as a kid *how could they have put the last plate if there would not be a exit* i as a kid believed someone would have needen to sacrifice themsefs for that (a morbid thought) later abandoned that idea but today i got back to the *ss great eastern and find this* . No worry its a legend mutch debunked

As I already mentioned on your SideProjects channel, I love watching things about history. And obviously I love watching your channels. It's a great distraction during these times, so keep up the good work, thank you Simon and your crew :)

Jules Verne in 1871 wrote a novel after a trip on board the Great Eastern . It's title is a floating city .

Trains don't ride so well on aquaducts...

@CMDRSweeper

3 жыл бұрын

Of course they do! You just got to keep the speed up and the course straight... Or freeze them over and do the Polar Express drifting thing! :D

@runawaysmudger7181

3 жыл бұрын

Aquaducts or viaducts?

@philhealey449

3 жыл бұрын

You beat me to a rant on the rail aqueductics plus the Thames tunnel was surely started by his father Marc, with another engineer credited for the tunneling shield ?

@rabbi120348

3 жыл бұрын

The steam engines needed water to make the steam and for cooling. Where else would you get water if not from an aqueduct.

@JonStrater

3 жыл бұрын

They ride fine for a short while, but then you get a sinking feeling.

Please do one of these on the Big Musky the largest drag line mining machine ever made.

@Horseshoecrabwarrior

3 жыл бұрын

Maybe The Captain, (the Marion 6360) as well!

While the ship had problems, the fact it survived them when they surely would have sunk any other is a testament to it's design genius.

Would bet most Brits know his name, he did after all win that poll (putting him ahead of Newton, Maxwell and Hawking) and being British im one of them

@exsappermadman25055

3 жыл бұрын

He didn't win, he came second to Churchill.....

@emporororretargds8601

3 жыл бұрын

I agree with your name

@mcpiddle1099

3 жыл бұрын

Rather funny his father was French.

@micahphilson

3 жыл бұрын

I would bet a good portion of them would only remember him because of his badass middle name.

@nicosmind3

3 жыл бұрын

@@exsappermadman25055 Well, by win i meant came second. Considering theres millions of Brits i would count anyone in the top 100 as winners :)

UK: Hey US check out this bigass ship we just made! US currently undergoing a civil war: Uh neat, kinda busy tho.

@BlackEpyon

3 жыл бұрын

Also the US: Hey Everybody! Check out my aircraft carrier!

@zeferinoresendiz1698

3 жыл бұрын

Yep

@mikeymike9926

3 жыл бұрын

@@BlackEpyon my 20 aircraft carriers*

This ship sounds a lot like another in a maritime story I read as a child some 50 years ago. Most of this ships life sounds just like that story with a few details changed though. 1st the cause of the disasters was attributed to the ghost of a worker inadvertently sealed between the hulls, his hammer could be heard tapping inside the hulls, he was never retrieved. Preceding each disaster the tapping of the hammer was heard throughout the ship. The boiler explosion rings a bell and an incident related to the cable laying operation, specifically the failure of the ship to stop in time to make a splice from one cable coil to the next before losing the end over the stern. Retrieving the cable end took weeks of activity. Finally during ship breaking the skeleton of the riveter was found between the hulls. Thanks for another great video. Really enjoyed it.

My 2nd Great Uncle, Capt. John F. Clooney began his ship-building career in Boston, MA. and later was employed on the SS Great Eastern, which helped lay the first telegraph cable beneath the Atlantic Ocean. He later had his own ship-building company in Moss Bluff, Louisiana and became one of the most prominent ship-builders of the area. He was well known to the traders all along the Gulf and Atlantic coast and was praised for his workmanship. He was presented with a piece of the Trans Atlantic cable as a souvenir, which he always treasured. He has an island on the Calcasieu River and a street named in his honor in Lake Charles, LA. .

There was a paranormal twist to the Great Eastern story. Decades ago in high school, i read a ghost book that had about it. Supposedly, the reason for all the bad luck with the ship was that she was haunted/cursed by those who died building her. It was said that one could hear pounding and muffled screams from the double hull. When she was scrapped, two skeletons were found in the space between the double hulls along with shipbuilding tools.

@Brinta3

3 жыл бұрын

You should know that some books are purely works of fiction written for entertainment and, while taking place at real locations, are not based on facts or even actual rumours.

@HailAnts

Жыл бұрын

I read that story too. Given that Simon didn't even mention it I doubt there's any truth to it. Pretty sure that 'worker trapped between the hulls' meme has appeared a lot since the advent of iron and steel shipbuilding.

To be honest because of great eastern we had Lusitania, Mauretania, the Olympic class and all of he others great ocean liners. Because of this guy that made so much for developing England In the XIX century we have not only the ships as we know today but a huge number of any other things. So thanks so much rich eccentric English engineer.

@dinos9607

Жыл бұрын

... of French origins.

@stevenlowe3026

Жыл бұрын

@@dinos9607 Father French, mother English.

@dinos9607

Жыл бұрын

@@stevenlowe3026 And of course ethnicity comes from father. Granted, Brunel felt British not French so there you have it.

Speaking of ships, how about making a video about Dreadnaught. It's the kinda first of its kind and the rest is history.

@grlt23

3 жыл бұрын

HMS Dreadnought is a too big/too important project for this channel. Simon should create a new one - RevolutionaryProjects and add it there [maybe with renault FT and Maxim gun]

@ramblingrob4693

3 жыл бұрын

@@grlt23 ..........and a Citreon 2CV (Lol)

@ferky123

3 жыл бұрын

Drachinfel has a whole lot on this.

@grlt23

3 жыл бұрын

@@ferky123 Drachinfel has a lot on anything that floated and had gun at any point of time... This guy can take 19th century russian repair ship and make a video about it - and make it so good that it become instant meme.... XD

@chandlerwhite8302

3 жыл бұрын

HMS Dreadnaught had a remarkably short and uneventful career for such a revolutionary deign. The ship was out of date even before WW I began. It was relegated to coastal guard and convoy escort duty, and was one of the first British ships scrapped under the Washington Naval Treaty. She became a victim of her own success, everyone wanted a bigger and better version as soon as they understood how important she was.

Simon, your voice and personality are very comforting my friend! Good job!

This is exactly the type of MegaProject I'm looking for. Lots of cool, important stuff to learn, not too long, and a bittersweet ending.

I remember a book in our school library when I was a kid. It was about ghosts and the supernatural. There was a story about people that died building this ship, causing knocking sounds from being sealed inside a panel on the ship.

@xiro6

3 жыл бұрын

it was on the Titanic,john smitherson. on the great eastern,legend says it was two men,but...not clear,there where reports on newspapers that they found the bodies when scrapped,but...

@jjskn93

3 жыл бұрын

I did read somewhere that the remains of children were found between the hulls when she was scrapped. They used to use them to distribute rivets. Evidently a corner was cut somewhere and the poor souls found themselves trapped in the darkness off the hull. Sorry for the grim factoid.

@AtomicBabel

3 жыл бұрын

@@jjskn93 yes, 2 workers, a man and his boy assistant went missing. Their remains were found trapped in the double hull when the ship was broken up.

@johnbockelie3899

3 жыл бұрын

When they dismantled this ship they discovered a skeleton of a worker in the keel area.Superstitous people believed it was the cause of the bad luck this ship faced during its years of service.

@SVanHutten

3 жыл бұрын

The story of a riveter and his young helper being trapped inside the double hull and their bodies being found when the ship was scrapped was told, many years ago, on the TV show "Ripley´s Believe it or Not", hosted by Jack Palance. I would be gratful if someone could provide some reference supporting this story.

Very informative videos simon.. a pleasure to watch

BBC’s “Seven wonders of the industrial world” series (I think it’s from the early to mid-2000’s?) has an excellent episode about this ship. And the sewers designed by Bazalgette, the Hoover Dam, the Bell Rock lighthouse, the Panama Canal, the Brooklyn Bridge and America’s transcontinental railway. Highly recommend watching if you can find it. It used to be on Netflix, but no longer for where I live. (And the DVDs are long out of print!)

Sadly, if the 'unsinkable' Titanic had incorporated the Great Eastern's double-hull, things might have turned out much better for her passengers in 1912!

@TheCaptainSplatter

3 жыл бұрын

The gash was really deep. It might not have mattered.

@sunbeam8866

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheCaptainSplatter Unlike reports in contemporary newspapers and 1950s movies, expert opinion today is that the Titanic did not suffer a long continuous gash, but most likely a series of punctures, sheared rivets and separated plates. Also, in addition to the double hull, the Great Eastern's watertight bulkheads extended up to the main deck, while many of the Titanic's only went up part-way. After the sinking, Titanic's sister-ship Olympic was pulled from service and internal hull-plating was added to extend the double-bottom into a double hull above the waterline, and several internal bulkheads were increased in height. My sources include the book "Falling Star", a history of the White Star Line, and the 1953 book "The Great Iron Ship" detailing the story of the Great Eastern. Interestingly, the Great Eastern did suffer a deep gash when it struck that uncharted rock off Long Island in 1861. It concluded it's voyage to New York with only a slight list, but might have wound up marooned there indefinitely, as no facilities existed in the US to handle a vessel that size, and with the Civil War raging, no 1-inch iron hull-plate was available to make the repairs. Eventually, some 7/8-inch boiler-plate was found, deemed acceptable, and a very unique method of 'underwater' repair was employed.

The SS United States would make a great video. One of the last great ocean liners, potential weapon in WW3, fastest passenger ship ever, it's got everything you need!

@AtomicBabel

3 жыл бұрын

And a cameo in the movie The Munsters goes to Europe.

@Alexanderthe_Ok

3 жыл бұрын

@Jan Brady she was built to Navy specs in case the government needed a giant troopship in another war, the way the Royal Navy used British liners before. That's why she has such a strong hull and was so crazy fast.

@flyingbeaver57

3 жыл бұрын

@@Alexanderthe_Ok One detail that's stuck in my memory about her fitting out was her designer's insistence on developing a grand piano made of Aluminum, to save weight. That by itself must have been a challenge.

Correction; The gap between the inner and outer hulls was what was 0.86 meters WIDE! Thus the outer hull was NOT 0.86 meters "thick". Annnnd some of the script explaining the "Spec.'s" of the ship are explained wrong, particularly that of "Bulkhead(s)" orientation/placement as affixed to the "Inner Hull"! BUT this channel is still a super fun channel to watch...very informative, the production values are top notch! Carry on...as you were....

one of the greatest ships ever... how would they have laid the cables without this ship?

@theq4602

3 жыл бұрын

Watch their video on the transatlantic cables

@calvingreene90

3 жыл бұрын

By splicing cables carried by multiple ships together.

@TheCaptainSplatter

3 жыл бұрын

@@calvingreene90 I imagine using one big ship was more convenient.

@calvingreene90

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheCaptainSplatter From my reading of laying the initial transatlantic cables that is why they used the Great Eastern.

@smitajky

3 жыл бұрын

@@calvingreene90 There was still a problem. Only the Great Eastern had the coal capacity to reach Australia. Which meant that it had the coal capacity to stay on station while laying the cable. It would have been difficult with ships that only had limited coal supplies. They may have needed sailing ships to bring replenishment during the laying process.

.40 seconds that's in my home town, there is a wooden model in the old cable station which is now a museum

I would say today's modern equivalent to the Great Eastern would be the Airbus A380; an enormous vessel built to carry huge amount of passengers but became a commercial failure.

Really enjoy your delivery and presentation Simon.

I've watched a lot of Simon's videos and I will keep doing so. He gives off the same vibe as the late '90s and early 2000's History and Science Channel which I watched as a kid religiously. I wish those channels would go back to these types of shows.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel He sure could engineer well

@russellfitzpatrick503

3 жыл бұрын

For a Biographics video???

@GhostRider659

3 жыл бұрын

@@russellfitzpatrick503 nah he's mentioned in this one. The ship was his idea, he was in charge of building it. My comment is a reference to another channel.

@vaclav_fejt

3 жыл бұрын

Is this a Sweet reference? "Alexander Graham Bell he did know darn well that he could find the only way to talk across the USA: Telephone, telephone never be on your own! Many many years ago he started something with his first 'hello, hello'..."

@GhostRider659

3 жыл бұрын

@@vaclav_fejt Nah that's from MrWeebl

@shebbs1

3 жыл бұрын

Jeremy Clarkson did a great video on Brunel. It was on KZread. Doesn't shy away from his various issues either, mainly regarding finances.

hey at least she helped in the telecommunication development with her placing the telegraph cables under the sea, that is important too.

@anarchyantz1564

3 жыл бұрын

Especially seeing how many times they dropped it, lost it, dropped it again then fished it back out again.

I recommend the Bathyscaphe Trieste. First submarine the reach the deepest part of the Ocean. From Bathyspheres to the development of the Trieste is interesting and the mission it's self was quite the undertaking and a great story.

fantastic! this is a huge improvement over your first videos!!! loved it!

Mr Isembard Kingdom Brunel is definitely one of my favorite historic characters ever

I recently heard this story on the Dork-O-Motive podcast. Because of the format, the host could go into a lot more detail. The runtime is nearly 1 1/2 hours. Brunel and his creations were and are absolutely fascinating!

Wonderful! There’s so little on KZread about Brunel’s masterpiece. Thank you.

This is what is so interesting about 19th century enginnering. They were very forward thinking and their prototypes for all sorts of inventions and megaprojects were startling. One of my favorites is the Beach Pneumatic Subway.

I think you should cover the Fletcher class destroyers of the us navy. Although the ships themselfs weren't exactly incredible like the yamato however they were the most mass produced destroyers of ww2. I'd really love to see you make a video about them

The Great Eastern may have been "too big to sail," but it turned out to be just the right size to lay the Transatlantic Cable (in fact, no other ship at the time was large enough to carry that much cable.) And, since it was out of service for so long, the cable-laying company was able to get it for a song, which made it economical as well. Which just goes to show that even the most useless-looking of things can still have some uses.

I have a piece of the great Eastern, as I live near new ferry where the ship was broke up there are still remnants in the mersey you can find at low tide. I have even managed to locate what piece of it I have , it's a piece of the decking plate as it has a 4and half inch angle iron beam which was used to join the deck to the hull. It's in a display case in my garage.

Nice. Was looking forward to this one.

A Good idea would be an episode of the Ships of State during the Depression Era from 1929-39. This includes Germany’s SS Bremen and SS Europa, Italy’s SS Rex, France’s SS Normandie, and England’s RMS Queen Mary. Each ship was a revolution of ship building and also proved to be symbolic of the world leading up to the Second World War.

Please do a Megaprojects video on the Bristol Brabazon.

Thank you for the metric measurement translations! Great video, as always!

Through out her existence people said to have heard a 'knocking' from her hull. It was always attributed to her steam engine, but when scrapped a skeleton was found between the double hull. It's been assumed that this was why the Great Eastern had been such an unlucky ship.

Now i understand why Jeremy Clarkson used the term extremely "Brunelian" when describing certain Bentleys

Him and that damn CIGAR!!!!!!!

This is one of your best presentations. Brunel has always fascinated me.

You forgot the ghost story. According to legend, she had a non stop clanging coming from the hull. Something loose that was swinging as the ship rocked, they figured. But while she was being scraped, the skeletons of two riveters were found between the hulls, having been accidently sealed in during construction. Both of them holding hammers, of course.

I love how there are still many who know about this truly magnificent vessel

There's a Jules Verne book about that ship: The floating city.

@Charlie-dx6bv

3 жыл бұрын

I'm looking this book up thanks!

@CrazyPetez

3 жыл бұрын

Jules Verne sailed on the Great Eastern, experienced the great ship’s tremendous rolling.

Thank you for this video, was waiting to see you cover this early construction.

fun fact, a piece of her original forward funnel that was blown off by the explosion is still preserved at a museum. Another fact, despite the ship having very weak propulsion mechanisms (propeller, rudder, and paddles) when it came to scrapping the ship, it was discovered that her hull was extremely well built and that the only good methods of breaking her apart was by using an iron wrecking ball. breaking the ship apart was not a clean task and over at the sight where she was broken up you can still find fragments of her hull plates that were disposed poorly years ago.

Jesus can’t even Learn about a ship for 5 minutes without KZread commercials

Suggestions: the Messmer-plan in France the EPR the Taymyr (or Rosatomflot in general), the internet, the british empire, Windscale/Sellafield

I find Brunel to be absolutely fascinating. That man could engineer and design like no one before him. I really think that Brunel was a man born much, much too early. His "atmospheric system" for trains was actually brilliant. Too bad the synthetic materials it required hadn't yet been invented. Even if it had worked, it would have been superceded by things such as mag-lev, but it certainly would have revolutionised railways in Britain. I think his Great Eastern was incredible. Had she been allowed to realise her full potential. she would have been the first means of non-stop travel between the UK and Australia, voyage of at least 10,000 miles--that's almost halfway around the globe. I think it's hard to appreciate such an innovation in an age when nonstop travel from the UK to Australia is done routinely, wich is why some might think that the Great Eastern's size was ridiculous. I don't think it was when you take into account the vast stores of coal and food/water needed to make her voyages non-stop. It's sad that she was never allowed to show what she could do. Only one person here, but I would have been more than happy to have been able to sail non-stop from the UK to Australia. There are a couple of interesting parallels between Brunel and Thomas Andrews of Titanic fame. Both built ships that were the biggest at the time of launch. Both had innovative ideas for ships and both were killed by their ships--Brunel because of the all the stress of getting the Great Eastern built and launched, which resulted in Brunel's Bright's disease (nephritis) and stroke. Yes, he was a heavy smoker but all the stress from the Great Eastern certainly didn't help. And Andrews died during the sinking of the Titanic. he only thing I don't get is why Brunel decided to go with paddlewheels and a single propeller when the SS Great Britain (another Brunel ship) had only a single propeller. Maybe because of the Great Eastern's greatly increased size and displacement? That's the only reason I can think of. Nevertheless, both ships were magnificent and ahead of their time.

I lived in New Ferry on the wirral merseyside next to the great eastern pub, which had some of the ships original wooden figments installed in the pub,, the pub was knocked down quite a few years ago though

On another nautical note, I'd recommend the USN's Los Angeles Class of attack submarines. These were the boats built to hunt Typhoons and outfight any attack submarine or surface vessel the Soviets could put out. They're the most numerous class of nuclear submarine ever built, and enormously capable. They were the quietest, fastest, and smartest submarines of their day, and the later variants are still in their prime, scattered across the world's oceans escorting missile subs, tapping undersea cables, and just generally being the closest thing on this planet to an honest-to-god starship.

You should do a mega project on the Bruckless Footpath. It’s about 20 meters long and 3 meters wide for so reason.

@khutikhuti

3 жыл бұрын

"It took almost 1 men and over 4 kilos of concrete" 🤣

@BruceVial

3 жыл бұрын

@@khutikhuti aye 😂

Simon you should make a video about the 1893 Columbian Exposition/the White City in Chicago! It’s a great story about architecture, overcoming engineering challenges, and its sudden tragic end. It would make a perfect video for mega projects

i liked before it even started, love Brunel and this ship was amazing. That gash against the rocks was larger than the gash that sank the titanic. That's how strong the ship was. I also remember reading that the reason the ship was so large was that they thought at the time that there was no coal in Australia so it needed enough coal to go there and back without refuelling.

Yes 8000hp sounds like much but when you compare to a modern ocean liner, they produce around 110.000hp. And a top fuel dragster produces 10.000hp.

@russellfitzpatrick503

3 жыл бұрын

Back in the 1800s though ............

@Hamsteren91

3 жыл бұрын

@@russellfitzpatrick503 Yes 8000hp is pretty impressive considering it was in the 1800's. And with steam power.

@nicosmind3

3 жыл бұрын

A modern ocean liner is massive, so you need a horse power to displacement ratio (dont know if thats an official thing, but from the little i know its how id measure it). Sort of like how some cars will tell you a horsepower to weight ratio. A heavy car with a big engine wont go as fast as a light car with a big engine

Suggestion: The reversal in flow of the Chicago River.

really enjoy your content and your channel

Thank you Simon for making it..

Since were in the topic of ships Please cover the SS Normandie the biggest turbo electric Powered ship ever built as well as a former blue riband holder of the atlantic and also one of the biggest transatlantic liners ever built.

Suggestion for Simon: USS Hornet and the Jimmy Doolittle Raid.

@skyden24195

3 жыл бұрын

This would be good for two unique Megaprojects reasons: A WWII U.S. aircraft carrier, and how the minds at the time had to "un-mega" several long range bombers in order to accomplish the mission.

@spliffburger

3 жыл бұрын

b-25 mitchell special

@skyden24195

3 жыл бұрын

@@spliffburger thanks, I couldn't remember which bomber type it was and wasn't compelled to look it up.

It is also the ship which Jules Vernes used to travel to the US in 1867. He wrote a book about it "Une ville flottante" (a floating city)

it is worth noting that Brunel is quite well known if France. Firstly because of his French descent and secondly thanks to Jukes Verne's novel "Ume Ville flottante" ("A Floating Town") set aboard the Great Eastern and describing it at length. Thirdly of course, thanks to its multiple round trips between two French cities on both sides of the pond: Brest and St Pierre...

I don't know why you say his reputation has dimmed. He is immensely famous.

Brunel was an engineer way ahead of the time.

I was waiting for this one! (And was one of undoubtedly many people who requested it). Just one more suggestion from the Victorian age - the London sewerage system of Joseph Bazalgette. This man saved thousands - by getting rid of their s**t!

Really enjoyed the last bit about my home city, I drive past that flagpole on most weekdays.

Tomcat and Aim 54 please!!

@KonradTheWizzard

3 жыл бұрын

Tomcat, the Java application server? I didn't know that the AOL Instant Messenger ever reached version 54. Neither of them are Megaprojects material... More context please!

@johnniemiec3286

3 жыл бұрын

Talk to me Goose.

@KonradTheWizzard

3 жыл бұрын

@@johnniemiec3286 No real geese anywhere to be found. Google did talk to me and said something about fighter jets. Really? Are we that shallow? Shouldn't Simon consider renaming the channel into "Military Aircraft Projects" first? Go ahead, press the dislike button on my comment...

@grlt23

3 жыл бұрын

@@johnniemiec3286 MAVERICK!?! PULL UP!!!

@grlt23

3 жыл бұрын

Tomcat, Aim-54 and Intel 4004 CPU. All in one variable-sweep wing, supersonic, supersexy fighter aircraft.

gobekli tepe! Probably impossible to do, its so old.

This is one ive been waiting for

Nice! Not seen some of the pics before. The final story about the ship, was that during scrapping (allegedly) the skeletons of two workers were found in double hull.

MEGA PROJECT suggestion: the ss United States, the fastest oceanliner ever put to sail to this day

@shebbs1

3 жыл бұрын

It was a bit like Concorde: an technical success, but a financial failure as it had no running mate and came just as jet travel across the Atlantic started.

@Doveproductions73

3 жыл бұрын

@@shebbs1 it technically did have a running mate in the ss America but the America was significantly slower so it made it harder to arrange their schedules

I first heard of this ship in an old Ripley's Believe it or Not book. It was allegedly haunted.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel - when your parents decide to name you after a random word and darts game with the world map.

Simon, you could do an epidose on the Northrop B-2 Spirit, the Ho-299 Design and other flying wing design in general. Or you could look at the B-36 Peacemaker, a behemoth of a plane.

@jamesburleson1916

3 жыл бұрын

The Ho 229 is overrated, the real interesting story is the family of flying wings leading up to the B-2, starting with the N9M and the XB-35 an XB-49 flying wing bomber prototypes from the 1940s.

@generalripper7528

3 жыл бұрын

@@jamesburleson1916 I don't think it's overrated. The Horten Brothers test flew the Ho-229 on the (Bonn) Hangelar Air Field, one of the oldest airfields in the world, which is right around the corner from where I live. The Hindenburg landed there aswell and today the GSG-9 is based off this airfield. They build the prototypes of the airplanes in their parents house in Bonn Poppelsdorf, which is a 15 Minute drive from where I live. Simon could do one episode on these flying wing designs, since they are all very interesting.

When "S.S. Great Eastern" comes up, I think of "transatlantic telegraph cable."

Wasn't paying attention to my phone while drinking coffee, thought you said "mega sh*t". Almost lost it.

@650thunderbird5

3 жыл бұрын

To be fair, she did lay a heap of cable.

Enjoyable, thanks. I'd be interested to know how well this ship coped with Atlantic waves, as perhaps that was the reason for the great size compared with Brunel's two earlier ships. Seems it was a failure as a passenger liner for rather vague reasons, but eventually quite a success for many years as a cable layer where its great size was advantageous. So a Really Useful Ship in the end.

@sunbeam8866

3 жыл бұрын

My book "The Great Iron Ship", by James Dugan, is a fascinating and entertaining story of the Great Eastern. Normal Atlantic waves weren't a problem, but the Great Eastern ran into a major storm in 1861, wrecking the sails, lifeboats, paddles, and rudder-shaft. Wave action then proceeded to smash the rudder against the propeller, forcing a shut-down of that engine, and leaving the ship wallowing and rolling helplessly in the storm for three days. Apparently, it was assumed the big ship would be unaffected by heavy weather, as much of the furniture and cargo was improperly secured. Settees, tables, chairs and the grand piano were continually tossed across the grand salon and other open spaces, and reduced to splinters as they menaced the passengers. Water got in the holds, violently sloshing back and forth, reducing cargo and baggage to pulp. Meanwhile, the passengers were forced to wedge themselves into corridors and other tight spaces. After the storm abated, jury rigged repairs got the rudder usable, and the ship was able to slowly steam back to port on the propeller. But hey, at least the ship and passengers survived!

I used to live beneath his bridge (The Brunel Bridge...imaginative) across the river Tamar (east of Plymouth and part of the border between Devon and Cornwall) on Saltash Passage right next to the Royal Albert Bridge Inn so as a curious kid I knew about many of his creations even then :) A great place to live