My great great grandfather was actually one of the people injured during the building of either Titanic or Olympic. The tragedy was that since he tried to go back to work again despite his injuries, Harland and Wolff wouldn't cover his medical bills and he eventually died due to complications relating to his injury. His wife had to raise five children by herself.
this is probably a very personal question, but, what was your Great-Great Grandfather's name? I can mention him in a Titanic video I'm making, "Titanic - Nightmare on the Atlantic"
Wow, what a bunch of lame asses. At least GGGrandma held it down. But what a compromising situation to be put in, Especially back then. Companies that do things of this nature are heartless.
As a boy born in Belfast the great shipyard was and still is a massive focal point of the city. I passed it just yesterday and its amazing to think of all the men flooding through those gates morning and evening in years gone by. Its s shame that its mostly all gone now but its still a privilege to be able to see and visit where the mighty Titanic was built any time i chose. Enjoying the video's you make Mike.
The fact that they built all of this without a single computer or 3d modeling software is nothing short of incredible. All they had were blueprints and the imagination to envision their creations right before their eyes.
I use computer aided drafting at work every day, and I'm amazed as well ... except on those days the software bogs down or glitches, and more time is spent troubleshooting than producing. Then I'm envious of simple drafting tools and their Library of Congress like workspace. I do wonder how much was just fabricated on the spot rather than drawn in advance.
@@rcnfo1197Very little I suspect. Now that doesn't mean there weren't allowances made when a fabricated piece deviated slightly from what the drawings called for, but in such cases the engineers would be consulted and either a workaround approved or the part scrapped and made over. Like any large project, I would expect there were three sets of drawings made (excluding copies). First a preliminary set, then a working set detailing changes as construction proceeded, and finally, an "as built" set accurate to the finished ship so that the yard had a reference to work from should replacement parts be needed years later in the ship's career.
Modern methods involve laziness. If software said 2+2=5, then 'equals five' would be an unquestioned 'fact'. NASA didn't lose a single Saturn V. Musk lost his big rocket on its first flight. His reaction? Shrug of the shoulders. Whatever. Let's try again. And that's without mentioning Boeing, Musk's competitor! Prioritising 'doing things right' is apparently consigned to history.
Still mostly the same way. All of that paper work is on the computer.Any corrections were by hand. A computer could make that work faster. Plus stres testing can be simulated on models. Days of old were trial and error
Mike I just want to say some things about what a testament to how good your channel is. As an Aussie myself, I generally dont like narrators/presenters with an Australian accent, I guess growing up with it I just usually don't enjoy it 🤣 BUT, the way you narrate is just so lovely to listen to and i often just enjoy having playlists of your videos on in the background while I game or work. Im also not super into maritime as a topic in general (aside from the pretty common fascination with Titanic) but i find the way you explain things with such simplicity and genuine love of the topic makes the info you give feel really digestible and understandable and I'm finding myself getting pulled into an interest I didnt have much draw to. So, i just want to say thank you. For being company when I've needed to decompress, for being informative in a way thats accessible and for just coming across as an all around really likeable channel. Keep up the absolutely spectacular work, my dude 🩷
We often have a lot of cultural cringe (towards ourselves) in Australia, so I understand where you’re coming from. But yeah, I also really like this channel.
I spent over a decade working in a major shipyard, and I'm frankly surprised that only eight men lost their lives building Titanic. Shipbuilding is very hard, dangerous work, even today with OSHA and all the safety gear and regulations, I can only imagine the conditions that those men toiled under.
A sad thing about the Olympic, is they favoured younger boys with smaller frames as rivet buckers / peeners because they could get into the smaller spaces inside the hull to buck the rivets as they were driven from the outside. Unfortunately when they applied one of the final plates into position on the olympic, they forgot to that the bucking boy was still inside and with no escape he sadly perished inside the hull. And his skeleton was actually found when they were scrapping the ship.
I've long been curious about the operations of H&W, since all the Titanic books I devoured as a kid did not provide much detail into the subject. With this short video, you have conveyed more interesting information about H&W than I have learned anywhere else. For that, I thank you.
There are many famous and historic companies that still exist, but Harland and Wolff must be one of the coolest. Coming from a tiny nation with nothing anyone has ever heard of, I can't even imagine how cool it must be to work at Harland and Wolff, the same company that built the freaking TITANIC. There can't be many companies left that have built something as special as this.
Apart from H&W, are there any great shipbuilding companies left in Britain? The Queens were built on the Clyde, the land now being used to build warships. The Nimitz-sized cruise ships with thousands of hotel-spec cabins are built and in service in a couple of years. The warships on the Clyde took 5 and a half years to get in the water, and won't be in service for another 3 years! Vickers had forgotten how to build nuclear submarines and had to ask the US for help! Makes you proud of our maritime heritage. Britain's long history of shipbuilding success is all we have. The present and future of British shipbuilding is nothing short of embarrassing.
Yes, what else does Ireland have to offer... Titanic and its sister vessels weren't the last ships to be launched from H&W, it was a regular shipyard for a while but now it's just a small industrial works, mostly putting together windmills.
A member of a Parrish l served in Dearborn, MI, Jim Robinson s father worked as a carpenter supervisor on the first class staircase on Titanic also the Nomadic, from what l gather he was very very exacting... Jim said his dad thought Harland and Wolff cut corners on the decking of Titanic and he referred to Lord Pirrie in unflattering terms, to give you an idea of how exacting Mr.Robison was when he immigrated to Detroit he built his house entirely with pegs , no nails using the same tools he used on Titanic and Nomadic...l actually got to use them, what a thrill, also Harland and Wolff even built liners for North German Lloyd...great job Mike thanks
I used to have so many unanswered questions about Titanic and when I found your channel, a great feeling of relief and comfort came over me. Thank you Mr. Brady 😊
There's a lesson to be learned from how H&W's top managment like Lord Pirrie, Alexander Carlisle, and Thomas Andrews were brought up through the system. By the time they arrived at what we'd call nowadays the "C Suite" level they'd been through all aspects of the business and understood it thoroughly. H&W wasn't alone in this respect either, every business worked the same in those days. There were no "MBA Short Cuts" to top management positions like there are today which in my opinion (and in others as well) are one of the causes of so many contemporary business failures and of businesses you'd never expect to fail, at least here in the US. An MBA means you're persistant in the pursuit of an advanced degree and you're good at math but it doesn't mean you're going to understand the business you find yourself employed by. Was the old way perfect? No, nothing's perfect. But it worked far more often than it failed.
You’re describing State Farm Insurance. Supervisors do not necessarily know to do the jobs of the workers they are overseeing. Trainers may have never done the work they’re teaching.
@@Dulcimertunes Interesting! Here's one for you. I'm sure you've heard of Hostess, the cupcake company with so many other baked products in the line they're an American institution? They almost went out of business several years ago. What kind of idiots could take a colossus like Hostess and destroy it? Luckily someone saw value in the brand name and bought the business so they're still around, and I'm guessing someone who understands the baked goods business.
Pretty cool. I live in Belfast and am regularly down at the Titanic slipways with my daughter where she rides her bike, she actually learnt to ride her bike there next to the museum. We often walk around where old buildings were walk around the dry dock that was built for Titanic. HMS Caroline sits in the dry dock now, but only takes up a fraction, so you can really tell how big Titanic was.
Thank you for this spotlight on the men who built Titanic. It's heartbreaking to know their labor, and lives, were so undervalued. Keep up the good work!
Worked at the Boeing Everett Factory for a few years. It's wild the things that can be found in an old factory. You'd walk into a room and find a shop you'd never even thought existed, or another room which was used for a project that was scrapped years ago and looks the same as the final day of the project. A lot of talented people do a lot of work to get things built. It's cool to see when you can.
My father was a whitesmith who worked on ships' boilers which were lined with asbestos. (He also had a stint at Harland and Wolf in the 1930/40s.) He died of asbestosis. i hadn't realised how prevalent it was for shipyard workers in general. I really appreciate your content. Always something new to learn.
I just want to say, Mike is a fantastic story teller! He and his team (I think theres a team?) always put together such a compelling script and narrative for each video, and he delivers it excellently.
Thanks for this, a really interesting video. My dad started in H&W in approx 1938/39 as a heater boy, then when he was old enough began his apprenticeship as an iron turner in the engine works, where he worked for most of his career in the yard. When I started in 1977 as an apprentice electrician, it was still a desired place of employment, as the training received during apprenticeship for each of the trades was of a breadth, and depth, not really available in any other industry. When I worked there, we knew about Titanic, obviously, but there was nowhere even remotely close to the interest expressed in the boat nowadays, mostly due to the James Cameron movie. There was a vague feeling of shame about the boat's fate, which was by no means justified, as you stated in the video. It seems that its only since the film, Belfast has begun to appreciate what the men, and the yard, created.
I agree. My father worked in H&W in the 1940s as an electrician. He had some stories about life there in black-outs during the Blitz, including a poor guy who took a wrong turn on his bike and went off the side of a wharf never to be seen again! I knew a number of guys who worked there in the 1960/70s and none of them ever mentioned (or wanted to) the Titanic. I have the impression that, as you say, until the James Cameron film, it was almost a curse word, certainly in East Belfast where we lived. How things have changed.
@@neilhughes9310 As I understand it the word in Ulster now is: "There was nothin' wrong with Titanic when she left Belfast!" And so there wasn't! Folks in Belfast should be proud of that ship and all the hard work and craftsmanship that went into her.
That is true now for sure, but sadly wasn’t always the case. Also, due to the sectarian divide in the city, especially through the 20th Century, praise was far from universal here. Happily that too has changed a lot.
@@neilhughes9310 I'm sorry, I'm not sure if you're replying to me, so I'm not sure what you're referring to when you say "That is true now for sure, but sadly wasn’t always the case" & "praise was far from universal here".
Greetings from Canada! Thank you so much Mike for your incredible hard work and enthusiasm narrating about the Titanic ( and other oceanliners). I got hooked back in the 80’s when Titanic was found and still fascinated. Keep up this wonderful work and thank you again!!!!!
We are planning a trip to Ireland this summer, including to N Ireland, Belfast. H&F shipyard is still there, the massive cranes are still there, H&W offices are now a beautiful boutique hotel and the Titanic Museum was built next to it. I am so excited to visit this area, it's been on the bucket list for years. I'm so so happy they restored the H&W offices and it looks stunning as a hotel. I can't wait!
Just down the road is HMS Caroline, one of the Royal Navy's oldest registered vessels. It might not be open to visitors when you're there, but you can get nice and close for a photo at least. Depending on what they're doing with the yards when you're there, the big cranes may be close to the main road and easier to get a good look at.
As always, a well thought out presentation with a good mix of detail, graphics and CGI. This did remind me of the mini-series a few years back that covered building, launching and eventual sinking of this iconic ship. If I recall correctly, the series followed the lives of several characters from common labor (the daily cattle call at the gate for a day's wage, including religious animosity against Catholics) through some of the true craftsmen in various specialized shops right up to the top of the management offices and some of the decisions that had to be made during construction (i.e. the talk about the different rivets types and even some of the plate steel) and finally trying to find enough coal for the initial sailing as I believe the miners were striking for better wages at the time of sailing and the fuel was just not available.
Kind of sucks that you spend your whole career building ships and when it's over, you're only remembered for that one ship that sank on it's first voyage.
Hi Mike, love the videos! I live just across the road from what remains of the shipyard. It has always fascinated me, and I really appreciate your videos because there is always a lot more to learn. I have wondered, have you ever been to Belfast? SS Nomadic sits proudly restored, with a lot of original 1st class W.S.L. fittings inside, there's the Titanic museum itself, and the most overwhelming part for me is the graving dock, which truly hits home just how big a ship the Olympic class were. Your recent video on the Titanic's engines was insanely good. My apprenticeship was spent in a nearby coal fired power station, in which the generation of power was largely the same process. Yet, that was on an enormous plot of land. Even more impressive again that this hybrid steam powerhouse was engineered into the hull of a vessel. Thanks again Mike!
Hello from Belfast! I haven't watched this video yet, but knowing your works, Mike, it's going to be great! I'm immensely proud of our maritime history, and, Titanic Quarter is a must-go destination for everyone who sees this video, I think. Thanks for covering H&W!
There was a series called "The Time Tunnel" from the late 50's. One of the early episodes was to travel back to the time of the Titanic and they had the Sword of Damocles decision to warn the crew or not thus altering the time line. Well worth a look....
When you were describing the types of employment at the shipyard, I got the strange feeling that not much has changed. Some people get into management because they are well-connected. Others work their way up to mid-level supervisorship through skill, talent, luck, and determination. The rest of us are stuck doing one repetitive task. 😢
I know people sometimes struggle with employment, but we really have no idea in our modern age just how desperate things could get for workers. The scenario you described about the manual labor is exactly what my grandfather witnessed on his family's farm during the Great Depression. Dozens of men would wait outside the barns every morning, praying to be chosen for the day's labor in exchange for a loaf of bread and some eggs to bring home.
Not only that, but the remarkable condition of the underlying structure of the wreck, even 110+ years later under 13,000 feet of saltwater at ~6000 PSI, is too
Oh I can tell already that I'm gonna love this series I've always been fascinated by the ship yard almost as long as I've been interested in the ships themselves
I’ve never had really any interest in maritime history, but after stumbling upon your videos, I’ve been binge watching all of them! These are the types of documentary’s that interest me and keep me engaged in the subject. Great work on all your videos! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to learn about this shipyard now.
I don’t know if you or anyone else has seen it, but there is an incredible documentary on the Our History RUclips channel called “Building the Titanic: The History of the Unsinkable Ship” which is like a one hour episode that has a real miniseries feel with great actors and a nice budget that really connects you to the people who built and made their lives building that ship.
As the wreck slowly crumbles, I wonder how many buoyant items, dragged down by the sinking, are now able to break free & rise to the surface? In fact, after more than a century being held at such immense water pressures, would the various timbers involved, both hard & softwood, still actually 'float'? : )
Highly recommend the titanic museum if you happen to visit, was on my bucket list but underestimated just how much there is to do there. Now I need to plan another trip!
9:05 - and this, if you ever build scale models, is also the term to describe someone who has an obsession with accuracy as well as details. Rivet Counter: "Painted nicely, but you should've used Testors 2.9°C Deep Atlantic Blue #10292939 for that part" Model Builder: "stfu, it's the only paint I had"
Mike there is no one like you in terms of these kinds of videos. I always love the amount of emotion you put into these. Just amazing. Could I suggest a video? I'd love to see one on the workers in the aftermath of the sinking of Titanic. I've always wondered on the various trades and how it affected them. Thanks for all you do.
At 3:14, I’ve alway wondered why ships seem to get those stains running down by the anchors and also underneath portholes. At 5:09, I’ve literally been in that room! Stayed in the Titanic Hotel, which used to be the offices of the shipyard a couple of times
the rusty water coming off the anchor stains the side just under it. cars and other painted machines do the same thing if you ever see a stream of rust coming from underneath door handles or badges
I would’ve absolutely loved being a Draftsman at Harland and Wolff! Holy Ship! What a great video Mike! Hearing about the people who built these vessels and worked on them is REALLY fascinating! I’m just a lonely viewer but please make more videos about the people, they have such interesting stories and they worked so hard!
It certainly would beat risking your neck on the scaffolding. I can't imagine the grief of another revision from the architect at 3pm that must be completed before the end of the day, with multiple sheets affected, all done by hand. It's hard enough today with computer aided drafting!
trust me you wouldn't. They may "still exist" today but they have very very very few employees and haven't built a ship in 60 years. You'd not have much to do it you were a draftsman lol
To anyone wondering what happened to Harland and Wolff, they still exist today but they don't build ships. The last ship they build was The Anvil Point in 2002. They now build green power equipment such as wind turbines and the shipyard where Titan was built is now owned by a private preservation company. In 2019. Harland and Wolff went under with thier Norwegian parent company but were bought out and saved by InfraStrata. Good sequel video to this would be John Brown Shipbuilding. Not to knock Harland and Wolff but they did get a boost at the beginning thanks to Wolff's uncle. John Brown had to work their way up from the very beginning by getting lucky with their second ship. Plus, what happened to the company and shipyard itself is quite interesting as well as rather sad in the case of the former.
Titanic was a big hush in Belfast for years! It was, exactly as you described, their pride. Losing that, the men actually openly wept in the streets, and it wasn't talked about for years. Now, it's embraced in Belfast, as a massive feat of engineering that was built in our wee city.
I love all of your videos. You’re a true gem in sharing historically accurate information on this wonderful time in human history. Keep up the good work. Your are is also amazing.
Even though today we construct ships far more advanced than these, I will never cease to be amazed by how much could be accomplished with much simpler tools of that era. Somehow, even though today we build bigger and better, the ships of that time still impress me more.
I'll tell you something, I think the ships of the time, especially the Olympic class of liners, were a hell of a lot more beautiful than the floating shoeboxes shipyards are turning out today.
Man, the workers had a really hard time. 7 minutes per day of bathroom break? That alone is cruel that time. Mike, can you please dive in to story of the day where the workers knew that the Titanic sank? That their masterpiece was swallowed by the North Atlantic just after less than a month when it left the shipyard. I am always looking up for this story on what happenee on the shipyard that day but can't find any :( Thank you for making these wonderful videos. I am always looking forward for your uploads!
The Industry of that time always fascinated me. It was still very early on with the possibilities they had yet they refined every last bit to create impressive technological masterpieces like the Oceanliners. Even more so that its a lot of craftsmen work that on a daily basis was not mass production but completely new designs for the new ships being built. I really look forward to your in detail video about this. I really enjoy your videos, thank you :D
One the most amazing things about shipbuilding, and the physics of buoyancy and displacement, is how they can put all this iron and steel together which combines for an enormous weight, and yet it can still float.
Thanks for posting this and all the information you provided! I really enjoyed it and look forward to more information about the people who built Titanic.
Absolutely love this guy, never fails to put a smile on my face, so glad i foud a channel so dedicated to the history of ocean liners and other magnificent ships, keep up the great work mike
Love the video! As a plumber I've searched the Internet high and low looking for detail on the plumbing on cruise ship and more specifically Titanic's plumbing. Maybe that's a future video?
I don't normally watch the Titanic stuff, but this was very interesting. I love the idea of the management starting by learning all the trades. A manager ought to know every job he supervises.
Looking forward to more of this series into the people that built the Titanic (and other ships). Like to think there was a draughtsman that started everyday by saying "Good morning, it's you colleague in oceanliner design"
Thank you for another entertaining and informative video. When I look at photos of the Harland & Wolff shipyard from the Titanic era, the Arrol Gantry stands out as a magnificent engineering achievement, in its own right. Just imagining how such a structure was conceived and built, is inspiring.
Great episode man some fantastic behind the scenes info about the ship being build. Only recently seen your interview on tv and realised your here in Australia ha ha. I thought for sure you were in the uk. Thank you for everything you do
Hey Mike, your videos are the best, hands down! I live in Ontario, Canada and I look forward to every video you put out. Ive been interested in the Olympic class ships for over 50 years. I thought I knew everything about them. But you seem to find new things and believe me I'm always riveted (lol) to your videos! My dedication to the Titanic is shown on my personalized licence plates on my car. It reads: CQD MGY!
I absolutely loved learning more about the shipyard. Do you have any plans to do more videos on other notable shipyards and shipbuilding companies? I feel like they don't get enough credit for the amazing ships they crafted.
Love your videos, Mike. It is so good to have a human face presenting. I'm guessing you put a lot of effort, thought and research into each one. I was born and lived in Belfast a mile or so from the H&W yard. The Drawing Office there was highly thought of and I wanted to work there, but sadly failed the necessary drawing exams. My father worked there as an electrician during WW2 and often reminisced about it, but he, like the other guys I knew who had worked there in the 1960/70s, never liked to talk about the Titanic. The very name remained a shadow over the shipyard for a long time, without justification. Only James Cameron changed that. Another great ocean liner built there (here) was the Canberra. I used to have a piece of formica covered worktop a cousin 'accidentally came home with' while it was being fitted out. Canberra might be a worthy subject for a video. Cheers again!
Thank you for focusing on the people who actually built these majestic ships. I look forward to your future posting on the massive complex of the shipyard itself. All too often, focus is placed on the life of a subject itself and not how and who caused it to exist in the first place.
My Grandfather was a driller at Harland & Wolff, he died around 40 years ago, a few years before I was born. He was diagnosed with widespread cancer and died a month later. As you stated, asbestos was used heavily, and he would have drilled through that material countless times and without protection
Hey Mike, I want to start off by saying I love your content. You’re so good at voicing, writing, illustrating, and editing these videos it’s awesome. I would really recommend that you take a break from titanic related stuff for a while and take a look at other ocean liner disasters, or even some stuff from the Great Lakes. I see a channel like Historic Travels and he basically became the titanic channel. He’s still releasing videos on the titanic. If you look at his views they’ve dropped off pretty steadily and he’s nowhere near what he used to be at. Unfortunately I think he’s kind of blown up his channel, and I don’t know if there’s any way to recover from that when you become known as “the x” channel. I just don’t want to see that happen to you. I think you offer a really fresh perspective on a lot of things. Best wishes to you and yours!
Its been written here before but again now... ... Outstanding commentary and production with such great photos and flow of info.. I rarely comment but was time after viewing many of your posts...
![Oasis - Oasis Live '25 [Official Trailer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gol_JnuEtKM/mqdefault.jpg)
Hey, it’s our friend, Mike Brady, from Oceanliner Designs!
❤❤❤
👌👌👌
Love that guy, reminds me of the titanic!
It’s awesome we all have the same friend!
👍
My great great grandfather was actually one of the people injured during the building of either Titanic or Olympic. The tragedy was that since he tried to go back to work again despite his injuries, Harland and Wolff wouldn't cover his medical bills and he eventually died due to complications relating to his injury. His wife had to raise five children by herself.
Great story and very sad by today's standards.
Hmm, it makes me want to look up Wolff and see what his deal is.. his upringing, etc. That's very cruel. They could easily afford that.
@@RobertCraft-re5sfwelcome to the corporate world. No one gives a damn about anyone else and 99% of us would do the same if we had the money
this is probably a very personal question, but, what was your Great-Great Grandfather's name? I can mention him in a Titanic video I'm making, "Titanic - Nightmare on the Atlantic"
Wow, what a bunch of lame asses. At least GGGrandma held it down. But what a compromising situation to be put in, Especially back then. Companies that do things of this nature are heartless.
As a boy born in Belfast the great shipyard was and still is a massive focal point of the city. I passed it just yesterday and its amazing to think of all the men flooding through those gates morning and evening in years gone by. Its s shame that its mostly all gone now but its still a privilege to be able to see and visit where the mighty Titanic was built any time i chose. Enjoying the video's you make Mike.
Belfast is where Winterfell is located if you’re a Game of Thrones fan
The fact that they built all of this without a single computer or 3d modeling software is nothing short of incredible. All they had were blueprints and the imagination to envision their creations right before their eyes.
Thats how it was all done back then until relatively recent times - designed and built by a skilled workforce who knew what they were doing.
I use computer aided drafting at work every day, and I'm amazed as well ... except on those days the software bogs down or glitches, and more time is spent troubleshooting than producing. Then I'm envious of simple drafting tools and their Library of Congress like workspace. I do wonder how much was just fabricated on the spot rather than drawn in advance.
@@rcnfo1197Very little I suspect. Now that doesn't mean there weren't allowances made when a fabricated piece deviated slightly from what the drawings called for, but in such cases the engineers would be consulted and either a workaround approved or the part scrapped and made over. Like any large project, I would expect there were three sets of drawings made (excluding copies). First a preliminary set, then a working set detailing changes as construction proceeded, and finally, an "as built" set accurate to the finished ship so that the yard had a reference to work from should replacement parts be needed years later in the ship's career.
Modern methods involve laziness.
If software said 2+2=5, then 'equals five' would be an unquestioned 'fact'.
NASA didn't lose a single Saturn V.
Musk lost his big rocket on its first flight.
His reaction?
Shrug of the shoulders. Whatever. Let's try again.
And that's without mentioning Boeing, Musk's competitor!
Prioritising 'doing things right' is apparently consigned to history.
Still mostly the same way. All of that paper work is on the computer.Any corrections were by hand. A computer could make that work faster. Plus stres testing can be simulated on models.
Days of old were trial and error
The Big Four eventually need their own video
Agreed
Mike I just want to say some things about what a testament to how good your channel is.
As an Aussie myself, I generally dont like narrators/presenters with an Australian accent, I guess growing up with it I just usually don't enjoy it 🤣
BUT, the way you narrate is just so lovely to listen to and i often just enjoy having playlists of your videos on in the background while I game or work.
Im also not super into maritime as a topic in general (aside from the pretty common fascination with Titanic) but i find the way you explain things with such simplicity and genuine love of the topic makes the info you give feel really digestible and understandable and I'm finding myself getting pulled into an interest I didnt have much draw to.
So, i just want to say thank you. For being company when I've needed to decompress, for being informative in a way thats accessible and for just coming across as an all around really likeable channel.
Keep up the absolutely spectacular work, my dude 🩷
That’s lovely feedback, thanks so much mate :)
We often have a lot of cultural cringe (towards ourselves) in Australia, so I understand where you’re coming from. But yeah, I also really like this channel.
Could be worse it could be a Northern Ireland accent. I cringe when I hear locals on programmes broadcast beyond these shores.
I spent over a decade working in a major shipyard, and I'm frankly surprised that only eight men lost their lives building Titanic. Shipbuilding is very hard, dangerous work, even today with OSHA and all the safety gear and regulations, I can only imagine the conditions that those men toiled under.
This should be good, my great grandfather worked at H&W as a riveter since he was 14.
And yes he did work on the Titanic.
Sure, a comment on youtube is totally beliveable
A sad thing about the Olympic, is they favoured younger boys with smaller frames as rivet buckers / peeners because they could get into the smaller spaces inside the hull to buck the rivets as they were driven from the outside. Unfortunately when they applied one of the final plates into position on the olympic, they forgot to that the bucking boy was still inside and with no escape he sadly perished inside the hull. And his skeleton was actually found when they were scrapping the ship.
@@shoominati23no, that is so sad!!!
Harland and Wolff certainly made some magnificent ships, Mike . Every one of your vids is a little masterpiece . Very well done .
It makes some great ships and hundreds of mediocre ones.
😢😢😢😢😮
I've long been curious about the operations of H&W, since all the Titanic books I devoured as a kid did not provide much detail into the subject. With this short video, you have conveyed more interesting information about H&W than I have learned anywhere else. For that, I thank you.
There are many famous and historic companies that still exist, but Harland and Wolff must be one of the coolest. Coming from a tiny nation with nothing anyone has ever heard of, I can't even imagine how cool it must be to work at Harland and Wolff, the same company that built the freaking TITANIC. There can't be many companies left that have built something as special as this.
Apart from H&W, are there any great shipbuilding companies left in Britain?
The Queens were built on the Clyde, the land now being used to build warships.
The Nimitz-sized cruise ships with thousands of hotel-spec cabins are built and in service in a couple of years.
The warships on the Clyde took 5 and a half years to get in the water, and won't be in service for another 3 years!
Vickers had forgotten how to build nuclear submarines and had to ask the US for help! Makes you proud of our maritime heritage.
Britain's long history of shipbuilding success is all we have. The present and future of British shipbuilding is nothing short of embarrassing.
Yes, what else does Ireland have to offer...
Titanic and its sister vessels weren't the last ships to be launched from H&W, it was a regular shipyard for a while but now it's just a small industrial works, mostly putting together windmills.
A member of a Parrish l served in Dearborn, MI, Jim Robinson s father worked as a carpenter supervisor on the first class staircase on Titanic also the Nomadic, from what l gather he was very very exacting... Jim said his dad thought Harland and Wolff cut corners on the decking of Titanic and he referred to Lord Pirrie in unflattering terms, to give you an idea of how exacting Mr.Robison was when he immigrated to Detroit he built his house entirely with pegs , no nails using the same tools he used on Titanic and Nomadic...l actually got to use them, what a thrill, also Harland and Wolff even built liners for North German Lloyd...great job Mike thanks
I used to have so many unanswered questions about Titanic and when I found your channel, a great feeling of relief and comfort came over me.
Thank you Mr. Brady 😊
There's a lesson to be learned from how H&W's top managment like Lord Pirrie, Alexander Carlisle, and Thomas Andrews were brought up through the system. By the time they arrived at what we'd call nowadays the "C Suite" level they'd been through all aspects of the business and understood it thoroughly. H&W wasn't alone in this respect either, every business worked the same in those days. There were no "MBA Short Cuts" to top management positions like there are today which in my opinion (and in others as well) are one of the causes of so many contemporary business failures and of businesses you'd never expect to fail, at least here in the US. An MBA means you're persistant in the pursuit of an advanced degree and you're good at math but it doesn't mean you're going to understand the business you find yourself employed by.
Was the old way perfect? No, nothing's perfect. But it worked far more often than it failed.
You’re describing State Farm Insurance. Supervisors do not necessarily know to do the jobs of the workers they are overseeing. Trainers may have never done the work they’re teaching.
@@Dulcimertunes Interesting! Here's one for you. I'm sure you've heard of Hostess, the cupcake company with so many other baked products in the line they're an American institution? They almost went out of business several years ago. What kind of idiots could take a colossus like Hostess and destroy it?
Luckily someone saw value in the brand name and bought the business so they're still around, and I'm guessing someone who understands the baked goods business.
Pretty cool. I live in Belfast and am regularly down at the Titanic slipways with my daughter where she rides her bike, she actually learnt to ride her bike there next to the museum. We often walk around where old buildings were walk around the dry dock that was built for Titanic. HMS Caroline sits in the dry dock now, but only takes up a fraction, so you can really tell how big Titanic was.
Thank you for this spotlight on the men who built Titanic. It's heartbreaking to know their labor, and lives, were so undervalued. Keep up the good work!
Worked at the Boeing Everett Factory for a few years. It's wild the things that can be found in an old factory. You'd walk into a room and find a shop you'd never even thought existed, or another room which was used for a project that was scrapped years ago and looks the same as the final day of the project.
A lot of talented people do a lot of work to get things built. It's cool to see when you can.
My father was a whitesmith who worked on ships' boilers which were lined with asbestos. (He also had a stint at Harland and Wolf in the 1930/40s.) He died of asbestosis. i hadn't realised how prevalent it was for shipyard workers in general. I really appreciate your content. Always something new to learn.
I just want to say, Mike is a fantastic story teller! He and his team (I think theres a team?) always put together such a compelling script and narrative for each video, and he delivers it excellently.
My great grandad worked at John Brown in Glasgow and worked on Aquitania and ships like that. He fought in WW1 and then moved to Derby in England.
I love going down to Queen's Island in Belfast and standing on the spot where Titanic was built. My dad started his working life in Harland and Wolff
Thanks for this, a really interesting video.
My dad started in H&W in approx 1938/39 as a heater boy, then when he was old enough began his apprenticeship as an iron turner in the engine works, where he worked for most of his career in the yard. When I started in 1977 as an apprentice electrician, it was still a desired place of employment, as the training received during apprenticeship for each of the trades was of a breadth, and depth, not really available in any other industry. When I worked there, we knew about Titanic, obviously, but there was nowhere even remotely close to the interest expressed in the boat nowadays, mostly due to the James Cameron movie. There was a vague feeling of shame about the boat's fate, which was by no means justified, as you stated in the video. It seems that its only since the film, Belfast has begun to appreciate what the men, and the yard, created.
Hey, there was nothing wrong with Titanic when she left Belfast! The H&W folks had noting to be ashamed of!
I agree. My father worked in H&W in the 1940s as an electrician. He had some stories about life there in black-outs during the Blitz, including a poor guy who took a wrong turn on his bike and went off the side of a wharf never to be seen again!
I knew a number of guys who worked there in the 1960/70s and none of them ever mentioned (or wanted to) the Titanic. I have the impression that, as you say, until the James Cameron film, it was almost a curse word, certainly in East Belfast where we lived. How things have changed.
@@neilhughes9310 As I understand it the word in Ulster now is:
"There was nothin' wrong with Titanic when she left Belfast!" And so there wasn't! Folks in Belfast should be proud of that ship and all the hard work and craftsmanship that went into her.
That is true now for sure, but sadly wasn’t always the case. Also, due to the sectarian divide in the city, especially through the 20th Century, praise was far from universal here. Happily that too has changed a lot.
@@neilhughes9310 I'm sorry, I'm not sure if you're replying to me, so I'm not sure what you're referring to when you say "That is true now for sure, but sadly wasn’t always the case" & "praise was far from universal here".
Greetings from Canada! Thank you so much Mike for your incredible hard work and enthusiasm narrating about the Titanic ( and other oceanliners). I got hooked back in the 80’s when Titanic was found and still fascinated. Keep up this wonderful work and thank you again!!!!!
Your vids are getting more and more polished as mini-documentaries.
Always look forward to seeing them in my feed.
We are planning a trip to Ireland this summer, including to N Ireland, Belfast. H&F shipyard is still there, the massive cranes are still there, H&W offices are now a beautiful boutique hotel and the Titanic Museum was built next to it. I am so excited to visit this area, it's been on the bucket list for years. I'm so so happy they restored the H&W offices and it looks stunning as a hotel. I can't wait!
Just down the road is HMS Caroline, one of the Royal Navy's oldest registered vessels. It might not be open to visitors when you're there, but you can get nice and close for a photo at least.
Depending on what they're doing with the yards when you're there, the big cranes may be close to the main road and easier to get a good look at.
I’ve been told that workers at Harland and Wolff used to say “she was alright when she left here.”
That's true
Harland and Wolff. Hummm. You’ve got me longing for Belfast. I have to wait. I’ll be back there in April. I just love sitting in the drawing office.
I hope you don't feel too fleeced by the local hotels and bars ;) we are experts in fleecing tourists.
@@WhatALoadOfTosca not a tourist! My father’s side of the family came from Belfast!
@@laratheplanespotter Then you'll know how much we locals are also being fleeced! Particularly in Belfast.
@@WhatALoadOfTosca ye. Everyone is!
The Titanic exhibit at the Harland and Wolf shipyard in Belfast is really worth a visit.
Every video is loaded with fantastic historical pictures, many of which I've not seen before.
As always, a well thought out presentation with a good mix of detail, graphics and CGI. This did remind me of the mini-series a few years back that covered building, launching and eventual sinking of this iconic ship. If I recall correctly, the series followed the lives of several characters from common labor (the daily cattle call at the gate for a day's wage, including religious animosity against Catholics) through some of the true craftsmen in various specialized shops right up to the top of the management offices and some of the decisions that had to be made during construction (i.e. the talk about the different rivets types and even some of the plate steel) and finally trying to find enough coal for the initial sailing as I believe the miners were striking for better wages at the time of sailing and the fuel was just not available.
You mean this one ?m.ruclips.net/video/nBVa2TFKHco/видео.html&pp=ygUYRml0dGluZyBvdXQgY3JldyB0aXRhbmlj
You mean this one?
m.ruclips.net/video/nBVa2TFKHco/видео.html&pp=ygUYRml0dGluZyBvdXQgY3JldyB0aXRhbmlj
Kind of sucks that you spend your whole career building ships and when it's over, you're only remembered for that one ship that sank on it's first voyage.
Hi Mike, love the videos! I live just across the road from what remains of the shipyard. It has always fascinated me, and I really appreciate your videos because there is always a lot more to learn. I have wondered, have you ever been to Belfast? SS Nomadic sits proudly restored, with a lot of original 1st class W.S.L. fittings inside, there's the Titanic museum itself, and the most overwhelming part for me is the graving dock, which truly hits home just how big a ship the Olympic class were.
Your recent video on the Titanic's engines was insanely good. My apprenticeship was spent in a nearby coal fired power station, in which the generation of power was largely the same process. Yet, that was on an enormous plot of land. Even more impressive again that this hybrid steam powerhouse was engineered into the hull of a vessel.
Thanks again Mike!
Hello from Belfast! I haven't watched this video yet, but knowing your works, Mike, it's going to be great! I'm immensely proud of our maritime history, and, Titanic Quarter is a must-go destination for everyone who sees this video, I think. Thanks for covering H&W!
There was a series called "The Time Tunnel" from the late 50's.
One of the early episodes was to travel back to the time of the Titanic and they had the Sword of Damocles decision to warn the crew or not thus altering the time line.
Well worth a look....
Your stories are classic and informative thanks.
Awesome video! The men who built these ships in those days definitely deserve some credit. Looking forward to fhe next video going in more detail!
When you were describing the types of employment at the shipyard, I got the strange feeling that not much has changed. Some people get into management because they are well-connected. Others work their way up to mid-level supervisorship through skill, talent, luck, and determination. The rest of us are stuck doing one repetitive task. 😢
Mike, your videos are perfect! Please keep going! You’re awesome mate!
I love these videos in the evening, perfect time to enjoy it.
One of the reasons I'm so in love with Titanic is just how incredible her design and construction was. I'm sure thats the case for many people.
I know people sometimes struggle with employment, but we really have no idea in our modern age just how desperate things could get for workers.
The scenario you described about the manual labor is exactly what my grandfather witnessed on his family's farm during the Great Depression. Dozens of men would wait outside the barns every morning, praying to be chosen for the day's labor in exchange for a loaf of bread and some eggs to bring home.
It's a testament to the craftmenship the people that worked there did that the company lives on today and they're back in the shipbuilding game.
Not only that, but the remarkable condition of the underlying structure of the wreck, even 110+ years later under 13,000 feet of saltwater at ~6000 PSI, is too
Oh I can tell already that I'm gonna love this series I've always been fascinated by the ship yard almost as long as I've been interested in the ships themselves
So happy they are Building Ships again
I’ve never had really any interest in maritime history, but after stumbling upon your videos, I’ve been binge watching all of them! These are the types of documentary’s that interest me and keep me engaged in the subject. Great work on all your videos! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to learn about this shipyard now.
I don’t know if you or anyone else has seen it, but there is an incredible documentary on the Our History RUclips channel called “Building the Titanic: The History of the Unsinkable Ship” which is like a one hour episode that has a real miniseries feel with great actors and a nice budget that really connects you to the people who built and made their lives building that ship.
As the wreck slowly crumbles, I wonder how many buoyant items, dragged down by the sinking, are now able to break free & rise to the surface? In fact, after more than a century being held at such immense water pressures, would the various timbers involved, both hard & softwood, still actually 'float'? : )
There's likely very little wood remaining down there, almost all of it having been eaten by undersea bacteria long ago
No, not much chance of that. Any hardwoods or softwoods would have been "waterlogged" under extreme pressure and incapable of floating to the surface.
Wood has long since been eaten by microorganisms.
Highly recommend the titanic museum if you happen to visit, was on my bucket list but underestimated just how much there is to do there.
Now I need to plan another trip!
I have seen many images of Titanic and Olympic over the years. For the first time I see pictures of the boilers under construction. Thank You.
I'm glad you will be making a longer version! This video was rather brief and there are many more interesting details worth talking about.
9:05 - and this, if you ever build scale models, is also the term to describe someone who has an obsession with accuracy as well as details.
Rivet Counter: "Painted nicely, but you should've used Testors 2.9°C Deep Atlantic Blue #10292939 for that part"
Model Builder: "stfu, it's the only paint I had"
Mike there is no one like you in terms of these kinds of videos. I always love the amount of emotion you put into these. Just amazing. Could I suggest a video? I'd love to see one on the workers in the aftermath of the sinking of Titanic. I've always wondered on the various trades and how it affected them. Thanks for all you do.
Good job again, Mike. I don't compliment you enough. Your work is so appreciated by myself. I am an ocean liner buff raised in the 60s.
At 3:14, I’ve alway wondered why ships seem to get those stains running down by the anchors and also underneath portholes.
At 5:09, I’ve literally been in that room! Stayed in the Titanic Hotel, which used to be the offices of the shipyard a couple of times
the rusty water coming off the anchor stains the side just under it. cars and other painted machines do the same thing if you ever see a stream of rust coming from underneath door handles or badges
I would’ve absolutely loved being a Draftsman at Harland and Wolff!
Holy Ship! What a great video Mike! Hearing about the people who built these vessels and worked on them is REALLY fascinating! I’m just a lonely viewer but please make more videos about the people, they have such interesting stories and they worked so hard!
It certainly would beat risking your neck on the scaffolding. I can't imagine the grief of another revision from the architect at 3pm that must be completed before the end of the day, with multiple sheets affected, all done by hand. It's hard enough today with computer aided drafting!
trust me you wouldn't. They may "still exist" today but they have very very very few employees and haven't built a ship in 60 years. You'd not have much to do it you were a draftsman lol
Not sure why i like these videos so much. You have made quite a niche for yourself. Great job.
To anyone wondering what happened to Harland and Wolff, they still exist today but they don't build ships. The last ship they build was The Anvil Point in 2002. They now build green power equipment such as wind turbines and the shipyard where Titan was built is now owned by a private preservation company. In 2019. Harland and Wolff went under with thier Norwegian parent company but were bought out and saved by InfraStrata.
Good sequel video to this would be John Brown Shipbuilding. Not to knock Harland and Wolff but they did get a boost at the beginning thanks to Wolff's uncle. John Brown had to work their way up from the very beginning by getting lucky with their second ship. Plus, what happened to the company and shipyard itself is quite interesting as well as rather sad in the case of the former.
Thanks for a change in the content, featuring the shipbuilders rather than the ships they built.
Must be heartbreaking for the labourers to hear of the news of the Titanic tragedy. The pride of their work slipped beneath the surface...
Titanic was a big hush in Belfast for years! It was, exactly as you described, their pride. Losing that, the men actually openly wept in the streets, and it wasn't talked about for years. Now, it's embraced in Belfast, as a massive feat of engineering that was built in our wee city.
@@SKAYHOOWTS wow I did not know that. Thanks for the comment
I love all of your videos. You’re a true gem in sharing historically accurate information on this wonderful time in human history. Keep up the good work. Your are is also amazing.
Can’t wait for your deeper dive into the special skills needed in the manufacturing of these great ships. Always enjoy your videos.
Yay! It's our friend, Mike Brady, from Oceanliner Designs. This Guy is a great RUclipsr 😊😊😊
❤❤❤
Love this. Would make a brilliant series looking at yards like John Browns at Clydebank
Even though today we construct ships far more advanced than these, I will never cease to be amazed by how much could be accomplished with much simpler tools of that era. Somehow, even though today we build bigger and better, the ships of that time still impress me more.
I'll tell you something, I think the ships of the time, especially the Olympic class of liners, were a hell of a lot more beautiful than the floating shoeboxes shipyards are turning out today.
Another top quality Video HWG!
Mike, I always learn something new and interesting from your videos. Thanks so much for all the time and effort you put in to them!
Man, the workers had a really hard time. 7 minutes per day of bathroom break? That alone is cruel that time.
Mike, can you please dive in to story of the day where the workers knew that the Titanic sank? That their masterpiece was swallowed by the North Atlantic just after less than a month when it left the shipyard. I am always looking up for this story on what happenee on the shipyard that day but can't find any :(
Thank you for making these wonderful videos. I am always looking forward for your uploads!
The Industry of that time always fascinated me. It was still very early on with the possibilities they had yet they refined every last bit to create impressive technological masterpieces like the Oceanliners. Even more so that its a lot of craftsmen work that on a daily basis was not mass production but completely new designs for the new ships being built. I really look forward to your in detail video about this. I really enjoy your videos, thank you :D
Yet another wonderful video. Thanks so much!
One the most amazing things about shipbuilding, and the physics of buoyancy and displacement, is how they can put all this iron and steel together which combines for an enormous weight, and yet it can still float.
Thanks for posting this and all the information you provided! I really enjoyed it and look forward to more information about the people who built Titanic.
I’ve enjoyed many of your videos now, thanks for the info & entertainment.
Absolutely love this guy, never fails to put a smile on my face, so glad i foud a channel so dedicated to the history of ocean liners and other magnificent ships, keep up the great work mike
Love the video! As a plumber I've searched the Internet high and low looking for detail on the plumbing on cruise ship and more specifically Titanic's plumbing. Maybe that's a future video?
You have really been on top of these videos, the ones posted here and on your secondary are all excellent!
Thanks legend! Its been a busy few weeks 😎
I don't normally watch the Titanic stuff, but this was very interesting.
I love the idea of the management starting by learning all the trades. A manager ought to know every job he supervises.
Looking forward to more of this series into the people that built the Titanic (and other ships). Like to think there was a draughtsman that started everyday by saying "Good morning, it's you colleague in oceanliner design"
Great video, as always, Friend Mike Brady!
Thank you for another entertaining and informative video. When I look at photos of the Harland & Wolff shipyard from the Titanic era, the Arrol Gantry stands out as a magnificent engineering achievement, in its own right. Just imagining how such a structure was conceived and built, is inspiring.
More of this please. More of not only ship history, but also context/related topics
Great episode man some fantastic behind the scenes info about the ship being build. Only recently seen your interview on tv and realised your here in Australia ha ha. I thought for sure you were in the uk. Thank you for everything you do
Fantastic video, Mike!
Amazing old footage of the shipyard, very interesting.
Yet again, another amazing video. Love your videos. The only videos I’ve been watching since I came home from school is your videos.
I enjoyed this video, especially the historic photos.
Absolutely amazing, you're a legend!
Hey Mike, your videos are the best, hands down! I live in Ontario, Canada and I look forward to every video you put out. Ive been interested in the Olympic class ships for over 50 years. I thought I knew everything about them. But you seem to find new things and believe me I'm always riveted (lol) to your videos! My dedication to the Titanic is shown on my personalized licence plates on my car. It reads: CQD MGY!
I absolutely loved learning more about the shipyard. Do you have any plans to do more videos on other notable shipyards and shipbuilding companies? I feel like they don't get enough credit for the amazing ships they crafted.
Yes I’d love to cover Vulkan AG, Vickers and John Brown :)
You do good work my guy. Videos are so well done
Amazing story! thank you. I have to compliment you on your story telling, its very intriguing!
Love your videos, Mike. It is so good to have a human face presenting. I'm guessing you put a lot of effort, thought and research into each one.
I was born and lived in Belfast a mile or so from the H&W yard. The Drawing Office there was highly thought of and I wanted to work there, but sadly failed the necessary drawing exams. My father worked there as an electrician during WW2 and often reminisced about it, but he, like the other guys I knew who had worked there in the 1960/70s, never liked to talk about the Titanic. The very name remained a shadow over the shipyard for a long time, without justification. Only James Cameron changed that.
Another great ocean liner built there (here) was the Canberra. I used to have a piece of formica covered worktop a cousin 'accidentally came home with' while it was being fitted out. Canberra might be a worthy subject for a video.
Cheers again!
Thank you for focusing on the people who actually built these majestic ships. I look forward to your future posting on the massive complex of the shipyard itself. All too often, focus is placed on the life of a subject itself and not how and who caused it to exist in the first place.
I am happy you chose to dive in on H&W. I have wanted to know more about the the inner workings! Excited for the next one buddy!
I've seen t-shirts from Belfast with a picture of Titanic and the quote "She was alright when she left here".
My Grandfather was a driller at Harland & Wolff, he died around 40 years ago, a few years before I was born. He was diagnosed with widespread cancer and died a month later. As you stated, asbestos was used heavily, and he would have drilled through that material countless times and without protection
Man you get better and better
That' was fkgn Awesome!
Great footage tool
Hey Mike, I want to start off by saying I love your content. You’re so good at voicing, writing, illustrating, and editing these videos it’s awesome. I would really recommend that you take a break from titanic related stuff for a while and take a look at other ocean liner disasters, or even some stuff from the Great Lakes.
I see a channel like Historic Travels and he basically became the titanic channel. He’s still releasing videos on the titanic. If you look at his views they’ve dropped off pretty steadily and he’s nowhere near what he used to be at. Unfortunately I think he’s kind of blown up his channel, and I don’t know if there’s any way to recover from that when you become known as “the x” channel. I just don’t want to see that happen to you. I think you offer a really fresh perspective on a lot of things. Best wishes to you and yours!
Its been written here before but again now... ... Outstanding commentary and production with such great photos and flow of info.. I rarely comment but was time after viewing many of your posts...
Thanks so much!
Another very successful documentation,Thank You 👍👍👍 it's unbelievable that they painted the Olimpic white just for the photo🙂🙂
@Oceanliner Designs, werent the rivet guns pneumatic instead of hydraulic? Awesome Video as always btw =)