Harland and Wolff signed the agreement with the White Star Line to build the Olympic Class Ships on 31st July 1908. At 260 metres (850 feet) long, 28 metres (92 feet) wide and 46,000 tons the ships would be the biggest in the world, a problem for Harland & Wolff as they did not have a slipway big enough to build the ships.
To facilitate their construction two new slipways were built, big enough to allow two ships to be built along side each other.
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| Harland and Wolf Shipyard Plan |
A giant gantry was constructed around the two slipways by Sir William Arrol and Co of Glasgow. The structure was 256 metres (840 feet) long, 83 metres (270 feet) wide, 69.5 metres (228 feet) high. It had 4 electric lifts and a central crane imported from Germany to move the materiel for the construction of the ships.
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Harland and Wolff Belfast
Arrol Gantry Plan |
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Harland and Wolff Belfast
Building the Slipways |
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Harland and Wolff Belfast
Constructing the Arrol Gantry |
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Harland and Wolff Belfast
Arrol Gantry |
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Harland and Wolff Belfast
Offices and Gantry |
The two ships were designated 400,the Olympic and 401, the Titanic.
The keel of the Olympic was laid on 16th December 1908, and by the middle of March 1909 the double skinned bottom of the vessel was built and riveting was in progress.
