Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Full Scale Ships => Topic started by: Colin Bishop on October 08, 2010, 10:06:20 pm
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The recent postings on the Titanic topic reminded me of a little known fact about the big liners of the time.
Electrical lighting and power was a comparatively recent introduction and electrical wiring was quite expensive. So the common practice was to run a positive wire to whatever appliance was receiving power with a negative return through the structure of the ship. Cheap and effective, just like your car in fact!
However, the insulation on the wiring was rubber which tended to perish after a time and the 'working' of the ship in a seaway could also put stress on the cabling leading to a breakdown in the wiring. The exposed wire then contacted the surrounding metal and pfffft! A short circuit, often behind nice wooden panelling which led to a fire. Many ships were lost to this cause and others were retired prematurely as to replace all the wiring would have been uneconomic.
The lesson for us modellers?
Always fit a fuse!
Colin
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:-))