Isambard Kingdom Brunel Biography and Timeline — Page 11

Paddington Station

The first Great Western Railway service departs from Brunel's new Paddington Station before completion of the roof.

SS Great Eastern

The keel of SS Great Eastern is laid at John Scott Russell's shipyard in Millwall.

Paddington Station

Brunel's permanent Paddington Station formally opens with a three-span wrought-iron and glazed train shed.

Royal Albert Bridge

Construction begins on Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge across the River Tamar between Devon and Cornwall.

Floating Gun Batteries

Brunel submits designs for floating gun batteries intended for use during the Crimean War.

Great Eastern Side-Launch Method Planned

Because of the ship's enormous length and the narrow Thames, Brunel plans to launch Great Eastern sideways.

Royal Albert Bridge Works Restarted

Major construction restarts on the Tamar railway bridge after the earlier preliminary phase.

Great Eastern Side Launch Planned

Brunel chose a sideways launching system because the vessel was too long for a conventional end launch into the Thames.

Paddington New Train Shed Enters Service

Brunel's permanent station began handling railway services as work on its great roof continued.

Renkioi Hospital

The War Office asks Brunel to design a prefabricated military hospital for the Crimean War.

Renkioi Hospital

Brunel completes his modular hospital design six days after receiving the commission.

Renkioi Hospital

The prefabricated Renkioi Hospital is assembled and prepared to receive British military patients.

Great Eastern Five-Funnel Arrangement Developed

The giant steamship is designed with five funnels serving its extensive steam machinery.

Renkioi Bathing and Sanitary Facilities Planned

The modular wards include dedicated washing, bathing and sanitary facilities rather than relying on improvised arrangements.

Renkioi Drainage Network Designed

Brunel incorporates systematic drainage and sewerage into the hospital plan to improve sanitation.

Renkioi Fifty-Bed Ward Module Designed

Brunel develops a standard hospital unit divided into two twenty-five-bed wards for rapid prefabricated construction.

Renkioi Hospital Components Prefabricated in Britain

Standardised timber and iron components are manufactured in Britain for shipment to the Dardanelles site.

Renkioi Jetty-to-Hospital Railway Planned

A small railway is incorporated into the site plan to move stores and patients from the landing jetty toward the hospital.

Renkioi Kitchens Integrated with Ward Ranges

Purpose-built kitchens are positioned to serve groups of hospital wards efficiently.

Renkioi Laundries Integrated with Sanitation System

Dedicated laundries are included in the prefabricated complex and connected with the hospital's drainage arrangements.

Renkioi Modular Expansion Planned

Brunel's prefabricated layout allows the hospital to expand rapidly as additional ward buildings are shipped and assembled.

Renkioi Thousand-Bed Layout Prepared

Brunel develops a large modular plan capable of accommodating roughly one thousand military patients.

Renkioi Ventilation System Integrated

The hospital design includes planned ventilation so fresh air can be distributed through the prefabricated ward buildings.

Renkioi Hospital

Designs a prefabricated hospital for wounded soldiers.

Role range: 1853-1856 – 1855-1855

Great Eastern Watertight Subdivision Developed

Brunel designed extensive internal compartments as part of the ship's unusually advanced damage control arrangements.

Great Western Serves Crimean Troop Transport

The British government employed Great Western as a troop transport during the Crimean War after her civilian mail service.

SS Great Eastern

Work on SS Great Eastern stops temporarily after John Scott Russell's shipbuilding business becomes bankrupt.

Central Tamar Pier Capped

The central river pier is completed to the stage needed for erection of its upper iron support structure.

Great Eastern Construction Resumes after Financial Crisis

Work continues after disruption caused by John Scott Russell's financial difficulties and bankruptcy.

Great Eastern Shipbuilding Finance Reorganised

Financial arrangements were altered to enable continued construction after the contractor's difficulties.

Great Western Withdrawn For Dismantling

Great Western was withdrawn and broken up on the Thames in 1856 after nearly two decades of service.

First Royal Albert Truss Floated

The first great main-span truss is floated into position on barges before being raised above the river.

First Tamar Truss Turned into Alignment

Tugs, naval vessels and hundreds of workers manoeuvre the first main truss through the river into alignment with its piers.

SS Great Eastern

The first attempt to launch SS Great Eastern sideways ends in failure and the death of a worker.

Portrait

Robert Howlett photographs Brunel standing before the launching chains of SS Great Eastern.

Great Eastern Launching Chains and Rams Prepared

Brunel prepares heavy chains and hydraulic equipment for the difficult sideways launch of the enormous ship.

Great Eastern First Launch Fails

The first sideways launching attempt failed and the operation caused a fatal accident among the workers.

Great Eastern Hydraulic Launch Equipment Reworked

Engineers adjusted the rams and chains intended to move the heavy ship sideways toward the Thames.

SS Great Eastern

SS Great Eastern is finally floated after repeated and costly launching attempts.

First Tamar Span Raised to Final Height

Hydraulic jacks lift the first main truss to its final height about one hundred feet above the water.