"Below" - The SS United States - A DVD promo by Robert Wogan

[LadyRider2007]

My parents were on this ship! Watch the video: Gertrude kerschner's Life Story at LadyRider2007 - thanks! :)

[Steamer659]

Twin 60,000 SHP Turbine Sets in each engine room!

[KenMacMillan]

Makes me wish I were rich so I could restore her.

[eebola1701]

OMG, the cost to refit her.....just gut the entire ship, and bring everything up to date. I crossed over on her in 1966, what a ride

[no1butmeau]

ok could some please tell me what would it take for this ship to have its own power i mean the engine room seems to be all there what would they have to do can they just flick switches and the power is on i no nothing about ships could some one tell me please thank you

[marieprewett]

I have mixed feelings about videos such as this. They are posted with the best of intentions: "This (fill in blank) needs our financial support". But they also alert vandals that a tempting target is out there. That's what happened when a youtube video was posted for a neglected, unguarded landmark estate in Barbados. Within a month it was torched. Now that the SS United States may possbily get a new life the last thing she needs is vandals pulling out wires and pipes for scrap value.

[Glidescube]

It's amazing how intact it is. The engine room used to be festooned with asbestos insulation that was ripped out in the 90s

[hullchipper]

thats a fire room , babcock and willcock steam boilers ,, shudders with the thought of cleaning that up , has to be two decks deep......

[galloway62042009]

Im glad its so creepy inside because its kept people Out for 60 years so the Machinery is untouched

[4freespeech]

Think if you got way down in there and your flashlight burned out.

[4freespeech]

Tell you what. Next year the ship will be 60 years old. I have worked on old

yachts during my days as mechanic at marinas along the Chesapeake.

A ship is not like a building on land with 60-year-old plumbing. At sea the

elements take their toll no matter how well equipment is maintained.

Just looking at all those pipes and old valves I can just imagine the night-

mare of trying to put all that back into service. Packings are rusted and

metal is corroded. It would be constant break-downs.

[Haffschlappe]

ask the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation for helping saving this greatest ship of all?

Main Office

PO Box 23350

Seattle, WA 98102

(206) 709-3100

[trainguydave]

Wow!! Is that ever huge! It just seems to go on forever! How did you find your way out? ...or is that what you were trying to do this whole time? ;-)

[trainguydave]

Wow!! Is that ever huge! It just seems to go on forever! How did you find your way out? ...or is that what you were trying to do this whole time? ;-)

[rlgn1950]

Thank you for this video. My Grandparents sailed the Big U and the SS America on their trips to Europe. The closests I ever got to sail them was standing on their deck. LOL

[firstperson760]

thx dude, cool vid.

[jimmyzat]

correction, the hull is 92% of original

[jimmyzat]

For a ship that has been neglected for 40 years, she is in amazingly good condition. The hull has been surveyed to be 98% of original (and overbuilt to begin with). It's amazing to see the machinery spaces as intact as they are. The superstructure is entirely aluminum, hence no rust above the main deck (the hull is steel). Yes, the interior is gutted, but if it hadn't been (for asbestos removal) no one would have touched the ship with a 10 foot pole. She can be saved.

[mindlessprimitive]

this and the uss mount vernon/ ss washington are my favorite passenger ships built. if they do get rid of her, i say they sink her off hawaii by the saratoga.

[dutyhole1734]

how did you get in ? thats incredable everything below decks is in tact ?

[TheZomiehunter]

great footage,can you get some footage on the upper decks inside the ship ?

[spitfireJEJ]

It's a terrible shame but she is far too far gone. Let her die with whatever dignity remains. Every day that passes is a humiliation to this proud ship. If her name had not been "United States" she would long since have been put out of her misery.

[NeXeLsXPrOdUcTiOnS]

cool somewhere you dont usually see in an ocean liner great video

[prckay]

how were you able to get inside.

will theyt fix her

[v8man1]

god u wouldent wana try to get out there in a hurry.

basicly what she needs in to be put into dry dock and her underneath seen to before she rots and sinks where she sits,if shes lookin rough where we can see above the water line,whats she like below the waterline.come on somone buy her and save her.if she was to sail again she would still be the fastest afloat but cannot see that happening.but dry dock is first step i think.

[hedablinka]

Eh. Seen one engine room and you've seen them all. What I keep waiting for is the elusive interior of this ship. Why is everyone so reticent about showing what the passenger compartments looked/look like?

[pancreasmen]

SAVE THAT SHIP. It is in good enough condition

[TransamJc]

NCL if The united states is shiped out will be doing a criminal offence. They said they are taking breakers offers though the city of philly has said that ship is not to be moved and is to be restored. so write your congress man or senator and make sure that if Ncl and Star do plan on moving the ss united states it is either to be restored and placed back in service or is to be moved to be restored less legal trouble that way

[brotmann86]

god i never had the nerves to walk through these huge rooms and floors without normal lightning and alone!

im almost scared watching this ;) , i never knew i am such a baby

[timbonjovi]

exTao109, maybe thats the auxillary boiler room?

[timbonjovi]

Im getting ready to take my 3rd class Boilermans test. When I watch this video, I think about how much work it took to maintain a plant like that.

[alexanderdanas08]

at 3:10 i saw a skull

[pwd75]

amazing vid!! but how in earth did you get in there? weren´t you afraid of getting lost?

[gemini16th]

Thanks for posting this!- I've heard that when the ship was in service(1952- 1969), the engine room was very "top-secret" by the U.S.goverment/shipbuilders, and no one was admitted to tour the area under NO circumstances.

[EnigmaNZ1]

True, it used basically the same propulsion plant as the Iowas, which was also used in the later super carriers, so it was indeed classified. Designed from the start to be usable in a war to carry 15000 troops, it had 2in thick plating, a lot of partitioning, could cruise at 31 knots on 2/3 power etc

[NJRocks281]

imagine if ur flashlight went dead

[exTAO109]

Great video woganworks. Are you sure that's the Big U though? The scale of the machinery appears to be a little small for half of a 240k shp plant. Check the size of the sootblowers, boiler gage glasses, electric motors powering the auxiliaries, and the SSTG. With 1000 psi steam the apparent size of that geneartor would be 1000kw at best, not nearly enough for a super liner.

Could you have mixed your videos up?

[woganworks]

@exTAO109

No. This is the Big U. Who could mix-up something like that?

[4624tone]

@woganworks Hey I'm just here watching your video and Eyewitness news just said man just paid 3million for her and is gonna rebuild it.. man that will be awsome ive looked at this beauty since towed back from France,what? 15yrs ago, when i worked at CSX on Del Ave, I will mos def buy me and wife tickets for the first voyage, hope to see you their! Thanks for video.

[woganworks]

@exTAO109

No, this is the Big U. Watch again.

I could not mix-up a journey like this.

[CruiseShipMaster]

Look at all that classic Ocean Liner Machinery just sitting there! Someone's got to do something or she's going to rust away... :(

[dks2853]

My dad was an engineer on her..did anyone know Barney Homick? I had been down the engine room when I was a kid..we need to save her! What memories watching...I can nearly see dad..it was hard work.

[dks2853]

My dad was an engineer down in that engine room..I had been there when I was a kid. We have to save her! Did anyone know Barney Homick?

[juderoberts1of]

imagine being valve operater holy bejesus.

[juderoberts1of]

nice vid easy to find your way out , freeky

[IRI5HJ4CK]

To think, the engine room would once of been teaming with life....

She didn't have a long career really, Such a shame. And considering she could go faster astern than most ships could go ahead? A mighty feat of engineering with keeping...America's Flag ship, Will live on!!

[jtolliver]

Cool video. I think that ship needs a few more pipes, though...

It does look in surprisingly good shape for as long as it's been laid up.

[jhstealth]

sweet video, how did you get to do that did you break into it? I live down the street and im thinking about going and walking the dock next to it, i guess well see how that goes.

[76TomD]

Okay... neat but very creepy! Kept thinking some honeless person was going to pop out from behind something!

[Franko94]

If you believe in ghosts and you look for them, you will see them. If you are logical and dont believe in them, you won't see them lol.

[76TomD]

:> well put!

[c9ari]

Anyone still around who knows how to run her

[muddshovel1]

The Engines are they oil fired boilers ?

[vargas37]

You might need to attach the props,too

[pieman97405]

Anyone care to join me in firing her up and taking her to sea?

[jvarela965]

ME!

[pieman97405]

Ok, we need 356 other people now.

[DIAPERGRAVY52]

im in,i'll drive 15 hours east pick me up at the docks in halifax i'll supply the beer...

[pieman97405]

Your closer then me, I'm in Oregon... be prepared to bring allot.

[applesweeter]

Fire it up and take a journey around the world. Profit from ticket sale can be use for charity purpose (to help those need help such as children in hospital).

If the profit of ticket sale is for charity use to help people, I will help to fire up the engine again!!!!!

[pieman97405]

They gutted the interior back in the 90's, all we could do is show her off.

[BERGRS]

In a ny min

[zequelll]

id be afraid some of those pipes/valves could blow from sitting around so long lol

[TransamJc]

what is wrong with all of you? her restoration would create jobs and such. not to mention she is the only american oceanliner left when cruise liners still were considered art. are we just going to let her meet the tourch, is that what you want people to think about us americans

[cruiserchris92]

thank you so much for this amazing video! I've been searching all over the internet for some deck plans, and now I can see the general idea of how they look like! If you visit my page, you'll see what I'm working on

[SC1337]

i would have gotten lost

[TitanicMatthew]

I Know Its Got SOME Rust Down There But DANG~! She Looks GOOD~!

I Betcha If You Fired Up One Of Them Boilers She'd START UP~!

the Machinary Is In VERY GOOD CONDITION And By The Looks Of It Needs A Minor Overhaul.

The Hull Which Is Aluminum Is Rusting But That can be EASILY Repaired.

Re-Fitting Will be Costly Tohugh Since The Interiors Are Gutted.

HTen Just Slap SOme Paint On Her And Hoist The Ol' Flag And AWAY SHE GOES~!

Queen Of The Sea's ONCE AGAIN~!

SAVE THE S.S. UNITED STATES~!

[AKnave]

RE: "The Hull Which Is Aluminum Is Rusting But That can be EASILY Repaired."

The hull is steel, the superstructure is aluminum. The superstructure is reportedly badly deteriorated, and would have to be replaced if ever she were put to sea again (which will never happen, regrettably).

[TransamJc]

hey hold the tourch pal a naval engineer just said she was sound

[haywoodbadman10]

this video is amazing it shocked me how thin the walkways were and it luks a bit eerie

[manokiller]

I must applud your work.. It is wonderful to see someone who would do this for the benifit of art, and knowledge... and shwoing those how bad it really is

[makebelieveballroom]

Nice vid!Would be nice to see the boiler rooms and steam generators,(Babcock and Wilcox)I think, the turbine room, GE's I believe, and the shaft alleys, with a man standing next to a shaft for size reference.Design speed of 38knots,I believe she made 42 on her maiden voyage. Great stuff.Thanx for posting!

[ibook133]

Steam turbine heated by oil burning.

[katobanano]

This is a wonderful video, reminds me of my old machinst mate days in the navy... a lot of the same stuff, steam plant technology hasn't changed much in the past 50 years

[nadeaugil]

Dude, or should I say flange head, from an BT this ship is almost as old as the Iowa Class BBs. Allot has changed since then.

[zequelll]

speaking of the iowas [which i was just thinking about lol] someone needs to save it from the ghost fleet.

[TOOL2288]

we... all should go there and protest.

[cakerat1]

Very Cool, thank you for this awesome for of art

[jaxxfat]

Awesome part of history just sitting there waiting to be saved.I would restore her in parts slowly not upgrade many things, keep the turbines and keep her a classic.These mechanical systems are not easily replaced.She is unique and should and will only become more unique..

[woganworks]

To learn more about the ship and what is happening currently visit the SSUS Conservancy's web site. There you can find general information about the ship and the community that want to see her sail again. Also, an up coming documentary called "Lady in Waiting" will be airing on PBS in the next couple of months.

[suprasucks]

do not scrap this ship...

many people are in love with her such as myself and will be heartbroken to see her get scraped

[Eskes1]

When are this video done?

Amazing. Hope she will once more go as passenger liner.

I think a nuclear power plant wold make her economic in 40 knots.

[woganworks]

I did this in 1999 as part of an art show for the Liverpool Bienneal and again in Chelsea, NYC. I installed a metal maze that let to a video projecion room. The video is 55min and was shot in one take. I wired an infared and dat recording system to a construction helmut and powered it with a lawn tractor battery. On the full length video it is clear the the journey in the bowels of the vessel have taken a toll on me it was around 100 degrees down there.

[Bilton1956]

Astounding! My interest in this ship lies mostly with its mechanical aspects. The sheer complexity is mind blowing. I just wish I knew what all those machines,gauges,and pipes do! The only thing I recognised was one of the turbine casings. The ship must be saved, and, at all costs, with the wonderful power plant intact.

Thankyou for posting this video, I enjoyed it so much.