Please note that for safety reasons persons must be at least 48” tall to enter the engine room.
The engineering department provides all the utilities a small town would need as well as the propulsion of the ship.
During wartime, the Engine Room was the most dangerous place to be on a Liberty ship because the crew worked below the waterline. If torpedoed, the engineers could be trapped below. Numerous emergency escapes led to the boat deck, including the chain ladder visible to the side of the catwalk.
Another escape ladder is located inside the ventilation shaft. The hand-cranked awnings or “skylight covers” above you opened for ventilation. They originally had a series of baffles, or light shields, for use while operating under blackout conditions.
Although the engine room is hot during operation, it’s surprisingly quiet enough to converse in a normal tone of voice. One exception was during the war while in convoy and the escorts were engaging submarines. The concussion from depth charges traveled through the water and pounded the hull like a drum, which was a terrifying experience for the crew.
CAUTION: Be aware that all this machinery is fully operational, so please do not turn valves, throw switches, or touch any of the equipment. Use both hands on the rails when descending to the lower levels.
Explore this Station's Gallery
From the Engine Room Entry platform, take the ladder down one level to the top of the cylinder heads to learn how the Engine Room operates.