U.S.S. TEXAS - BB35

 

 

Central Station

 

Be sure to click on the stars and arrows on the deck plan shown below to see photos taken from that spot on the ship and in the direction the arrow points.  Click on individual images to enlarge them.

Central Station is a heavily armored compartment deep within the ship.  Two functions were served within it.  The ship could be steered from this location using the steam powered system and the hydraulically linked system seen in the photos.  More importantly, the ship's first lieutenant served as the ship's damage control officer and he filled those duties from this compartment.   A fire alarm panel and telephone switchboards allowed him to monitor the entire ship, communicate anywhere, and command damage control parties.  Central station also contains draft indicators, inclinometers and other equipment that allows quick visualization of the ship's floating condition.  

 

 

 

Wheel1.JPG (87068 bytes) Wheel3.JPG (78329 bytes)

The wheels located on the Navigation Bridge and in the Armored Conning Tower are mechanically linked by shafts to the wheel and two hydraulic telemotors seen in the photo to the left.  The telemotors are hydraulic pumps that push and pull hydraulic cylinders located at the steam steering engine and provide steering input to it. The left photo is a front view and the right is a rear view of the position.  The vertical shaft rising from the mechanism is geared to horizontal shafts that run forward and aft.  The forward shaft connects to the Conning Tower wheel and the rear shaft connects to the Navigation Bridge wheel.  These can be disengaged from the telemotors with the white levers that can be seen in the top of the photo.  Note the voice tube that ends just above the wheel that allows direct communication with the Conning Tower.

PBX.JPG (80363 bytes) SndPhBrd.JPG (61199 bytes) ShipPA.JPG (44502 bytes)

FireBrd1.JPG (71514 bytes) FireBrd2.JPG (16976 bytes)  

Photos on the left show the PBX phone panel, the sound powered phone panel, fire alarm panel and ship's intercom.  Excellent communications was critical both for determining nature and extent of damage, and also for fighting fires and controlling flooding.

DraftInd.JPG (82927 bytes) Inclimtr.JPG (17094 bytes)

Draft.JPG (21903 bytes) Knotlog.JPG (18560 bytes) DedRecAn.JPG (29311 bytes) DedRecAn2.JPG (120377 bytes)

The top, left photo is of a Draft Indicator that contains a compressed profile of the ship's hull along with deck and frame markings.  A horizontal reference line indicating waterline could be set using information from the Draft gauge.  The profile tilted behind the waterline reference to not only indicate fore and aft trim, but also clearly show decks and compartments subject to flooding.  The second shows the Inclinometer.  It indicated degree of ship list, or leaning to the left or right.  These two instruments combined to accurately indicate the effects of flooding and help form strategies for countering it.  The second row, left photo is of a Draft gauge that precisely measures distance from the waterline to the ship's keel.  The right photo is of a Knot Log, or speed indicator.  The last two photos are of a Dead Reckoning Analyzer.  It was a simple analog computer that could generate continuous estimates of ship's position by using inputs from the knot log, the gyro compass and a clock.  Output from the DRA could be sent to a Dead Reckoning Tracer, such as the one found in Main Battery and Plotting Room where the ship's course was plotted on a map.  It was accurate as long as current and windage were not significant factors.  The system was a little like a 1940's version of a GPS system.