Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume I

BUILDING OF THE TRAIN-FERRY “BAIKAL.” 77 In this shelter the Baikal remained until she had been nearly completed. (See Fig. 7.) The railway had arrived at the lake late in the autumn of the previous year, and had brought the remaining parts of machinery and boilers from Krasnoyarsk. The main engine bedplate and auxiliary machinery were put on board before the launch, and the machinery, at the head of the gangway, and just about to enter the carriage deck. For taking the boilers off the trucks a strong wooden “ gantry ” was erected Putting overhead, and from this the Boilers on boiler was supported (Fig. 8). Board. The wheels were then re- moved from the truck and its body lowered THE LAUNCH OF THE “ ANGARA.” (^- ■Z"-) which had been housed and cleaned at the works, was brought across by barge and landed at Baranschick. The outfit was now completed, and the next eight months saw us very busy getting every- thing on board and fitted into place. The shipping of the boilers presented by far the greatest difficulty, and three months of hard labour were expended before they were in position in the ship. Fig. 9 shows a boiler and withdrawn. The boiler was then let down on to a sleigh, which was hauled over a snow track, up the gangway, and along the deck to the boiler-room opening, strongly planked over, and supported by shores under- neath. On this platform the boiler was placed, and slung up on sheer-legs. The foundation was then removed and the boiler lowered into position. This performance had to be re- peated for each of the fifteen boilers ; and as