09III/09IV (093/094) Nuclear Submarine Thread

[Maikeru]

Right, there are 3 bays in the East hall, each with 2 sets of rails going in. Taken the inner rail from each pair and they are ~13m apart i.e. the same as the outer pair on the track leading from the painting shed to the launch barge!

The SSBN go on 13m trolleys, SSNs on 7m trolleys. Now do you understand?

 

[Blitzo]

Right, there are 3 bays in the East hall, each with 2 sets of rails going in. Taken the inner rail from each pair and they are ~13m apart i.e. the same as the outer pair on the track leading from the painting shed to the launch barge!

The SSBN go on 13m trolleys, SSNs on 7m trolleys. Now do you understand?

I used to think that SSBNs may be needed for the 13m gauge rails, but I've actually come to reflect that they might be able to be accommodated on the 7m rails. Because after all the gauge of the rails is only a fraction of the actual trolley/cradle width that they can mount.

For all we know the 13m gauge rails are intended to accommodate cradles for hull diameters much larger than that of a SSBN.

 

[ACuriousPLAFan]

Right, there are 3 bays in the East hall, each with 2 sets of rails going in. Taken the inner rail from each pair and they are ~13m apart i.e. the same as the outer pair on the track leading from the painting shed to the launch barge!

The SSBN go on 13m trolleys, SSNs on 7m trolleys. Now do you understand?

I mean, sure, you can go with the 13m trolleys using the inner rails from each of the 3 pairs at the eastern hall if you don't mind getting stuck at the door.

For your information, only one of the two sliding doors at the eastern hall can be opened at any given time.



On the other hand, two of the three sliding doors at the southern hall can be opened at any given time.



So there's that.

 

[Blitzo]

I mean, sure, you can go with the 13m trolleys using the inner rail pairs at the eastern hall if you don't mind getting stuck at the door.

For your information, only one of the two sliding doors can be opened at any given time at the eastern hall.

Actually, that isn't the case -- the doors are able to be rolled across to the adjacent corridor if there is no adjacent door on the same door level.

We see it partly in play here:



The ability of the doors to slide into adjacent building ways, means they are actually able to fully open up a building way if needed.

Depicted using excel rectangles simply (note, the "all doors closed" depiction is just one version, technically there's nothing stopping each layer of door being in different positions per building corridor):

 

[ACuriousPLAFan]

Actually, that isn't the case -- the doors are able to be rolled across to the adjacent corridor if there is no adjacent door on the same door level.

We see it partly in play here:

View attachment 167499

Oh right. I was assuming that both sides of each door has door frames that blocks one side of the sliding door of one corridor from sliding into another corridor.

Then, sure - But I still see no reason why the southern halls couldn't build SSBNs as per alleged by @Maikeru, especially when the southern hall is both longer and wider than the eastern hall.

 

[Blitzo]

Oh right.

Then, sure - But I still see no reason why the southern halls couldn't build SSBNs as per alleged by @Maikeru, especially when the southern hall is both longer and wider than the eastern hall.

Yes, I agree with that as well.

Ultimately a 7m rail gauge is probably enough to support a SSBN hull diameter cradle, per what I wrote on #4392 above on this page.


For all we know the 13m rail gauge is intended to support much, much larger diameter submarines if they are ever developed.

 

[ACuriousPLAFan]

Yes, I agree with that as well.

Ultimately a 7m rail gauge is probably enough to support a SSBN hull diameter cradle, per what I wrote on #4392 above on this page.

Indeed. Here are a couple examples (Astute SSN (~10-11 meters) and Vanguard SSBN (~12 meters) at Barrow-in-Furness):

 

[ACuriousPLAFan]

For all we know the 13m rail gauge is intended to support much, much larger diameter submarines if they are ever developed.

Something with roughly similar sizes as the Oscar and Typhoon-classes?

 

[Blitzo]

Something with roughly similar sizes as the Oscar and Typhoon-classes?

Certainly not outside the scope of possibility, when considering that this assembly hall may be in use for many decades and they probably wanted to make sure it was future proof, size wise, if only to be on the safe side.

 

[AndrewS]

My guess is that the Eastern hall will be used mainly for 096 SSBN and the Southern hall for 095 SSN going forward. Which will enable 3 SSBN and up to 8 SSN able to be constructed concurrently. Bear in mind SSBN will be in the hall for longer. If we assume 3 years per SSBN and 2 yrs per SSN that gives an annual launch rate of 1 x SSBN and 4 x SSN. Which I think is reasonable over the medium term.

I doubt we will see 3 SSBNs being built concurrently. My guess is that the eventual requirement for Type-096 SSBN is likely 4-6 boats (like the preceding Type-094 SSBNs).

With the Type-094 SSBNs, we saw 2 boats simultaneously being assembled.
When you have such small production runs, it's way more cost-efficient to assemble boats one after the other.