Isambard Kingdom Brunel - Pushing the Boundaries
2015 ж. 7 Ақп.
114 355 Рет қаралды
Some of Brunel's outstanding engineering achievements, many of which are well known and remain in use to this day. From his railways, bridges and viaducts to the first tunnel under the River Thames, the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the magnificent SS Great Britain.
Others, like his hospital for troops during the Crimean War and the introduction of UK Standard Time are perhaps less known about.
This documentary explores briefly much of the work that remains his legacy and shaped the world as we know it today.
You may also be interested in our video "Brunels Factory Remembered" in which a 1950's apprentice fitter describes what it was like working in the Swindon facility. Please follow the link: • Brunels Swindon Factor...
I am a Professional Engineer and I've done the tunnel under the Thames, the museum, the GWR, the Clifton suspension bridge, the SS Great Britain, Paddington Station and all I can say is that I am in awe of this man's sheer ability and depth in such a wide range of engineering disciplines, few if any engineers have ever shown such mastery in so many areas.
AND, All calculus by pen, paper, and cigar ash.
Most amazing man ,there are people. Like him now we are not aware of them pop stars are up front !!!
Effin genius.
@@ivorlewis3417 Clarkson did once mentioned "Engineers back then were like rock'n'roll gods..."
I would be inclined to read up a bit on IKB, what he did and didn't do, how many failures he had and how many people he made bankrupt working for him, his disregard for the safety of those who worked for him. A genius on paper, but lacked common sense. He took on work his father had designed and started as in the Thames tunnel. The Clifton suspension bridge is more of a memorial to him rather than a feat of his engineering skill. It was taken on and completed 5 years after his death by Hawkshaw and Barlow who submitted a redesigned bridge far removed from IKBs vision. I have been an engineer for 42 years and had my eyes opened when I started researching IKB. Don't get me wrong, the man had some fantastic ideas but also a gung-ho approach. If you read up on him, you will realise that there should have been other engineers accredited to what IKB laid claim to. He is a fascinating man.
This is why he is my favorite historical figure. They done a test once for his propeller design and it was only 5% less efficient than a modern propeller designed on a computer
Nowadays people take great delight in identifying some of the things he got wrong. Most could not achieve a fraction of his huge achievements. An incredible full but sadly short life.
He accidenly swallowed a gold coin when catching it in his mouth, while amusing his young son. It got stuck in his wind pipe. Despite making a special device to remove it, it was his father's idea, to strap him on a board, and turn him upside down, and out fell the coin.
Many thanks, a fitting tribute to one of the world's greatest engineers.
He died in a stroke at 53 years old what a genius man and also thank you for amazing content.
His drive is humbling, his imagination and refusal to accept limitation is laudable. Realize the tremendous engineering behind something like that propeller, there are many forces and calculations involved. Thanks for posting.
The man was an absolute GENIUS!!!
IT WAS AN ERA OF GENIUSES, BUT SURELY , BRUNEL WAS KING.
BRUNEL was a genius who is not by far appreciated as he deserves Jules VERNE was writing fantasy, Brunel was making fantasy come true
One of the most influential figures in British history. Eclipsing "Famous" Statesmen" "Literary figures" Military and Naval figures, and Stars. Someone who actually made a difference to every man woman and child across the UK. God bless the Brunel family.
France says: “de rien mon ami.”
@@evocatimedia Merci.
If ever there was someone due a major studio bio-pic, Isambard Kingdom Brunel must be near (if not at) the top of the list. The list of his accomplishments is amazing, and deserves the big-screen treatment. I think that Daniel Radcliffe would have the acting skills to pull off this role.
I don't think he smokes though.
I grew up in Bristol and still remember the first time I was driven in a car over the Clifton Suspension Bridge. I could not believe as a child it was 150 years old and still regularly in use.
Thank you for a clear and concise history of a truly GREAT BRITON.
A great FRENCH man.
9:55 Which was a terrible decision which is hindering the rail service today, the Broadgauge should have been chosen as the standard.
Absolutely - the reduced British loading gauge vastly reduces the capacity and efficiency of British railways.
Not quite. The loading gauge is a different concept to rail gauge. What I think you're getting at is the loading gauge, which is dictated by the restrictive clearances of infrastructure built for earlier, much smaller trains. The UK could run trains to similar dimensions as Japan and American were it not for this restrictive loading gauge, which is one of the smallest for the gauge of track in the world.
Trouble was--the cost of building them (far more rock and hard ground to remove, wider bridges and tunnels etc etc) would run into millions more. Then the fact that virtually ALL existing rail track, mostly north of Birmingham, was already standard gauge.
@@MrDaiseymay shore it's more costly in the short term, but way more.profitable long term as they can do more. Short sightedness hindering progress
For me is Mr.Brunel one of the genius Person ever☝🏻
Wow, nice detail on behalf of how the hull of the SS Great Britain was restored with the glass and dehumidifiers.
We enjoyed our visits very much
Some say that is the most Important Man in English History. The Impact and Heritage of His work on this Nation is like no other,since or after. Honestly i agree 100.
What a Fascinating History - My own 3rd Great Uncle was employed on his " SS Great Eastern " . He later went on to have a very Successful Shipbuilding company of his own in Cajun Country USA , that served the Gulf & Atlantic Ocean .
Thanks for sharing. My favourite BRUNEL creation. Have you created a family history Tree?
@@MrDaiseymay - I've been working on it for a year & have found some very interesting things and still searching . I never knew about all the important People in my Family's History . All i was told as a young girl was i had an ancestor that Rode with Stephen F Austin & the Old 300 Colonist that settled Texas , USA . He was S.F. Austin's Chief Lead Scout and personal friend . Then the Capt . that built Ships had an Island in his Name that still is there today in Louisiana , USA .
I do believe my Capt. Uncle must have Learned a great deal from Brunel as it was - Quoted - In the Lake Charles Echo 1883 - There are few - More Experienced Shipbuilders in any Country . He was among the Most Conscientious , Skilled & Rapid Workman in his line of Shipbuilding Carpentry . He may not have been as Great as Brunel , but i am Still Proud of Him . Thanks for your Interest ~
Thank you, Mr. Brunel.
Wonderful upload; thank you very much for a fitting tribute to a great man.
+Eric George He was indeed one of the best and way ahead of his time. Thank you for your kind comment
kinimate3 My pleasure, I always like to give credit where it is due.
Brilliant piece of symphony at the end,
THEME MUSIC FROM A LONG-RUNNING TV SERIES, BUT WHICH ONE ?? UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS ?
@@MrDaiseymaythe forsyte saga
He also created the SS Great Eastern! This man might be the most Genius man in the world.
His Dad invented machine to fashion blocks for rigging of boats.
Great Stuff! After watching this documentary, I wondered how much Isambard’s Father, Marc, was credited to his Son’s achievements....
thank you for this most entertaining upload. i appreciate all the work involved.
Must have been a great man to know!
I K B ... Enjoyed that. Thank you. My all time engineering hero far above my others Soichiro Honda and Colin Chapman and Mitchell who designed those magnificent Supermarine Aeroplanes. Following a family split in late 1951, little nine year old me and six year old younger brother ended up living with three aged aunts and an uncle. We lived in a three storey flat above a Haberdashery shop. They were kind to us all things considered but, did not want two lively little boys all over the shop all the time. They gave us each a penny for a Platform Ticket at the nearby main line railway station. Most kids were penniless in still war impoverished UK had past times and hobbies like Bird Nesting and Train Spotting. So off to the station to watch the Railway Train action. Many heavy steam freight trains one after another up from South Wales a hub of UK heavy industry and still is to a lesser extent. Supplying all manner of materials for the Nation's wide Industrial base. Then I saw something remarkable some months later at the railway station. By that time I was a keen railway enthusiast and made many friends on the Stations as a result of that common interest. That something remarkable was the sight of a Great Western Castle Class Express Steam Locomotive on "running in" shake down duties from Swindon Railway Works having been recently refurbished there and so looking like a new machine. Then as it got nearer to the Station, I saw it had a massive nameplate, much larger than those other castle class nameplates. As it passed me closeby, I read that locomotive's new nameplate :~ Isambard Kingdom Brunel ..... Number 5069 What the .. who he? I soon found out. IKB my engineering Hero ever since. Mr Great Western.
Thank you for your comments, much appreciated. You may be interested in a short video we have just uploaded in which a former apprentice fitter who worked in the Brunel designed factory, talks about what it was like in the early 1950’s. The video can be found by following the link kzhead.info/sun/qKeuc7mdhGZtpIk/bejne.html
The greatest engineer where would the world be with out him
He was a great engineer who used to live down here.
This is by miles away the best Brunel resume I have ever seen.
Thank you for your comments, we are really pleased you enjoyed the video. You may be interested in a short video we have just uploaded in which a former apprentice fitter who worked in the Brunel designed factory, talks about what it was like in the early 1950’s. The video can be found by following the link kzhead.info/sun/qKeuc7mdhGZtpIk/bejne.html
Thank you for a great video. I went to 'his' university in the 1970s, and never regret that decision for one moment. For most of the time I was there, we had the original photo of him and the chains of the Great Western (I think) in the library foyer.
I'm shocked I've seen 2 of these buildings yet never realised it was by Brunel!
great video, thanks, when u watch what IKB did in just 53 years. like this, changing the course of transportation, while we moan in our comfort zones, about our broadband strength, just so Way ahead of his time.
Thanks for taking the time to comment and we agree, he was a great man. If you found our Brunel video interesting you might also like our latest upload which is about the great Thomas Telford. Would be interested in your thoughts about his contribution to civil engineering ...This is the link kzhead.info/sun/n8x9YLKAbX6Yqp8/bejne.html Thanks again for watching
Simon Wolfe and
One of hospital cabins still exist at Fambridge Yacht Station in Fambridge Essex it is a clubhouse and looks much as it did it was designed by brunel in consultation with florence nightingale and was in what we would IKEA Mode knock down for shipping...
A wonderful video - thanks so much for creating and sharing 😁
Genius!
Im amazed that most of his creations are still standing.......but he built things to last, obviously.....
FMHammyJ Thanks for your comment. We agree - he was a great man and it is amazing that so much is not only still standing, but also in daily use.
Yes they were built to last but like everything have to have a lot of money spent on them to keep them working.
@@Jabber-ig3iw and the point of your comment is?--stating the bleedin obvious,
Great video thank you 😊
Excellent video.
Another interesting video.. Many thanks.
Pleased you found it interesting....thank you for taking the time to comment.
What a great man!
Fabulous!!!
The comments include a sentence about the Box Tunnel. This tunnel is aligned roughly east west with a gradient of ( Maybe) 1 in 100 this its high end facing east. I read that on April 9th ( Brunel's birthday) the sunrise shines directly down the Tunnel so he arrainged a predawn party at the west end to see a blast of sunlight at sunrise. One year in the 1960s April 9th fell on a Sunday. I was living in Bristol then so I and a friend rose before dawn to see this. Unfortunately that morning was completely overcast. So no sunshine
Magnificent content!
Thank you for your comments, much appreciated. You may be interested in a short video we have just uploaded in which a former apprentice fitter who worked in the Brunel designed factory, talks about what it was like in the early 1950’s. The video can be found by following the link kzhead.info/sun/qKeuc7mdhGZtpIk/bejne.html
Excellent video once again. Thanks.
Pleased you enjoyed it......we are now looking for our next subject
I walked on the suspention bridge
Brunel was a genius, but don't forget the people that did the building, there must have been some good problem solvers there.
Great man, lovely little film.
Thank you for the comments. We are pleased you enjoyed the video and we agree, he was a great man. You may like to look at our 5 minute video about his great ship SS Great Britain...just follow the link kzhead.info/sun/ecWQhZabhHl7Y3k/bejne.html
@@kinimate3 Nice video,its sweet how you both like Brunel,where did that start,were you both already interested.Someone commenting on Brunel's bridge on a Brooklyn bridge doc. got me here
An amazing man and an amazing life.
Very well done and enjoyable video.
Pleased you enjoyed our video. You may be interested in a short video we have just uploaded in which a former apprentice fitter who worked in the Brunel designed factory, talks about what it was like in the early 1950’s. The video can be found by following the link kzhead.info/sun/qKeuc7mdhGZtpIk/bejne.html
It's a strong name!
Lovely video
Bravo from France!
A good documentary - but incomplete. An extension of the railway to Falmouth was shown on the map but nothing more was said after the Tamar was bridged by the Royal Albert. For nearly three centuries, Falmouth had been the "packet port", where packets of mail for the New World and other destinations had been dispatched (and received). The railway was intended to speed the packets over land from London to Falmouth. The number of bridges that Brunel had to build between Plymouth and Falmouth, to get over the streams and ravines which ran perpendicular to the route of the track, was huge. Some of those bridges, viaducts and suspension bridges are still in use today. The terminus at Falmouth was considered the end of the project and an elegant station suitable for its place was built, modelled on Bristol Temple Meads. The station still stands, somewhat worse for wear and in need of maintenance. But the age of sail was dying. Steam boats regularly crossed the Atlantic but did not need Falmouth's natural harbour (second in the world after Sydney). Southampton took over as the principal port and before long the Packet Ships had disappeared. The main line was split at Truro and the rail pushed through to Penzance. Falmouth became a mere branch line although in the 1950s, holiday specials took holiday makers from London to Falmouth with no change. Destined for closure under Beeching, it survived after one of its double lines was torn up. It has experienced a significant revival over the last 20+ years as passengers use it for shopping and work in Truro; the road between the two is almost permanently jammed. The 30 minute train journey can take 90+ minutes by car. It's 10.5 miles! The old Falmouth station, the four viaducts and four long tunnels are well worth the short journey. The Prince of Wales (the future Edward VII) made it in May 1880 to lay the foundation stone of Truro Cathedral.
9:06 Standard gague is 4 ft 8 1/2 inches, not 4 ft 7
Love it ❤
Where are the engineers of his caliber today?
Love the presentation of this video of Isambard Kingdom Brunel
fuck you
BRUNEL was a genius who is not by far appreciated as he deserves Jules VERNE was writing fantasy, Brunel was making fantasy come true
Of such men is Britain Great.
he used the materials available at the time and made a fantastic job , lets hope we can manage without plastics and chemicals
+trevor francis There is no doubt that he was a leader and very innovative. Thank you for commenting
1 of the best, if not the best in construction
EVERYTHING is chemicals. Iron is a chemical. Water is a chemical. Oxygen is a chemical. If you can produce a tangible object not made out of chemicals, then you've just won yourself a nobel prize.
but aren't some people, currently eperimenting with Brunels failed railway idea, using modern materials?
@@MrDaiseymay Its called the hyperloop. The entire train is now inside vacuum tube and could run at Mach 1-2 several universities worldwide are working at it for the best and most efficient design.
Good documentary. I wonder why Brunel wasn't given a knighthood, like his father.
Maybe it was ta little oo early - we understand that he was in line to be made President of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Thank you for commenting.
He was too busy building to find the time
Very interesting
+Bobby Finn Pleased you found it interesting - he was indeed a great engineer.
Cant believe there has not been a film or tv show about Isambard Kingdom Brunel
For the time he was so far a head of time 👍
Thank you for your comments, one cannot but wonder what he would have done with the materils we have today. You may be interested in a short video we have just uploaded in which a former apprentice fitter who worked in the Brunel designed factory, talks about what it was like in the early 1950’s. The video can be found by following the link kzhead.info/sun/qKeuc7mdhGZtpIk/bejne.html
@@kinimate3 thanks for that video I will watch
One of The "Smartest", man to ever lived.
He was indeed a great man. Thank you for viewing our video. You may be interested in a short video we have just uploaded in which a former apprentice fitter who worked in the Brunel designed factory, talks about what it was like in the early 1950’s. The video can be found by following the link kzhead.info/sun/qKeuc7mdhGZtpIk/bejne.html
Surprised they didnt mention the SS Great Eastern
I did enjoy this presentation, video was crisp with well sharp jump cuts. Narration (no offense intended) was well read but not interpreted, no personality in highlighting just measured. I have one question, only two names in credits? Who composed and played the music throughout? No identifying where you gained pictures and archive material from?
Thank you for taking the time to comment. We are pleased you enjoyed the video. Details of the music are in the description under the video. I thought that we had described the locations and am sorry if we missed that point. It's always a compromise as to what one puts in and and leaves out. Hopefully we did enough to spark interest. Again, thank you for commenting.
In my school we ware learning about the Victorians we learned about Brunel
I hope that our video added to your knowledge in some small way.
I expect you are living in a foreign country then. OUR WONDERFUL HISTORY IS SHATT ON BY OUR LEFTY LIBERAL EDUCATION SYSTEM
I wonder how many engineers there is today can work out the calcs, do the drawings free hand, none, they all rely on computers. now I may watch, stephenson, parson, armstrong
Trevor Francis..I believe that Nikla Tesla was able to do complicated mathematics in his head...as Tommy Cooper would have said ' Just like that'.
Yes but computer good
take away their calculators, CAS drawings and some more of the fancy gadgets they need, and they would not know how to draw a straight line without the help of a ruler...
@@benediktmorak4409 People have always used rulers. set aquares are also quite ancient. The square on the hypotenuse uses right angles. Pythagoras.
@@mavisemberson8737 i wrote FANCY gadgets...
I seen everything Brunel built
Excellent................but....................standard gauge is 4' 8.5".
I go to the school in year 4
Study hard. Change the world.
The more I hear about IK Brunel, the more he seems like the Elon Musk of his time to me.
No one will be talking about Elon Musk in 150 years time.
@@ASIS3D Perhaps. But then, who other than a few historians, railbuffs and steampunks ever talks about IKB...
EM is just a rich man who pays for others to invent things. IKB was an engineer. EM isn’t fit to lace his boots.
difference is---who the hell is he?
@steve gale It certainly is, but I'm fairly certain if you did a survey somewhere in the city asking bypassers "Who was Isambard Kingdom Brunel?", you'd get A LOT of shrugs. Though my perception may be skewed by me not being British.
What a clever gentleman. No girlie tunneling machines, earthmovers, electricity, or health & safety to help him. (Actually, none of his work would have probably been completed if there was "health and safety!")
David Cooper yeah and how many people died building his railways and bridges because there was no H and S? If you think health and safety regs are a bad thing then you are a moron.
and not enough diversity in his navvy teams
@@MrDaiseymay That's why the job got done.
@@Jabber-ig3iw idiot
when the tunnel under the themes collapsed he went down to help and had to be pulled out as it was getting dangerous . then when he encountered the same problem with digging other tunnels he developed the shielded tunneling system which is now used by tunneling machines today and used all over the world in mines and other such projects
The man is a total genius and a legend. I just don't know how Churhill beat Brunel in the nations vote of who is the greatest ever person that Britain ever produced. With all due respect to Churchjill, he is nowhere near as great as Brunel was. It is not even close either.
genocide & war vs engineering genius.
churchill isnt fit enough the polish his boots,
Named my only son Brunel.
My son's middle names include "Pascal" Would have added "Babbage", but could not make it scan. And a daughter's middle names would have been "Ada Grace"
I'll bet he's glad he dodged that "Isambard" bullet.
Wanted to do the same but his mother wouldnt let me. Kinda strange really as he does look a bit like Isambard but his mother says she is only a year older than me.
It's the INSTITUTION of Civil Engineers, not Institute. (even the BBC get it wrong too!)
Brunel bronze statue sat tarnished, dust covered in an abandoned corner of Paddington Station when I visited, shame on the SWJ zombies who minimizes real achievement
Génius toje pravda
If IKB were alive today he'd be building colonies on the moon and Mars and ways to get people to them.
Brunel had been born nothing was before its time
And he got the great Western railway built in 5 years London to Bristol,at a cost of 6 million with steam shovels and men with picks and shovels, and a bit of gunpowder, and this government hasn't manged to build more than 45 miles of the HS2 in 30 years at a cost of 70 + billion with all the modern technology and equipment, how low this country has fallen 🤔🧐
He died with a stroke from smoking aged 53
Kelly O'Dwyer that stuff will kill ya
plop
As usual no details of Brunel’s railway in Wales and his plans for Fishguard. Typical ignorance of Wales.
have no idols before me. galatians 6:For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
Good grief. Take the bible, tear out the pages and hang them on a nail in the loo. That's all the the bible is good for.
@@goinghomesomeday1 you are welcome to your'good' grief lol. your mother be proud of you
Hello Marcus, my Mum & Dad dies some years ago. Not a very respectful comment.
@@goinghomesomeday1almost everyone dies, what's the big deal ? You are sad for urself, feeling sorry for ur-self
How like a presenter with not the first or foggiest idea of what 'engineering' means. Or for that matter ANYTHING built by ANY engineer. All she can do is intone disparaging remarks about the first sub aquatic tunnel IN THE WORLD underneath the river Thames and say; "the tunneling shield was untried and had many problems." But then all SHE can do is read a script. She -- and the person that wrote it-- wouldn't know a tunnel shield from a splash shield in a urinal -- just the same as once a few 'arty farty' brain fornicators saw a film of the first Severn Bridge between Aust and Monmouth. Who made sneering disparaging comments till someone who was in engineering let them know it was the longest suspension bridge of its type in the world in 1966. And could have added it was the lightest -- by far -- of its type anywhere in the world also. Because of its revolutionary box construction used to carry the road traffic lanes. Which was also aerodynamically the best and safest design anywhere in the world then.Yet another first that nose-picking brain fornicators who never made anything except a cock up knew nine times the cube root of bugger all about.
Calm down Billy, it's just a cute little film she made. Don't be a dick about it.
Never mind Tim C. You're right she is just reading a script. One can't expect anything these days from script writing morons who know nothing of Brunel or real engineering. Much better to watch Jeremy Clarkson's video he did for the BBC on Brunel -- even if it was also very superficial.
He also invented the inversion table having inhaled a penny into his lung.
I noticed you used the word "fornicators" twice in this comment and I was wondering, are you 150 years old? possibly 200?
Brunel was French, his father was French.
He was British. Or are we all African??
@@ishineandburn If a male’s father is Q == the male is Q. Brunel’s father is French == Brunel is French. It’s science.
@@evocatimedia people migrate always have. If I'm born and bred in France but my father is English I'm still French. Otherwise where do you draw the line?
I have Spanish grandfather, Italian grandmother and Scot/English grandparents on my other side. But I'm English/British as I was born and raised and schooled and cultured in England. Not hard to understand.
@@ishineandburn Ever heard of DNA 🧬? No? Well if you haven’t or can’t understand here’s a hint; if an Ugandan oil engineer moves to Norway with his family… will they instantly be Norwegian? As far as passports yes but his son will be Ugandan. And if he had no family yet but has a son with a Norwegian woman his son will still be Ugandan, and people will mention him being half Norwegian at least. Compare this with Max Verstappen. (F1 driver) Another one; if a Norwegian game programmer moves to Finland and has a son with a Finnish woman… will everyone simply call him Finnish? At least he will be called half Norwegian. Now I don’t know how it works with daughters but I was told that a son == his father’s DNA. If i’m mistaken… my apologies.