The Crew Alleyway (or Scotland Road) was a long corridor that spanned the entire length of the ship on the port side of E Deck. It was used by crew members and steerage passengers to quickly move between the ends of the ship. There was also an entrance from shore here, single men boarded the ship at this entrance and ended up in Scotland Road. Several Third Class areas could be reached from Scotland Road like the open space and the dining room. The boiler rooms also had an exit on Scotland Road.
The name "Scotland Road" was given affectionately by members of the ship's crew, many of whom hailed from Liverpool. Scotland Road remains a major thoroughfare in the northern part of the city. Crew members from the surrounding area noted the similarity with the corridor on Titanic, which played a similar role as a primary route, hence the name.
Layout[]
Scotland Road ran aft along the port side from the Third Class Open Space to just fore of the forward Second Class Staircase. Portable stanchions were fitted along the center of the passageway to keep Third Class passengers -who also used this passage to access the Dining Saloon which was in the center of Scotland Road- from wandering into the crew quarters and eventually Second Class.
Along the port-side of the passageway were several crew dormitories situated amidships housing Titanic's First and Second Class waiters, stewards and restaurant staff. the portside walls along with the dormitories and lavatories were paneled with white enameled "tongue and groove" panels.
The starboard side was formed by steel bulkheads housing the boiler, engine and turbine casings. Between the casings were smaller passageways leading to the Starboard First Class cabins.
Sinking[]
Scotland Road played a crucial role during the sinking. Being a long and uninterrupted corridor, water managed to freely flow down the large hallway during the sinking. The water reached the gangway at about 1:00 A.M. Numerous staircases allowed the water access to F-Deck, where it breached compartments containing the Swimming Pool, Turkish Bath, Third Class Galley, and Third Class Dining Room. From there, water would flow down into the boiler rooms below. It was this progressive spilling over the watertight bulkheads that would ultimately doom the ship. Since Scotland Road provided water such easy access along the port side of the ship, the more it flooded, the more the balance of the ship shifted to port. She had a starboard list, but after 1:00 A.M, this was countered and she started to list to port 15 to 20 minutes later. The port list increased gradually to 9 degrees until 2:07 A.M, when the water spilled over the Boat Deck. This heavy port list also allowed water to flow even further aft along Scotland Road, accelerating the final stages of the sinking.
Scotland Road was severed in two when the ship broke up.
Wreck[]
As of 2005, Scotload Road is an unnavigable mess. Ceiling ventilation and pipes have fallen from the ceiling above and are now blocking what's left of the passage.
The forward end of Scotland Road is 'mostly' intact, James Cameron was able to maneuver towards Boiler Room No.5's doorway but couldn't go any further due to fallen debris.
Popular culture[]
S.O.S. Titanic (1979)[]
“ |
This alleyway's something. The officers named it Park Lane after the poshest street in London. The crew calls it Scotland Road. If you've never been to Liverpool, it's very disreputable. |
” |
In S.O.S. Titanic, Scotland Road appears as a smaller corridor. Steward John Hart explained to Martin Gallagher that the name "Scotland Road" was the nickname the crew had given.
Titanic (1997)[]
Scotland Road briefly appeared in the 1997 Film Titanic. When Jack and Rose broke a door to escape a flooding corridor, they ended up in Scotland Road. A steward wanted to charge them for damaging White Star Line property, but he received a double "shut up" from Jack & Rose.
It should be noted that the Scotland Road in the movie looks different to its real life counterpart.
Titanic: Honor and Glory[]
The brand-new video game Titanic: Honor and Glory will feature Scotland Road, together with the rest of the Titanic. More information about the game can be found on their official website http://www.titanichg.com/.
Titanic: Adventure Out of Time[]
In the game, Scotland Road can be accessed from the bottom of the Grand Staircase and the Second Class Stairwell. There is also a door into the Engine Room, but it can only be opened from inside the Engine Room. The F-Deck Third Class cabins can be accessed down a flight of stairs at the forward end of the road.
Among the characters that Frank will encounter down here are Andrew Conkling and Jack Hacker.