Public figures give very different impressions of Triton's power. An official figure lists 45,000 shaft horsepower, Edward Beach wrote that the boat could make at least 60,000, and another US government document rated the two reactors at a combined 105,000. Two General Electric S4G reactors supplied two steam turbines and two five-bladed propellers, and either reactor could run both turbines if necessary. That redundancy made Triton an unusually dependable choice for a rapid submerged circumnavigation. Twin shafts were rare among American nuclear submarines, while the surface-oriented hull and stern torpedo tubes preserved older tactical assumptions. Hull form still constrained speed, so the public figures do not establish a reliable maximum.
Chapter · 22:49-29:44
Triton's twin-reactor power and speed ambiguity
The propulsion section compares public horsepower figures, reactor layout, speed claims, and stern torpedo tubes to show why Triton was such an unusual nuclear submarine.