CELEBRATED engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, would surely have been impressed with this computer-generated rendition of the inner workings of his historic Great Eastern Steam Ship.

With great attention to detail, architectural visualiser Simon Edwards, from Hexham, has recreated the engine rooms and internal structure of the vessel which Brunel affectionately dubbed the ‘Great Babe’.

Now his visualisation has been snapped up by the National Brunel Project for a brand new £7m visitor centre due to open in Bristol next spring called ‘Being Brunel.’

SS Great Eastern was an iron sailing steam ship designed by Brunel and built by J. Scott Russell & Co.

Christened Leviathan during her initial launch in 1857, she was by far the largest ship ever built and had the capacity to carry 4,000 passengers from England to Australia without refuelling.

Brunel died in 1859 shortly after her ill-fated maiden voyage, during which she was damaged by an explosion.

After repairs, she plied for several years as a passenger liner between Britain and North America before being converted to a cable-laying ship and laying the first lasting transatlantic telegraph cable in 1866, establishing nearly instantaneous communication between the old world and the new that has remained unbroken ever since.

Simon is delighted that his digitally-created image will help visitors understand more about Brunel’s genius. It is expected to be a permanent exhibit in the new café and lounge area of the museum.

He said: “Naturally I am extremely excited and very proud to have my work included in such an important new national museum as Being Brunel. It is very rewarding to have work acknowledged like this and to know it will be seen and enjoyed by future generations. It’s fantastic.”

Simon has been supplying a wide variety of clients with his architectural visualisations – from architects to supermarket chains – for 20 years through his company 3Dartvision.co.uk which he runs from his home in Kingsgate Terrace.

But whilst much of this work is about envisioning how things will look in the future, in his spare time he enjoys creating digital reconstructions such as this one. Previously he has recreated the Crystal Palace, the old London Bridge and a lighthouse called Winstanley’s Tower.

* Being Brunel opens at the end of March, 2018.