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Caption: Ships of the Royal Navy, between 1850 and 1860

At first glance, this squadron of ships of the line looks as if it could have fought with Admiral Nelson at Trafalger in 1805. A closer examination shows that the ships are in fact quite advanced for the 1850s. They have steam engines that propel the ships with screw propulsion. The masts and sails would be used as a backup to preserve fuel.