Sub half a Galaxy class for voyager

[Themightytom]

Isn't the majority of important systems in the saucer section?
Like the sickbay, laboratories, crew quarters, holodecks, the main shuttle bay with maintenance bays, the main computer (IIRC the engineering section has a smaller one though) and the industrial replicators (or at least the shop version seen in one episode).

So, if only the engineering section of a Galaxy-class is sent into the Delta Quadrant wouldn't that be inherently underpowered except for combat and suffer overcrowding?

That's along the lines of my original post, a lot of the scarcity issues that were contrived in Voyager, might have actually made more sense if the Star Drive were subbed in. It seems like there is still a Lot of space left in the Star Drive section, so assuming that as part of the seperation, only a hundred or so people are operating the Star Drive, the overcrowding might be manageable, they could convert some cargo bays into living space or something and make due with less creature comforts.

[Elheru Aran]

Isn't the majority of important systems in the saucer section?
Like the sickbay, laboratories, crew quarters, holodecks, the main shuttle bay with maintenance bays, the main computer (IIRC the engineering section has a smaller one though) and the industrial replicators (or at least the shop version seen in one episode).

So, if only the engineering section of a Galaxy-class is sent into the Delta Quadrant wouldn't that be inherently underpowered except for combat and suffer overcrowding?

That's along the lines of my original post, a lot of the scarcity issues that were contrived in Voyager, might have actually made more sense if the Star Drive were subbed in. It seems like there is still a Lot of space left in the Star Drive section, so assuming that as part of the seperation, only a hundred or so people are operating the Star Drive, the overcrowding might be manageable, they could convert some cargo bays into living space or something and make due with less creature comforts.

Honestly though given that replicators are a thing, and (in theory to me anyway) it makes sense to have any necessary machine-shop-type stuff near the engineering section for a more direct power link... I don't see the lack of labs and such being a major complication for long. There should be plenty of elbow room in the engineering section, and they can probably replicate/machine whatever they need over time.

[Tribble]

Isn't the majority of important systems in the saucer section?
Like the sickbay, laboratories, crew quarters, holodecks, the main shuttle bay with maintenance bays, the main computer (IIRC the engineering section has a smaller one though) and the industrial replicators (or at least the shop version seen in one episode).

So, if only the engineering section of a Galaxy-class is sent into the Delta Quadrant wouldn't that be inherently underpowered except for combat and suffer overcrowding?

Going by the TNG Tech manual there is quite a bit of space in the drive section for the crew:

There is a secondary sickbay in the drive section (seen in a couple of episodes and Generations). The cargo bays and shuttlebays were designed to be converted into emergency rooms if necessary.

There were crew quarters on decks 16 17 and 32, and large crew areas on decks 33 and 35 (which helps explain why we saw civilians being evacuated from the drive section in Generations).

While the secondary shuttlebays are significantly smaller than the main shuttlebay, shuttlebay 2 still has some maintenance facilities, and it doesn't look like they would be much smaller than Voyager's.

While there isn't a full holodeck in the drive section, apparently there are 20 smaller "simulator rooms" on Deck 33.

All 3 computers on the E-D were the same size were capable of handling the entire ship by themselves, so the one in the engineering section wouldn't be any less capable than the other two.

There was a large replicator area on Deck 34, which makes sense given that the engineering crew need to get their spare parts from somewhere, and it doesn't make much sense to have to trek up to the saucer section for everything.

The only areas where the E-D drive section would be at a significant disadvantage compared to Voyager would be the lack of laboratories, since most of those were located in the saucer section. Also perhaps a lack of space for future expansion, barring the use of the cargo bays; 35% of the E-D was unoccupied at launch, and presumably most of that was in the saucer section.

That being said, for the most part the E-D drive section is more than self-sufficient, especially if the civilians had been evacuated beforehand and/or left on the saucer section.