The marine propulsion shafting system serves as the core component of ship power transmission, wherein torsional vibrations can easily lead to shaft cracking and failure. Thus, avoiding shafting resonance is vital for ship safety. Previous research primarily focuses on a single vibration mechanism of diesel engine propulsion shafting systems, lacking a comprehensive analysis of modal characteristics, frequency, and transient responses. This paper systematically investigates the torsional vibration characteristics of shafting systems, constructs a mathematical model for torsional vibrations, deduces a method for solving natural frequencies, and establishes a frequency-domain transfer function matrix using the Laplace Transform to theoretically derive the transient response of damped forced vibrations. Taking the propulsion shafting system of a low-speed diesel engine in a 10,000-ton oil tanker as an example, a multi-condition analysis based on a simplified shafting model is conducted. This includes modal solution analysis, 0–2000 Hz frequency sweep tests, and comparative experiments on transient responses under different excitation frequencies with a 1000 Nm torque. The study reveals the influence mechanism of the coupling between excitation frequency and natural frequency on the dynamic characteristics of the shafting system. By investigating torsional vibration patterns, this research provides a theoretical basis for vibration reduction design and resonance avoidance in marine propulsion shafting systems.