MORE UNION LINERS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 112, 9 February 1928, Page 11

MORE UNION LINERS

IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS

IMPROVED SERVICES

Important developments in the transpacific mail and passenger and the Wellington-Lyttelton ferry services of the Union Steam Ship Company are foreshadowed in the announcement in yesterday’s Dominion that a new ship for the Vancouver trade, and a larger steamer than the Wahine, are to be built.

It is now just over three years since the quadruple-screw motor liner Aorangi entered the Vancouver-New Zealand-Sydney service on her maiden voyage. In 1925 the Aorangi was the largest and fastest motor liner in the world, and her performances in actual service were being closely watched by shipbuilding and sfiipowning interests. The Union Steam Ship Company, which had “pioneered” in manyadvances in ship construction, led the world in 1925 with the Aorangi, a ship of 17,491 tons gross register, in which were installed four sets of Diesel oil engines, aggregating 20,000 horsepower, and giving a speed of 18 knots. The Aorangi proved a great success, and had been in service for eighteen months before passenger liners of equal size, and developing practically the same power and speed with twin-screw Diesel oil engines, came into operation in other parts of the world. Having regard to the performance of the Aorangi, the decision of the directors of the Union Company further to develop the Canadian-New ZealandAustralia “All Red” Route service, byplacing an order for an improved liner, comes as no surprise in shipping circles, lit is announced that the new ship will have a slightly larger passenger capacity than the Aorangi, from which it may be assumed that she will exceed that ship in size. The experience gained in the operation of the Aorangi during the last three years will enable the Union Company to embody many improvements in the new ship, which will, doubtless, be of greater engine-power and speed. It is probable that the new ship will mark another notable advance in respect of her propelling machinery, and that a combination of oil and electricity, in what is known as the Dieselelectric drive, will be used. In this system electric generators driven byDiesel oil engines supply current to large motors coupled to the propeller shafts.

When seen yesterday by a Dominion representative, Sir Charles Holdsworth, managing director of the Union Company, said the plans for the new ships had not been definitely finalised, and would not be until after his return to Britain. He is to leave next week for England, and will probablv be accompanied by officials of the company. He stated that definite decisions regarding the new Vancouver and ferry ships would be reached after bis arrival in Britain. He preferred not to say anything further with respect to the new ships at present. Wellington.Lyttelton Ferry Service.

The inter-island ferry service beween Wellington and Lyttelton has developed during the last f ew years, and it lias been decided to consider the placing of an order for a new steamer larger than the Wahine, embodying improvements suggested by the operation of that steamer and the Maori. It is now nearly 21 years since the Maori was built for the Wellington-Lyttelton trade, and during that long period the ship has given continuous service. Propelled bv three turbines, the Maori is a ship of 3488 tons, 350 feet in length, and 47 feet in beam, and is classed in Llovd’s Register as a 20-knot ship. She was followed in 1913 by the Wahine, of 4436 tons gross register, 875 feet in length, and 52 feet beam, with turbine engines of 10,000 horse-power, giving her a speed of 22-23 knots at full power The Wahine served in the Royal Navy during the Great War as a dispatch ship, and later as a mine-layer. For their class, size, and speed, and the nature of their service, the Maori and Wahine are said to be unequalled in the world, and the new ship as an improvement on the Wahine will be a very fine ship indeed.