Ferry Design Modified

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32308, 28 May 1970, Page 12

Ferry Design Modified

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 26. The design of the new Cook Strait rail ferry now being built has been modified to provide for a single funnel instead of the two in the original plans.

The change is the result of the adoption of diesel machinery for the new vessel instead of the diesel-electric machinery used in the Aramoana and the Aranui. Other modifications have also been made.

The designer of the new vessel (Mr H. D. M. Jones, senior naval architect at the Marine Department) said today that the original plans were based on a decision to call tenders for three different types of engines—twoengine (diesel), four-engine

(diesel) and four-engine (diesel-electric). In the case of four engines, two funnels were needed to accommodate uptakes and vents from the engine room through two casings. Mr Jones said the single funnel of the new ship would be larger than the twin funnels previously designed and would carry the new railways motif on each side.

Positioning of the masts, also of a different design, had been changed. The forward one would now be behind the bridge instead of adjacent to it.

Mr Jones said the new arrangements had no affect on the capacity of the ship. The decision to equip the vessel with two diesel engines meant a re-arrange-ment of the uptakes through one large casing only, and through one funnel. A smaller casing would be used for air vents only. Instead of the forward funnel there would be a small deckhouse.

Machinery for the new ship would consist of two Pielstick diesels of 12 cylinders each, and of a combined horsepower of 12,000. They would be a little larger than the same type installed in the Wanaka, the Union Company’s new freighter. The new vessel would carry cargo only and at 5500 tons would be larger than the Aramoana and the Aranui. It would probably be launched about May. i 971. Delivery was scheduled for early November next year. “But we are hoping there may be an improvement on this date.” he said. The main vehicle deck of the new ferry would have four rail tracks instead of the three in the present ferries. It would also be longer. It would carry 50 large four-wheel waggons, or their equivalent, compared with 30 each in the present vessels. There would be room in the main vehicle deck for 10 tractor and trailer rigs, while an upper deck would accommodate a further 22 tractor and trailer units. Exhaustive studies of traffic-growth trends and future requirements had shown the urgent need for greatly increased freight capacity in the Cook Strait ferry service. He said they had also shown that the proposed introduction of a purely freight vessel would lead to a substantial increase in the car-carrying capacity of the present ferries.