NEW MOTOR-LINER

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 256, 26 July 1935, Page 2

NEW MOTOR-LINER

The Port Townsville UP-TO-DATE CARGO CARRIER The latest of the numerous fast cargo liters built during the last two years for the New Zealand trade,’the Commonwealth and Dominion Line motorship, Port Townsville, is to leave London on Seplember 5 on her maiden voyage for Wellington, Auckland, Napier and New Plymouth. She is due at Wellington on October 9. Built by Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Wallseml-ou-Tyne, the Port Townsville has a gross tonnage of 8600, and a deadweight carrying capacity of 11,140 tous. Her length between -perpendiculars is 459 feet, with an overall length of 516 ft.. 41n., and a beam of 65 feet. Iler refrigerated space totals 440,000 cubic feet, and general cargo space 210,000 cubic feet. So far as dimensions and planning go, she is practically a sister-ship of the Port Wyndham, which was built alongside the Queen Mary in John Brown s yard last year. There is one big difference, however, the engines. The Port Townsville is being fitted with engines designed by the famous Swiss brothers, Sulzer, and constructed by the Wallsend Slipway and Engineering Company, whereas the Port Wyndham has Doxford engines, constructed by John Brown and Company. The owners, in wishing to test out the latest types of the two engines against each other, are pursuing the policy they adopted when they buiit the Port Huon and Port Gisborne some years ago. Both types have now undergone a great deal of change, particularly in the saving of weight, and it. is notable that, in the Doxford electric welding is now used in tin 1 construction of the main columns anil engine frames—an innovation in engine design. Instead of cast-iron, steel plates are welded together, giving greater strength and reduced weight. Perhaps the most important feature of the Port Townsville is that she has been constructed with a special view to the carriage of chilled beef from the Antipodes to England,

She has accommodation for many hundreds of tons of chilled beef under the new carbon-dioxide gas system, the gas-tight bulkheads forming the different. chambers being electrically welded instead of merely riveted, and the hatchways having steel covers resting on rubber joints.

Besides chilled beef, the Port Townsville is designed to carry all other kinds of perishable produce, such as butter, cheese, apples, oranges, eggs and frozen meat, each of which requires a different temperature, with circulating or still air. For circulating air, large numbers of powerful fans are fitted in different parts of the ship. The refrigerated space is divided into a large number of small compartments, so that each shipper can take the whole of one compartment for his own use, in which the stowage, temperatures, etc., can be to his specific requirements.

The ship is provided with a large number of derricks, capable of lifting heavy weights, and worked by electricwinches. So silent are these winches that it will be possible to sleep peacefully on board while cargo is being worked all night. The vessel is being provided with a Marconi wireless direction finder. There will also be a Hughes echometer which records the exact depth of the water under the ship. The accommodation provided for the crew is of high standard. Although the Port Townsville is primarily a cargo vessel, she will have extremely comfortable accommodation for twelve passengers, who have the run of the ship when they are on board and are not restricted to any particular deck. It is not the policy of the Commonwealth and Dominion Line to compete with the luxury passenger liner. The passengers, however, are provided with cot beds and vi-spring mattresses, windows instead of port holes, and hot and cold running water in all the rooms.