BIG CONTRACTS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 53, 11 September 1928, Page 14

BIG CONTRACTS

SHIPS AND EAILWAYS BRITISH ENGINEERING Reference wjrs made in the cablegrams from London yesterday of the revival ol British shipbuilding and the success of the builders in securing foreign business anc retaining the confidence of foreign owners. The British Trade Commissioner's Office in New Zealand has been advised by maii of the following contracts secured by British ship construction companies for July: The Svenska Lloyd Shipping Co. of Gothenburg, Sweden, two vessels of 4300 gross tons each; speed 17 knots, to be built by Swan, Hunter, and Wighain .Richardson, of Newcastle-on-Tyne. The ships," which are to be delivered in May, 1929, are destined for the London-Gothenburg service. Total S6OO tons. Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth, and Co!, Ltd., have secured a contract for the building of three twinscrew Diesel eugined cargo vessels, each of SSOO tons dwt, fitted with refrigerating equipment, for Messrs. Westfal-Larsen, and Co., A/S of Bergen, and for an 11,000 ton oil tanker with Diesel propelling machinery for Aktiebolaget, Olson, and Wright, ol Stockholm. Total, 30,500 tons. Messrs. Fleming and Ferguson, of Paisley, have received an order foi live dredgers of special river typo from the Federated Haley States, and a 1850 ton dredge for Now Zealand; also a tug of 250 tons for the Crown Agents for the Colonies. The Canadian Pacific Railway Company lias placed an order, the value of which is stated to bo approximately £l,7:>0,000, with the Fairlield Shipbuilding Company, of Govan, for the construction of a new 21-knot "Empress. lhe vessel will be a passenger one for the company's Pacific fleet of the following diraen sions: Length 062 ft, breadth 83ft 6m, moulded depth 59ft pin. She will be .10,200 tons gross deadweight, including ample refrigerator cargo space, and special provision for carriage of silk cargoes. The propelling equipment will be similar to that employed -on the company's new Atlantic vessels recently commissioned, that is, high-pressure water-tube boilers in association with single reduction turbines. The vessel will be of a gross tonnage of something over 25,000 tons. The Crown Agents for the Colonies have placed Messrs. Fleming and Ferguson, Paisley, an order for a twin-screw steam tug intended for service at Lagos, West Africa. She will have triple expansion reciprocating engines of 800 i.h.p. Messrs. Henry Kobb, Ltd., Leith, are at present constructing 17 vessels of various types, including six dumb barges for service abroad. Messrs. Smith's Dock Company, Middlesbrough, are constructing for the Hvalfangcrselskapot '"Pelagos" Tonsberg, three whaling steamers, with engines of 750 h.p. The contract price is .-CIO.uOO each, and delivery is to be given by Ist September. Total value of contracts £58,500. Kailway contracts secured >by British firms include: —Locomotives, 18 for India, 2 for East Africa, 2 for Union of South Africa, 3 for Iraq, 31 loco, boilers for Buenos Aires; and Armstrong, Whitworths have secured contracts for "a large number" of superheated loco, boilers for Indian State railways. Messrs. Beyer, Peacock, and Co., of Manchester, secured the above order for two of the largest and most powerful locomotives yet imported into the Union of South Africa. The engines will cost £14,500 each. Competition from Continental and American firms was very keen, and the British was by no means! the lowest tender. Contracts for coaches and goods wagons include 25 for Portuguese- East Africa, 20 for Rhodesia, 1 for Central Africa, 700 for South Africa, 200 for East Africa, '40 for Nigeria, C for Bengal. Textile machinery for the Soviet Government is being constructed at Manchester to cost £500,000, to be delivered next year. British General Electric Co. has secured a contract for two 10,000 k.w. steam turbo-generators for Johannesburg.