BRITAIN HAS HEAVY LINER BUILDING PROGRAMME

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6814, 18 January 1929, Page 9

BRITAIN HAS HEAVY LINER BUILDING PROGRAMME

A great programme of liner building is being carried out by British steamship companies. The amount expended in this wave of passenger ship building (says the Daily News) runs into millions of pounds, and more than a dozen companies are concerned. Many of the new liners are motor ships, and in one or two cases the types of engines are kept a profound secret. More interest than usual attaches to the engines in these new liners, because, it is generally agreed that the parting of the ways has been reached in marine propulsion mothods. There are the steam-ships, the oil-driven boats, the pulverised coal method, and now a British _ ship—the P. and O. Viceroy of India—is to be driven by turbo-electric machinery, which it is claimed, eliminates all vibration.

New C.P.K. Fleet. The Canadian Pacific Bailway Company has built practically a new fleet. Pour ships of 20,000 tons are included. An order has just been given for one of 40,000 tons, and another for 250,000 tons is now being built. No further details are available of the 60,000 White Star liner, nor has the Cunard Company yet announced its plans to defend the Blue Bibbon of the Atlantic now held by the Mauretania, against the attacks of the new German giants. It has been stated that the normal speed of the German liners which are to try to wrest the Atlantic record will be 26.25 knots, and that they will be capable of 28 knots if needed. Wonderful Mauretania. The Mauretania once, when going to the aid of a distressed vessel, did 29 knots, and has easily exceeded 26 knots The average life of a first-class liner is from 20 to 25 years. The fact that the Mauretania at the age of 21 still holds all Atlantic speed records marks her as an exceptional ship, for she is still beating her own records.