To Ply the Panama Route

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 180, 2 August 1938, Page 7

To Ply the Panama Route

LINER ACQUIRED FOR DOMINIONENGLAND SERVICE Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. The New Zealand Shipping Company, Ltd., announces that it has acquired the L\ ond O. iStcam Navigation Company’s mail and passenger liner Mongolia, a twin-screw steamer of nearly 17,000 tons gross register, which has been well and favourably known as a passenger carrier in the I\ and O. service between tho United Kingdom and Australia, via the Suez Canal. The ship has been renamed tho Kimutaka and will bo employed in tho New Zealand Shipping Company’s passenger service between New Zealand and England, via the Panama Canal.

The Rimutaka is a steamer of 1G,600 tons gross register, is 551 ft. 6iu. in length and 721 t. in breadth, aud was built in 1923 by Armstrong Whitworth o.nd Co., Ltd., at Ncwcastlc-on-Tync. She is propelled by twin screws driven by two sets of doublo reduction geared turbines, and her seven boilers burn oil fuel. The name Rimutaka revives one that was associated with the New Zealand Shipping Company’s fleet almost continuously for nearly half a century. First the Rimutaka was a single-screw steamer of 4500 tons, was built at Glasgow in October, 1684, and ran regularly to New Zealand for years. The second Rimutaka was built at Dumbarton in 1900, was a twin-screw steamer of nearly 8000 tons gross register and was one of the best known ships in tho New Zealand-London service. Sho was commanded for many years by the late Captain H. E. Reenstreet and was sold out of the service in 1930.

Before entering the New Zealand service tho new Rimutaka will be completely re-modelled and re-fitted for the requirements of passenger and cargo service via the Panama Canal. It is understood the Rimutaka is replacing the Ruahine, which will bo withdrawn from the service. The Remuera will take the homeward sail from New Zealand on May 25.