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SS Orcades (1947)

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Ocean liner built in 1948 for the Orient Line For other ships with the same name, see Orcades (disambiguation).

Orcades leaving Southampton, Christmas Eve 1969
History
United Kingdom
Name
  • RMS Orcades
  • SS Orcades
Owner
Port of registryUnited Kingdom London
RouteUK – Australia via Suez, later transpacific and via Panama Canal to UK (also cruises)
BuilderVickers Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness
Cost£3,418,000
Yard number950
Launched14 October 1947
Completed14 November 1948
Maiden voyage14 December 1948
Out of service13 October 1972
IdentificationIMO number5264247
FateBroken up 1973, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
General characteristics
TonnageAs built: 28,164 GRT; 1959: 28,396 GRT; 1964: 28,399 GRT
Length709ft (216.1 m)
Beam90.6ft (25.0 m)
Draught31ft (9.4 m)
Installed power34,000shp
PropulsionGeared turbines, twin screws
Speed22 knots (41 km/h) service speed
CapacityAs built, 773 1st class, 772 tourist class (1959, 631 1st class, 734 tourist class. 1964, 1,635 tourist class)
NotesOriginally corn coloured hull; white from 1964 refit

SS Orcades was an ocean liner serving primarily the UK – Australia – New Zealand route. She started service as a British Royal Mail Ship (RMS) carrying first and tourist class passengers. Orcades carried many migrants to Australia and New Zealand and was later used as a cruise ship, and is featured in the British Pathe films "I am a passenger" on YouTube. She also made several voyages from Canada (Vancouver). "Orcades" is the Latin name for the Orkney Islands.

Built at the Barrow-in-Furness yard of Vickers-Armstrong, Orcades (yard no. 950) had an identical hull and machinery to P&O's Himalaya (yard no. 951), but differed in superstructure and interior layout. The vessel's near-sister ships were Oronsay and Orsova

In 1952 Orcades was fitted with a 'top hat' funnel extension to clear smoke from the after decks. On 7 May 1952, she ran aground in Port Philip Bay half a mile off Rosebud Pier, Victoria, Australia. She was refloated and returned to service.

During the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, Orcades served as an accommodation ship.

Orcades was refitted in 1959 and 1964. In the 1964 refit, Orcades became a single-class vessel and her hull colour changed from "Orient corn" to white.

Gallery

  • Orcades c.1950 from a promotional postcard Orcades c.1950 from a promotional postcard
  • Orcades 1959 in yellow livery Orcades 1959 in yellow livery
  • Orcades at Port Said 1957 Orcades at Port Said 1957

Footnotes

  1. ^ Post World War II Migrant Ships: Orcades, Museums Victoria
  2. Encyclopædia Britannica Archived 2009-07-12 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "The Orcades Aground". The Times. No. 52305. London. 7 May 1952. col C, p. 6.
  4. "ORCADES RELEASED FROM SANDBAR". The Dubbo Liberal and Macquarie Advocate. Vol. 41, no. 377. New South Wales, Australia. 8 May 1952. p. 3. Retrieved 23 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "Orcades Refloated". The Central Queensland Herald. Vol. 21, no. 1204. Queensland, Australia. 8 May 1952. p. 7. Retrieved 23 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.

Further reading

  • Latimer, David W (2002) Passenger ships of the 20th century: an illustrated encyclopedia, p. 259, Colourpoint Books ISBN 1-898392-70-6

External links

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1952
Shipwrecks
Other incidents
1951 1953


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