Victoria City Technical Specification

LAUNCH OF THE s.s. VICTORIA CITY

Another Fine Vessel Leaves the Slips.

DOCKYARD LAUNCH.

Northern Daily Mail. 2nd November 1929

Yesterday Messrs. William Gray and Co., Ltd., launched from their Central Shipyards the steel screw
steamer Victoria City, the fifth of six steamers being built to the order of Sir William Reardon Smith and Sons Ltd., Cardiff.

The vessel will take the highest class in British Corporation Registry of Shipping and is of the following dimensions: Length B.P 400ft. 0in.; breadth, 54ft. 3in.; depth moulded to upper deck, 28ft. 0 ½ in. with open shelter deck and forecastle.

She is constructed of deep channel framing, with double bottom carried right out to shell, and has six watertight bulkheads, together with steel centre line bulkhead in the holds and ‘tween decks, with wood shifting boards in way of hatches for special carriage of grain cargoes.

                                                 EQUIPMENT

Spacious accommodation for the captain and officers is arranged in steel house amidships, the engineers being berthed in large houses alongside the casing, and the crew forward. For the quick handling of cargo, 11 powerful steam winches are provided to work 11 derricks. A direct-acting steam windlass forward and steam steering gear amidships are also fitted.

The topmasts will be telescopic, lowering to a height suitable for the Manchester Ship Canal Bridges.

The vessel will be completed in all respects as a first-class cargo steamer; her equipment including
refrigerating plant, an efficient wireless installation, and electric light throughout.

                                              MACHINERY

The propelling machinery will be supplied by the Central Marine Engine Works of the builders, and will consist of reciprocating engines of the balanced quadruple inverted direct-acting surface condensing type, and three forced draught boilers working at a pressure of 260lbs.per square inch. The boilers will be arranged to burn either coal or oil fuel.

A number of auxiliaries of the well-known “C.M.E.W.” type, made by the Central Marine Engine Works of the builders will be fitted, including a thermocouple installation by means of which the temperatures of the gasses in the combustion chambers of the boilers, the smokeboxes, the base of the funnel, and other points may be easily and conveniently read at one place in the engine room.

                                               THE NAMING CEREMONY

The ship and machinery are being built under the supervision of Mr. W. G. Lilley and Capt. E. A. Tamlyn, on behalf of the owners, and the ceremony of naming the steamer Victoria City was performed by Mrs. Willie Smith, of Barry.

The owners were represented by Mr. Willie Smith (director), Mr. William Reardon Smith, and Capt. Tamlyn.

The builders were represented by Sir William Gray, Bt. (chairman), Mr. F. C. Pyman (managing director), A. McGlashan (director), Mr. T. S. Simpson (General Manager) and Mr. J. Young (Yard Manager).

Among those present were Lady Gray and Mrs Pyman, and Mr. J. Aitken, representing the British
Corporation.



BUILT BY GRAYS

Successful Trial Trip of the Victoria City.

DOCKYARD LAUNCH.

Northern Daily Mail. 17/12/29

The steamer Victoria City, built by Messrs. William Gray and Co., Ltd., to the order of Sir William
Reardon Smith and Sons Ltd., Cardiff, successfully ran her official sea trials yesterday.

The vessel is built to the highest class in British Corporation Registry of Shipping, and is of the
ollowing dimensions: Length B.P 400ft.; breadth, 54ft. 3in.; depth moulded to upper deck, 28ft. 0 ½ in. with open shelter deck and forecastle.

The ship is constructed of deep channel framing, with double bottom carried right out to shell, and
has six watertight bulkheads, together with steel centre line bulkheads in the holds and ‘tween decks, with wood shifting boards in way of hatches for special carriage of grain cargoes.

Spacious accommodation for the captain and officers is arranged in steel house amidships, the engineers being berthed in large houses alongside the casing, and the crew forward. For the quick handling of cargo, 11 powerful steam winches are provided to work 11 derricks. A direct-acting steam windlass forward and steam steering gear amidships are also fitted.

The topmasts will be telescopic, lowering to a height suitable for the Manchester Ship Canal
Bridges.

                                                 EITHER COAL OR OIL FUEL.

The vessel is complete in all respects as a first-class cargo steamer, her equipment including refrigerating plant, an efficient wireless installation, and electric light throughout.

The propelling machinery, supplied by the Central Marine Engine Works of the builders, consists of
reciprocating engines of the balanced quadruple inverted direct-acting surface condensing type, and three forced draught boilers working at a pressure of 260lbs.per square inch. The boilers will be arranged to burn either coal or oil fuel.

A number of auxiliaries of the “CMEW” type are also fitted, including centrifugal circulating pump, pair of independent feed pumps, overhead direct contact feed heater, live steam surface feed heater, auxiliary condenser, Singlex harbour feed pump, steam scrubber duplex general service and ballast pumps, pair of oil fuel separators, drain and scum tank and gravitation feed filter and evaporator.

A “C.M.E.W.” thermocouple installation by means of which the temperatures of the gasses in the
combustion chambers of the boilers, the smokeboxes, the base of the funnel, and other points may be easily and conveniently read at one place in the engine room.

The ship and machinery are being built under the supervision of and on behalf of the owners, and the ceremony of naming the steamer Victoria City was performed by Mrs. Willie Smith, of Barry.

The owners were represented by Mr. W. G. Lilley, Capt. E. A. Tamlyn, Capt Shotton, Mr. T. K. Watson, and Mr. Marsh



Victoria City Yardbook Pages