Marine Modelling – Revisited Re-Issue 6: Some British Shipping Lines

Marine Modelling – Revisited
The year 2010 saw twenty five years of Marine Modelling International magazine and for the author fifty years of waterline
ship collecting. So here is a chance to re-visit some of those early and not so early articles virtually as they were – minimal
editing/updating apart from the addition of new digital illustrations, the occasional new model and the deletion of
‘swapmeet & model news’. Please remember that reported model availability and any prices quoted were at the time of
writing. Each re-issue will attempt to maintain a theme and this time it is some of the best known British Shipping Lines.
Re-Issue 6: Some British Shipping Lines
June 1995 & April 2009 - Cunard......................................................................................................................................... 1
The Cruising Era (Cunard)........................................................................................................................................... 3
September/October 2010 White Star Line ............................................................................................................................ 5
May/June 2010 - Orient Line (1871 – 1965) ........................................................................................................................ 8
May 1998 & August 2009 - P&O & P&O Cruises............................................................................................................. 10
The Cruising Era (P&O) ............................................................................................................................................ 12
September 1994 & Jan/Feb 2011 - Union Castle Line ....................................................................................................... 16
October 2009 – 45 Years of ‘Ocean Ships’ ........................................................................................................................ 19
A Brief History of the ‘Guide to Waterline Model ships’ .................................................................................................. 21
JUNE 1995 & APRIL 2009 - CUNARD
The company was established in 1839, under the name The British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet
Company, to service the British government’s transatlantic mail route with the inaugural crossing in May 1840 by the 648
ton wooden paddle steamer Unicorn. Two months later the 1,154 ton Britannia, another wooden paddle steamer,
commenced a regular service. During the 1850s the company’s routes were expanded to include the Mediterranean,
Adriatic and Black Seas under a new name - The British and Foreign Steam Navigation Company. During the Crimean War
a number of the company’s vessels were employed as troopships and by the early 1860s steerage class passengers were
being carried. In 1878 the name ‘Cunard
Steam-Ship Company’ was adopted and the
new era was signalled by the sale of the last
paddler, the iron built 3,871 ton Scotia, and
the ordering of the 7,392 ton Servia, the first
steel built ship. The Servia was one of the
last Cunarders to carry auxiliary sail but also
the first to feature electric lights.
The first steel screw steamer the 12,950 ton
Campania entered service in 1893 capturing
the Blue Riband with a 5 day 15 hour 29 minute passage at an average speed of 21.21 knots. The Campania and sister ship
Lucania (another Blue Riband holder) were built under Admiralty supervision and the former was converted to a seaplane
carrier in 1916 (Navis NM 186N). Despite commercial pressure from the American owned International Mercantile Marine
conglomerate in the early 1900s, Cunard managed to maintain its independence and, with government financial assistance
and the continued support of the Royal Mail, the fleet continued to expand. Two new and large ships, the Lusitania (31,550
tons) and Mauretania (31,937 tons), were built for the Atlantic service, with the latter holding the Blue Riband for 22 years
and remaining in service until 1935.
Navis Campania
During the period 1914 to 1918 the liners Caronia, Carmania, Laconia and very briefly the 45,646 ton Aquitania were
called up as Armed Merchant Cruisers. The latter served at different times as a hospital ship and a troop ship and was joined
in these two roles by the Mauretania. As troopers the two ships were given dazzle colour schemes as follows: Aquitania
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circa 1915, as illustrated in the WSS book, and the Mauretania circa 1918 as shown. The Mauretania’s scheme featured
blacks, greys, reds & blues, and it is understood that a model showing the ship in this appearance is to be issued shortly.
Having lost over 200,000 tons of shipping during the war, the company embarked upon an extensive construction
programme of 13 large passenger ships, including 5 of the Scythia class. Cunard also acquired the former German liner
Imperator which was renamed the Berengaria. At 52,022 tons this ship was the largest in the fleet until the arrival of the two
Queens in the 1930s. The first of these, the Queen Mary, made her maiden voyage in 1936, re-capturing the Blue Riband
from the French Normandie.
A second Mauretania (35,677 tons) was completed in 1939 followed by a year later by the 83,673 ton Queen Elizabeth.
The Second World War again saw Cunarders serving as transports, AMCs and naval auxiliaries, an example of the latter
being the Canadian ‘A’ class vessels which remained in RN service after the war, bringing the total tonnage ‘loss’ to about
145,000 tons. After the war the two Queens and the Mauretania were refitted not recommencing commercial services for
some two years and by 1949 new
builds Media, Parthia (both 13,350
tons approx.) and the 34,183 ton
Caronia had joined the fleet. That
same year the 35 year old
Aquitania was finally taken out of
service.
Here our story ends
although as mentioned in the
introduction please see issue 265
(April 2009) for an account of
what happened next.
Mercator Queen Mary
The two tables provide hopefully
comprehensive lists of commercial models of Cunard ships using the following abbreviations for the different
manufacturers: AL Albatros, BM Binkowski, Co Colonia, De Degen, G Grzybowski, Ho Hornby Minic, HY Hobby, L Len
Jordan, M Mercator, MAM Marine Artists Models, Ne Nelson, NM Navis, Po Poseidon, S Hansa, SM Stauffenberg, SX
for Sextant and Tr Triang, plus in their usual abbreviated form CM, HL, LH and RG. Several of these manufacturers are
pretty obscure but have been included for the sake of completeness. Again by no means all models are in current
production but at least it gives an idea of what is potentially out there. In addition to the ships listed, Albatros have also
produced a model of the Cunard owned harbour tender Skirmisher, 1900 (AL 118).
Britannia
1840
Russia
Campania
Ivernia
Carpathia
Lusitania
Mauretania
1867
1893
1900
1903
1907
1907
Franconia
Laconia
Carmania
Andania
Aquitania
Transylvania
1911
1911
1912
1913
1914
1914
Lancastria
Ausonia
Berengaria
Scythia
1920
1921
1921
1921
Laconia
1922
Franconia
Aurania
Carinthia
Mauretania
1923
1924
1925
1938
Queen Mary
1938
MAM, Ne 16 (as in 1848), LH 22, SM 6; sold to North German Federation navy in
1849, converted to a frigate & re-named Barbarossa
SM 15; Glasgow built, sold to Red Star Line in 1880, lost in collision 1902
NM 902; converted to a seaplane carrier 1915, lost after collision in 1918
M406; as completed tallest funnels ever fitted, trooper 1914-17, sunk (U-boat)
RG 23; 1912 involved in rescue of Titanic survivors, sunk (U-boat) 1918
M405a, AL 167, Ne 15; sunk (U-boat) 1915
M405, Ne 14a (Ne 4b & 166b as a hospital ship; Ne 14c & AL166 as in 1922;
AL166a & Ne 14d in 1933); last voyage 1934, scrapped 1935
HL 95; troopship 1915, sunk (U-boat) 1916 in Mediterranean
G. Co 11; AMC 1914, commercial service from 1916, sunk (U-boat) 1917
G16 (Rhenania)
SX 70, SX70a as a camouflaged troopship; sunk (U-boat) 1918
AL 105, Tr 705, ALK 113 as a hospital ship, also Pilot 310
SX73; built for joint Cunard-Anchor Line Mediterranean service (cancelled due to
outbreak of war), sold to Anchor Line in 1915, sunk (U-boat) 1917
LJ L9; sistership to Anchor Line’s Cameronia, 1940 trooper, sunk by aircraft
De 287, LJ L2; fate as Aurania but kept original name, scrapped 1965
G, CM-G151 (ex German); fire damaged 1938, never repaired
AL 176; Vickers built, 1939-46 trooping, refitted for commercial service in
1949/50, sold in 1957, scrapped Inverkeithing 1958
Co 20, G; AMC 1939, trooper from 1941, sunk (U-156) 1942 leading to joint
Franco-German rescue of survivors
Po 13 (white hull for world cruise 1933-38); trooper 1939-45, scrapped 1956
De 295; became AMC in 1939 and repair ship HMS Artifex in 1942
Po 13a (as in 1938 with black hull); AMC 1939, sunk by U-boat 1940
LJ L37, Co 22, Ne 12, CM 152, S276, CM152a (1962 green cruising colours);
troopship 1940-46, scrapped in 1965
M494, Ho 703, HY 8, HY 8a and BM20 (as troopship in 1940 & 44 respectively),
Tr 703, CM154, CSC2 also Wiking; extant Long Beach, California
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Queen Elizabeth
1939
Media
Parthia
Asia
Caronia
1947
1947
1948
1948
M 493, Ho 702, CM153, Tr 702, BM (troopship, 1940); sold 1968, destroyed by
fire at Hong Kong 1972
AL 252
LJ L20; sistership to Media, sold 1961, scrapped 1969
LJ M100
CM KR 60, Tr 701, Wiking; green livery throughout Cunard service, sold 1968
List: Cunarders in 1/1200-1250 (up to 1948)
The Cruising Era (Cunard)
By the early 1970s the last of the older liners had gone and a new era was about to begin. Briefly Caronia (completed
1948) was withdrawn in 1967, Saxonia (1954) and Ivernia (1955) cruised respectively as Carmania and Franconia from
1962 before being laid in the River Fal circa 1970; both were later sold to Nikreis Marine. Carinthia (1956) & Sylvania
(1957) became Fairsea & Fairwind in 1968 but will re-appear later in P&O Princess colours (see next month). Tracing
ships through their changes of name and
ownership is quite a challenge so please
forgive (and correct) any errors.
So in 1972 the fleet comprised just 3
ships, the liner Queen Elizabeth 2 (1969)
and purpose built cruise ships Cunard
Adventurer (1971) & Cunard Ambassador
(1971). The latter two both suffered from
fires in 1974, Cunard Ambassador so
much so that she was completely re-built
as a cargo ship. Sporting white funnels,
Triang Franconia
they were based in the USA and by 1976
had been replaced by Cunard Countess and Cunard Princess, newly built for the American cruise market, with one on each
coast. These two and the Queen Elizabeth 2 were the entire fleet until 1984 when Sagafjord (1965) and Vistafjord (1973)
joined courtesy of Cunard’s purchase of Norwegian American Cruises. Two years previously the Queen Elizabeth 2 was
called up for service in the Falklands; her post-conflict refit in late 1982 saw Cunard red on the previously white funnel and
a pale grey hull. The hull colour was not a success and in early 1983 the previous dark charcoal grey scheme was reapplied. In fact this shade is so dark that in most pictures it looks black. In 1987 she was re-engined in Germany and the
funnel modified. A footnote in
Cunard’s history is the purchase
in 1986 of Sea Goddess Cruises
with their two luxury superyachts Sea Goddess I and II,
mentioned here because there is a
relevant waterline model.
In
1993 Cunard joined with
Effjohn’s Crown Cruise Line to
form Cunard Crown Cruises
which, although planned to last
Mercator Queen Elizabeth 2
10 years, folded completely by
1997; this endeavour ran five ships namely Cunard’s pair from 1976 and three completed in 1993: Cunard Jewel, Cunard
Monarch and Cunard Dynasty; in 2001 the latter became Fred Olsen’s Braemar. As of 1994 the fleet was Queen Elizabeth
2, Sagafjord (sold to Saga in 1996 becoming Saga Rose) and Vistafjord plus the Cunard Crown ships. That year Cunard
acquired the Royal Viking Line taking into service just one ship, the Royal Viking Sun (completed 1996). From 1994 to
1999 the QE2’s hull was painted in ‘britannia blue’, again a shade so dark that it looks black; at the same time the waterline
was painted royal gold; my thanks to Mick Lindsay for this invaluable information and related photograph.
In 1996 Trafalgar House,
owners of Cunard since
1971, was acquired by
Kvaerner, with the fleet
reduced to five : Queen
Elizabeth
2,
Cunard
Dynasty, Cunard Countess,
Royal Viking Sun and
Vistafjord. In 1998 Cunard
was sold on to the giant
American
Carnival
Corporation with the fleet
listed
as just Queen
CM-KR Queen Mary 2
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Elizabeth 2, Royal Viking Sun and Vistafjord; the latter was refitted and given the traditional Cunard name Caronia in
1999. That same year Royal Viking Sun departed to become Seabourn Sun, and was re-named yet again in 2002 as
Prinsendam. Moving on to 2005 the Caronia had joined her old running mate Sagafjord as Saga Ruby but the new Queen
Mary 2 had joined the venerable QE2. The latter’s days were numbered and on 11th November 2008 she departed
Southampton for the last time on her way to a new career as a hotel in Dubai. With the new Queen Victoria (completed
2007) in the roster, a new Queen Elizabeth (near sister to QV) is due in 2010.
The various models are listed in
a couple of tables.
Of the
Carmania models M708m is
overall green and AL73 has a
white scheme. Mercator models
with catalogue numbers greater
than M923, plus the lettered
variations of QE2 are new issues
by Skytrex.
Skytrex M921c
QE2 1969 was probably never
released as it would have involved a significant rebuild of the original master. M915 and 916 were Vistafjord and
Sagafjord in Norwegian colours. Also available is CM-KR 61a which is the QE2’s lower hull section permitting the model
to be displayed in Blohm & Voss dry dock 11 (issued as CMZ 11) as during her 1987 refit. From the USA we have the
specialist cruise liner maker Alexander Scherbak who is the first with Queen Victoria & Queen Elizabeth (see below) and
has produced QM2 in two versions (as completed & after bridge wing modification in 2006). These models are quality
resin castings and fully painted in display cases. For the full range check www.scherbakshipmodels.tripod.com.
Name(s)
Caronia
Saxonia
Carmania
Ivernia
Franconia
Carinthia
Sylvania
Built
1948
1954
1954
1955
1955
1956
1957
Model (s)
Triang M701, CM-KR60
Triang M708, Albatros (AL) 73b
Triang M708m, AL73
Triang M709
Triang M709m
Triang M711
Triang M710
As In
1948
1954
1972
1955
1972
1956
1957
Notes
AL73a is Leonid Sobinov
ex Saxonia
ex Ivernia
Fairsea from 1968
Fairwind from 1968
List: Cunard liners built 1948 - 57
Name(s)
Queen Elizabeth 2
Queen Elizabeth 2
Queen Elizabeth 2
Queen Elizabeth 2
Queen Elizabeth 2
Queen Elizabeth 2
Cunard Countess
Vistafjord/Caronia
Sagafjord
Sea Goddess I
Queen Mary 2
Queen Victoria
Queen Elizabeth
Built
1969
“
“
“
“
“
1975/6
1973
1965
1984
2004
2007
2011
Model(s)
Hansa S200, Skytrex M921c
Hansa S200/1
Hansa S200/2, Konishi 907
Mercator (M) 921, CM-KR 61(N)
Skytrex M921a, CM-KR61b
Skytrex M921b, Classic Ships 009
Albatros AL135
M915a/M915b
M916a
Albatros AL114
Scherbak, CM-KR323, CS 094
Scherbak, CM-KR324
Scherbak
As In
1969
1982
1983
1987
1994
1999
1976
1984/1999
1985
1984
2004
2007
2011
List: Models of Cunard cruise ships since 1972
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Notes
+ Revell full hulled plastic kit
as in the Falklands
after 1983 refit
1987 refit /modified funnel
Britannia blue hull
Dark charcoal grey hull
CM-KR 452 planned
CM-KR 451 planned
+ Revell full hulled plastic kit
CM-KR 322 planned
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 WHITE STAR LINE
The White Star Line was founded in 1845 using initially leased & chartered clipper ships on the Australian run. It’s first
steamship was the ‘Royal Standard’ which following a period of mergers and de-mergers was deployed on the Liverpool to
New York route. Loans were taken out to expand this service but when the bank concerned encountered financial
problems, White Star found itself on the
point of bankruptcy. Here the family name
Ismay enters the story as Thomas Ismay
bought the line and immediately set about
disposing of the old clipper ships and
leasing, then buying, modern tonnage.
Ismay established the Oceanic Steamship
Navigation Company (OSNC) which despite
the name incorporated the sailing vessels of
William Imrie’s Northwest Shipping
‘G’ Teutonic
Company and included as major share
holders Gustuv Wolff and Edward Harland, shipbuilders in Belfast. An arrangement was put in place such that H&W
would not build ships for White Star’s competitors nor would White Star use other shipbuilders. The first new ship under
this deal was the ‘Oceanic’ being ordered in 1869 and in service by 1871. She was quickly followed by Baltic, Republic
and Atlantic although the line had a taste of disaster when the latter grounded off Halifax with some loss of life.
Completed in 1889, Teutonic became in 1891 the last of six White Star ships (see table) to capture a Blue Riband in this
case for the fastest west-bound Atlantic crossing; she held this honour for two years until Cunard’s Campania, which also
secured the east-bound record in 1893, took over. By the late 1890s White Star was under the new management of Bruce
Ismay (son of Thomas) and Harland & Wolff chairman Lord W.J. Pirrie. Back in the USA, financial giant JP Morgan
created a new shipping conglomerate (the International Mercantile Marine Company or IMM) which in 1900 made an unrefusable offer part of which permitted Bruce Ismay to remain as chairman and also become the president of IMM.
Name
Adriatic (1) (no model)
Baltic (1)
Germanic
Britannic (1)
Majestic (1)
Teutonic
Year (Direction)
1872 (West)
1873 (East)
1875, 77 (West), 1876 (E)
1876 (West & East)
1891 (West)
1891 (West)
List: White Star Blue Riband Winners
In 1907 White Star wanting to out-build arch-rivals Cunard, came up with the so-called ‘Olympic’ class liners of Olympic,
Titanic and Britannic (never Gigantic). Despite the loss of the Titanic and forced retirement of an exonerated Ismay the
company survived with many of it’s ships being
called up for service or indeed lost to enemy action
in 1914 – 1918. By 1925 the IMM had decided to
sell its non-US shipping businesses leading to an
immediate interest from H & W’s William Pirrie and
colleague Owen Phillips (later Lord Kylsant and
seemingly the ultimate villain in the White Star
story). Kylsant’s organisation (the Royal Mail
Group) made their bid for OSNC (White Star) with
the purchase completed, on paper, in 1926. Not
having the cash did not stop Kylsant from buying the
Albatros Doric
Shaw Savill Line.
By early 1928 with the Group failing
to make scheduled payments to HM
Treasury, a new 60,000 ton Oceanic
was ordered from H&W although the
ship was never completed. In August
the Australian Commonwealth Line
was acquired with a loan that was
never met.
In 1929 the first
repayments for the White Star
purchase became due and for perhaps
the first time the degree of Kylsant’s
Skytrex-Mercator Georgic
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financial mis-management became obvious. With a loss reported in 1930, government auditors examined the books finding
irregularities to the extent that Kylsant was arrested, charged and after a short trial imprisoned for a year. Creditors were
intent on forcing the company into liquidation but the government intervened saving a re-organised Royal Mail Group Ltd,
which left White Star largely on its own. At the same time Cunard was experiencing financial difficulties and in 1934 the
government agreed to help both companies on the condition they merge – so was born Cunard-White Star with Cunard
holding a majority of shares. At last construction of Queen Mary could continue but for White Star’s planned Oceanic (3)
(pictured below) it was the end. The house flags of both companies were flown until 1947 when Cunard bought out White
Star completely. Cunard were of course to complete both Queen Mary & Queen Elizabeth, plus post-war the Caronia and
four Saxonia type. Trafalgar House, owners of Cunard since 1971, was acquired by Kvaerner and in 1998 the company was
sold on to the giant American Carnival Corporation.
The table provide a subset of White Star Line’s ships namely those for which waterline models have been produced; the
remainder are listed separately. Where a name appears in brackets this indicates a sister-ship which can be represented by
the same model.. Those listed as produced by ‘Bassett-Lowke’ are as per Wiedling’s authoritative ship model register;
numbering just relates to
this article and is not a B-L
catalogue number. Given
their
scarcity
BassettLowke has only been
mentioned where no other
source of a model exists.
Derek Head’s excellent
book on Bassett-Lowke
features on page 74 a picture of ten White Star Line models namely Ceramic (1913), Doric (1922), Albertic (1927),
Adriatic (1907), Homeric (1922), Olympic (1911), Adriatic (1907 – different model), Calgaric (1922), Britannic (1930) and
Georgic (1932).
Oceanic (3)
Ship
Britannic (1)
Germanic
Teutonic
Majestic (1)
Oceanic (2)
Cedric (Celtic)
Baltic (2)
Adriatic (2)
Megantic
Arabic (3)
Olympic
Titanic
Date
1874
1874
1889
1890
1899
1902 (1901)
1904
1907
1908
1908 (built as Berlin)
1911
1912
until
- 1903
- 1904
- 1921
- 1914
- 1914
- 1932
- 1933
- 1935
- 1933
1921-25, 1930-31
- 1935
-1912
Ceramic
Homeric
Majestic (2)
Doric (2)
Pittsburgh
Albertic
1913
1913 (built as Columbus)
1914 (built as Bismarck)
1922
1922
1923 (ex Munchen, ex Ohio Royal Mail)
1927 (ex Orca PSNC, 1923)
1930
1931
-1934
1922 -1936
1922-1936
- 1935
- 1925
1927-1934
Model
Optatus S-10
Optatus S-10b
G, GLR 15
G 72, GLR 2
AL 163, CM 145, G 75, CM-G 145, RG 12
B-L 1
SK-M 931
G, GLR 14
RG 5
AL 84 as Berlin
AL 150
M 404, AL 150a, C 060, CM 148, CM-G
148, G, KO 920, CSC
G 21, HL 81
CM 149, G73, CM-G-149
CM 150, G 80, CM-G-150
AL 138
B-L 2
B-L 3 as in 1927
- 1935
- 1960
- 1956
B-L 4
M 495, CM 146, G46, SK-M 495, NE 003
SK-M 928
Calgaric
Britannic (3)
Georgic (2)
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List: White Star Ships (models issued)
Ship
Oceanic (1)
Atlantic
Baltic
Republic
Adriatic (1)
Coptic
Doric (1)
Belgic (2)
Gaelic (2)
Magnetic
Nomadic (1)
Tauric
Bovic
Date
1871
1871
1871
1871
1872
1881
1883
1885
1885
1891
1891
1891
1892
Served until
-1899
-1906
-1906
-1899
-1905
-1932
-1903
-1903.
-1922
Gothic
Cevic
Armenian
Cufic (2)
Georgic (1)
Victorian
Tropic (2)
Delphic (1)
Cymric
Medic
Romanic
Afric
Persic
1893
1894
1895 (built)
1895 (built)
1895
1895 (built)
1896 (built)
1897
1898
1898
1898 (built)
1899
1899
-1907, 1911-1913
-1914
1903-1914
- 1904-1923
-1916
- 1903-1904 ; later Russian
- 1904-1923
-1917
-1916
-1928
1903-1912
-1917
-1927
List: White Star Ships (no models) Part 1 Early Ships
Ship
Canopic
Runic (2)
Suevic
Zeeland
Date
1900 (built)
1900
1900
1901 (built)
Athenic
Corinthic
Cretic
Arabic (2)
Belgic (3)
Ionic (2)
Republic (2)
Arabic (3)
1902
1902
1902 (built)
1903
1903 (built)
1903
1903
1908 (built)
Served until
1903-1925
-1930
-1928
- 1910-1911,
1914-1920
-1928
-1931
- 1903-1923
-1915
1911-1913
-1932
-1909
- 1921-1925,
1930-1931
Lapland
Laurentic (1)
Nomadic (2)
Zealandic
1908 (built)
1908
1911
1911
1914-1920
-1917
-1927
-1926
Regina
Russian
Britannic (2)
Belgic (4)
Justicia
Vedic
Pittsburgh
Laurentic (2)
1913
1914
1915
1917
1917
1918
1922
1927
-1929
-1916 ; ex-Victorian
-1916
-1923
-1918
-1934
-1925
-1940
List: White Star Ships (no models) Part 2 Post 1900
Titanic model photo gallery:
Mercator 404
CM 148
Carat 60
CSC
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MAY/JUNE 2010 - ORIENT LINE (1871 – 1965)
During this eighty two year period thirty one ships were owned, fifteen of which, mainly the later vessels, have been
depicted in 1/1200 or 1/1250; six of these are in my
collection and pictured this month and next.
Some
illustrations have been taken from a couple of original
Orient-Pacific Line Mediterranean cruise brochures dating
from 1904. How about a ‘Whitsuntide Cruise’ on the SS
Orontes starting at 15 guineas (that’s £15.75 to you) or
between September and November you could have
cruised on the 26 year old SS Cuzco for a mere 12
guineas. This could have been your last chance as she
was scrapped at Genoa the following year.
Also
advertised were regular services between London and
Australia – fascinating stuff. All 27 ships (from the Orient of 1879) will be listed. Where a ship name has a number added
e.g. (2) this is not part of the name but a re-use of the same traditional name for a later ship. When this happens the first
ship to use the name will retrospectively become ‘name (1)’ – very frequent with the Orient Line.
The company’s origins go back to the 1860s when Anderson,
Thompson & Co started a packet service via the Cape to
Australia with the ‘Orient’. In 1877, and now Anderson,
Anderson & Co, the company chartered, the following year
buying, four ships from the Pacific Steam Navigation Co
(PSNC) to use on the same route. These vessels, the Garonne,
Lusitania, Chimborazo & Cuzco, were originally intended by
PSNC for a South American service, but had become suplus to
requirements.
The Australian route proving highly successful, the Andersons
and their Green family partners established in 1878 the Orient
Steam Navigation Company (OSNC), more commonly known
as the Orient Line. Starting with a new ‘Orient’ in 1879, the
company built a series of new steamships.
With more ships needed, the company joined with PSNC to form in 1886 the Orient-Pacific Line adding under PSNC’s
colours Orizaba, Orotava, Oroya, Oruba & Ortona. In 1906 Royal Mail bought PSNCs Australian interests with the joint
service becoming Orient-Royal Mail Line; the
four PSNC steamers were transferred to Royal
Mail until 1909 when Royal Mail ended the
arrangement.
In the early 1900s the Orient Line reached an
agreement with the Peninsular & Oriental Steam
Navigation Company (P&O) to share an
Australian government mail contract. Many new
ships were built including the five 12,000
Albatros Orcades (1937)
tonners which entered service in 1909. During
WW1 the entire fleet was requisitioned with the survivors returning to the Australian run in 1919. That same year the
Green family sold their holding to P&O giving the latter a controlling interest in the OSNC. The Orient Line was in fact
managed independently of (but not in competition with) P&O until 1960 when the two merged completely as P&O-Orient
Line.
Continuing in 1921, and in common with several other British shipping companies, several ex-German liners were acquired
as listed in the table. This was followed by regular new builds throughout the decade, starting with 1924’s Orama (2). The
1930s brought Orion and Orcades (2) at which time the familiar ‘corn’ coloured hull was introduced by the Orama (2).
During WW2 all eight Orient Line ships were called up for service and four, Orama (2). Oronsay (1), Orford & Orcades
(2), were lost. Of the survivors
the oldest, 1917’s Ormonde,
survived a remarkable 35 years.
Post war the UK – Australia run
was restored with the first new
build Orcades (3) in 1948
followed by near-sister Oronsay
(2) in 1951 and Orsova (2) in
-8-
1954. The latter was completed with the funnel stove pipe, a feature added to the other two that same year. The last ship
built for the line was Oriana by which time P&O-Orient lines had been formed. In 1964/65 all four ships were repainted
with white hulls (a P&O colour) and green waterlines (an Orient colour) and in 1966 the word Orient was dropped from the
company name. Apparently Oriana flew the old Orient Line house flag for one last time on her final voyage in 1986. She
became a static hotel/conference centre in the Far East and was scrapped in 2005.
Ship
Orient
Austral
Ormuz (1)
Ophir
Omrah
Orontes (1)
Date
1879
1882
1886
1891
1899
1902
Orsova (1)
Otway
Osterly
Otranto (1)
1909
1909
1909
1909
Orvieto
Orama (1)
Ormonde
Omar
1909
1911
1917
1920
Orcades (1)
Ormuz (2)
1921
1921
Orama (2)
1924
Oronsay (1)
Otranto (2)
Orford
Orontes (2)
Orion
Orcades (2)
Orcades (3)
Oronsay (2)
Orsova (2)
Oriana
1925
1926
1928
1929
1935
1937
1948
1951
1954
1960
Service Notes (with Company until – ‘date’)
- 1910 (1st ship built for the line) (scrapped 1910)
- 1903 (scrapped 1905)
- 1912 (sold as French Divona, scrapped 1922
- 1915, royal yacht in 1901, WW1 AMC, scrapped 1922)
- 1918 (sunk by U52 off Sardinia)
- 1923 (WW1 troopship; sold 1923 as exhibition ship
British Trade , but project failed, scrapped 1925)
- 1936 (WW1 troopship)
- 1917 (WW1 AMC, sunk by U49)
- 1930 (WW1 troopship – dazzle painted in 1918)
- 1918 (WW1 AMC, wrecked following collision with
Kashmir)
- 1931 (WW1 trooper, then mine layer, then AMC)
- 1917 (sunk by U62, North Atlantic)
- 1952 (WW2 troopship)
ex Konigin Luise, 1896; 1924 sold becoming ‘Edison’,
scrapped 1935
ex Prinz Ludwig, 1903; - 1925, scrapped 1926
ex Zeppelin, 1914; 1927 sold to Norddeutscher Lloyd as
‘Bremen’, scrapped 1934
first new build after WW1; sunk 1940 by German
warships Admiral Hipper & Hans Lody
sunk by Italian submarine Archimede in 1942
sistership of Orama; served for 30 years
bombed 1940; later salvaged for scrap
troopship, scrapped 1962
troopship, scrapped in 1963 - 64
troopship, sunk by U172 in October 1942
first new build after WW2; P&O 1962 -73
P&O 1962-75
P&O 1965-74
last Orient liner, P&O 1965-86
Model
LH 18
AL 169
RG 42; also AMC version
Bassett-Lowke
Bassett-Lowke 2
CM 112 as built
- none CM 61 as built
Co 18, AL 209b (‘a’ in 1935)
Bassett-Lowke 3
Nelson 02
Bassett-Lowke 4
AL 209, SK-M944
AL 139a, G
AL 139, LJ L36
CM-KR 66
- none CM-KR 62
SK-M927a, Helvetia 11A, HM SM
/ 11B & SKM927 white hull,
List: Orient Line Ships & Models
The table list all twenty seven Orient Line liners indicating those for which waterline models have been produced. Those
listed as produded by ‘Bassett-Lowke’ are as per Wiedling’s authorative ship model register; numbering just relates to this
article and is not a B-L catalogue
number. Given their scarcity BassettLowke has only been mentioned where
no other source of a model exists.
Derek Head’s definitive account of
Bassett-Lowke features on page 76 a
picture of P&O & Orient liner models
including Orford, Oronsay (1), Otranto
(2), Orion (1937) & Orcades (2). LH
were a small range of merchantmen
Helvetia Oriana (1960)
issued
as
both
kits
and
assembled/painted; nine GB ships were
listed namely the freighters Lorient (19190, Datetree (1914), Borthwick (1920) Sutherland (1945) & Maindy Transport
(1920), tanker San Fraterno (1913), liner Orient (1879), coastal freighter Cornish Trader (1920) and the Britannia dating
from 1840. RG was an interesting range of primarily merchant ships, mostly from the period 1890 to 1940. As can be seen
from the table there are very few waterline models of the early ships, just one each by German 1/1250 makers ‘LH’, ‘AL’
and ‘RG’ plus a couple to be found in the famous Bassett-Lowke 1/1200 range. Of all these makes only Albatros (AL) are
still in production although AL169 Omrah is not currently available.
-9-
MAY 1998 & AUGUST 2009 - P&O & P&O CRUISES
The origins of the P&O lie in the late 1820s with mail services to Portugal and later Spain & Madeira using chartered ships
of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Co. A government contract for mail to the Iberian Peninsular was secured in 1837
followed three years later by a mail contract for the East via Egypt. Operating initially under the name the ‘Peninsular
Steam Navigation Company’ this was changed on 31st December 1840 to the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation
Co. and was incorporated by a Royal Charter.
The service to Egypt was launched with the paddle steamer ‘Oriental’ where the mail would be delivered to Alexandria then
transported overland prior to onward shipment to Calcutta in India on a second vessel. Within a few years mail services
had been expanded to include Ceylon, Madras and China. In 1842 P&O’s first liner reached the east, this being the paddle
steamer Hindostan.
In 1852 a mail service to Bombay was added
and more significantly to Australia. Ironically
the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 caused
P&O problems in that their investment in two
fleets (one West of Suez and one to the East)
gave them surplus shipping as through voyages
were now possible. However P&O made the
changes needed (we’d call it rationalisation
today) and soon began operating through
voyages to India, the Far East and Australia.
At this time P&O’s livery was black hull, masts
Albatros Naldera
& funnels and buff superstructure. Celebrating
Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887, P&O acquired 4 new ships including their very first Arcadia and Oceana. In
1904 the company began cruises with the ‘Vectis’, this being the former ‘Rome’ completed in 1881.
The company increased in size with the acquisitions in 1910 of the Blue Anchor Line and a merger in 1914 with British
India although the latter retained their own operating identity. On the outbreak of war in 1914 P&O/BI possessed about
200 ships many of which were requisitioned for example as AMCs or troopships. During the war the New Zealand
Shipping Company, the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand, the Hain Steamship Company and the Nourse Line
were acquired. Overall P&O lost 85 ships during the war, 34 as a result of enemy action. In 1919 the company bought a
controlling interest in the Orient Line followed a year later by acquisition of the General Steam Navigation Company.
In 1929 the Viceroy of India was built
especially for the UK-Bombay mail run
and during the 1930s the ship
undertook frequent cruises; she met her
end as a troopship off Oran in 1942.
Times were difficult in the aftermath of
the 1929 economic downturn but
within a couple of years P&O had
commissioned ‘Strathnaver’ the first of
five handsome ‘Strath’ class liners.
These ships also saw a change in
company livery with the adoption of
Colonia Viceroy of India
white hulls with yellow funnels and
masts. P&O lost over half of their tonnage, 182 vessels, during WW2. By 1947 and 1949 respectively Strathaird and
Strathnaver had been re-fitted losing their 1st and 3rd (both dummy) funnels in the process. Orient Line ships operated
independently until 1960 when P&O bought the remaining shares in the Orient Line and the company was re-incorporated
as P&O-Orient Line.
The last ship to be designed on behalf of P&O
for scheduled liner services P&O’s was 1961’s
Canberra and in parallel Orient Line’s last was
the Oriana delivered with the company’s
distinctive
‘corn’
coloured
hull.
Chronologically our story concludes with the
purchase in 1961 of the Belgian cargo liners
Jadotville and Baudouinville which were renamed Chitral and Cathay – they remained in
Albatros Stratheden
P&O service until the early/mid 1970s. A
footnote is BI’s use of former troopships such as
the Dilwara and sister-ship Dunera (on which the author took his first voyage in 1964) for educational cruising. From 1964
- 10 -
the former Orient Line ships were re-painted with white hulls although ‘corn’ was revived for P&O cargo ships in the
1970s when the fleet was re-organised into five divisions, including for liners the Passenger Division.
The table provides a subset of P&O’s liners including the first and the last but concentrating on those for which waterline
models have been produced; a further list gives unmodelled ships. Omitted from the tables (as not modelled) are a further
thirteen ships built between 1882 and 1895, eight from 1898 – 1901, twenty one from 1905 – 1914, Razmak (completed
1925), Corfu (1930), Carthage (1931) and the troopships Ettrick (138) & Empire Fowey (1946). Where further names
appear in brackets this indicates sister-ships which can be represented by the same model so RG33a ‘China’ can be used as
the ‘India’ in a collection rather like my displayed ‘Dunera’ which in fact is AL 95 ‘Dilwara’ (this is a familiar approach for
warship collectors). Those listed as produced by ‘Bassett-Lowke’ are as per Wiedling’s authoritative ship model register;
numbering just relates to this article and is not a B-L catalogue number. Given their scarcity Bassett-Lowke has only been
mentioned where no other source of a model exists. Derek Head’s excellent book on Bassett-Lowke features on page 76 a
picture of P&O & Orient liner models including Ranchi (1925), Viceroy of India (1929), Mooltan (1923) and Strathnaver
(1931).
Ship (sister)
Rome
China (India)
Arabia (Egypt)
Marmora
(Macedonia)
Moldavia (Mongolia)
Naldera (Narkunda)
Ballarat (Balranald,
Baradine, Bendigo,
Barradol)
Mongolia
(Moldavia)
Mooltan
(Maloja)
Comorin (Cathay,
Chitral)
Rawalpindi
(Ranpura, Rajputana,
Ranchi)
Viceroy of India
Strathnaver
Strathaird
Date
1881
1896
1898
1903
(04)
1903
1920
1921
(21-23)
Service Notes of first named
re-named Vectis 1904 – 1912
-1928
-1915, torpedoed/sunk in 1916
1923
(22)
1923
(24)
1925
1938 to NZ Shipping Co as Rimutaka)
sold 1950 as Europa; scrapped 1965
-1954
Bassett-Lowke 3
1925
became AMC in 1939; accidental loss
1941
-1939, sunk when AMC
AL 30, SK-M932
ALK129 Chitral as AMC
LJ L1, Colonia 121, G 15
1929
1931
1931
troopship 1940, sunk by U-boat in 1942
-1962
-1962
Strathmore
Stratheden
(Strathallan)
Canton
Orcades
Soudan (Somali)
Chusan
Himalaya
Sunda (Surat,
Shillong, Singapore)
Arcadia
Iberia
Orsorva
Oriana
1935
1937
1938
1948
1948
1949
1949
1952
-1963
sold to Greek interests in 1964, scrapped
in 1969
-1962
- 1962 -73 (Orient Line 1948-1962)
- 1970 cargo liner
UK – Far East service, scrapped in 1973
-1974
- 1972 cargo liner
AL 234, Colonia 24, SK-M945
AL 136
HM 283, HM 284 & ALK125 as
troopship (1939)
Post war - HM283a & AL136a
LJ L 35
AL 90
1954
1954
1954
1960
-1979
-1972
- 1962-74 (Orient Line 1954-1965)
- 1962-86 (Orient Line 1960-1965)
Canberra
1961
-1997
Cathay (Chitral)
1961
-1970
scrapped 1938
All scrapped 1935 – 38
Model
none
RG 33a
RG 33, AL262
Bassett-Lowke 1
Bassett-Lowke 2
AL 127
Colonia 25
Colonia 23
LJ L 27
CM-KR 66
LJ M57
AL 125
SK-M946, AL259
LJ M58
AL 185, LJ L42 as in 1971
AL 185a
CM-KR 62
SK-M927a, Helvetia 11A/ 11B &
SKM927 white hull
Colonia 29, CM-KR 67, Triang/Rovex
715, SK-M930
CM-KR 446
List: P&O liners to 1961 (models issued)
- 11 -
Skytrex Himalaya
Ship
Rome
Ballarat
Arcadia (1)
Oceana (1)
Victoria
Britannia
Australia
Himalaya (1)
Borneo
Malta
Nubia
Simla
Sumatra
Sunda
Osiris
Assaye
Plassy
Sicilia
Somali
Soudain
Syria
Dongola
Mooltan (1)
Date
1881
1882
1888
1888
1888
1888
1892
1892
1895
1895
1895
1895
1895
1895
1898
1899
1900
1901
1901
1901
1901
1905
1905
Service Notes
Vectis 1904 – 1912
-1904
-1916
-1912
-1904
-1922
-1914
-1922
-1915
-1916
-1914
-1914
-1922
-1928
-1924
-1926
-1923
-1925
-1925
-1926
Devanha
Namur
Nore
Nyanza
Malwa
Morea
Mantua
Ballarat (1)
Beltana
Medina
Benalla
Berrima
Borda
Kaiser I Hind
Kalyan
Kashmir
Khiva
Khyber
Razmak
Corfu
Carthage
Ettrick
Empire Fowey
Oronsay
1906
1906
1907
1907
1908
1908
1909
1911
1911
1911
1912
1913
1913
1914
1914
1914
1914
1914
1925
1930
1931
1938
1946
1951
-1928
-1917
-1930
-1931
-1930
-1930
-1938
-1932
-1932
-1932
-1931
-1960
-1961
-1961
-1942 – troopship
-1960 – troopship
- 1962-75 (Orient Line 51-62)
List: P&O liners to 1961 (no models)
The Cruising Era (P&O)
Risawoleska 485b Sea Princess as ‘Victoria’
- 12 -
Back in 1919 P&O had acquired 51% of the
Orient Line although the two lines retained
their distinct identities and ships. Fast forward
to May 1960 and P&O bought the remaining
49% and created P&O-Orient Lines to operate
the ships of both companies. By 1964 the
Orient ships had been repainted with white
hulls (vice ‘corn’) and finally by 1966 ‘Orient’
was dropped from the company name. In the
late 1960s P&O’s passenger/cruising fleet comprised seven traditional liners built in the late 1940s/early 1950s (as listed in
the table) plus the more modern Oriana (1) (completed 1960) and Canberra (1961). There were also several British India
vessels, such as the Uganda (built 1962), which operated under their traditional company name.
By the mid 1970s most of the older liners had gone,
a notable exception being the Arcadia (1) which
bowed out in 1979. The modern cruising era
dawned for P&O in 1972 when the new purpose
built cruise ship Spirit of London joined the fleet. In
1974 P&O acquired the then small US company
Princess Cruises which added, after their purchase
by P&O, Island Princess & Pacific Princess (the
Love Boats if you remember the TV series) and saw
Spirit of London becoming Sun Princess (1). The
Mercator Aurora
Sea Princess (1) (ex Kungsholm, completed 1966)
joined in 1979 and, following a major overhaul in Bremen during which she lost her forward (and dummy) funnel, was
deployed as P&O’s Australian cruise ship until 1981 when she was replaced by Oriana (1). 1982 saw the Canberra and
Uganda (a school ship at the time) called up for service in the Falklands War. A significant arrival for Princess Cruises was
the new build Royal Princess which joined in 1984. The Sea Princess (1) operated in Princess Cruises colours (white
logo) from 1986 to 1991.
funnel with the
Huge change was afoot with the acquisition of SITMAR Cruises in 1988; added to the fleet were three older vessels:
Fairstar was the former troopship Oxfordshire (1957) and, being in
the area already, took on Australian cruises duties under her
SITMAR name; newly re-named Fair Princess had been Cunard’s
Carinthia (1956) and Dawn Princess (1) was once Sylvania (1957);
plus the more recent Fairsky (1984) which became Sky Princess.
Equally valuable to P&O were three ships under construction for
SITMAR, these were Sitmar Fair Majesty, which was completed in
1989 as Star Princess and two at the time un-named new builds
which became Crown Princess (1990) and Regal Princess (1991).
1989 saw the departure of Sun Princess (1) which still survives as
the Spanish New Flamenco.
By 1994 P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises were being listed
separately and the former were reduced to just Canberra, Sea
Princess (1) (which became Victoria in 1995) and Fairstar trading
under the P&O Holidays name. Princess meanwhile listed 9 vessels including those already mentioned plus the Golden
Princess (former Royal Viking Sky/built 1973, stretched in 1981/82) which in 2006 became Fred Olsen’s Boudicca. In
1995 P&O accepted their brand new Oriana (2) whilst Princess had by 1996 added Bali Sea Dancer and the first of the new
77,000 ton Italian built ships, the Sun Princess
(2).
For P&O, the hugely popular Canberra
was replaced by Arcadia (2) (ex Star Princess)
in late 1997 and Fair Princess operated for P&O
Holidays in Australia replacing the aging
Fairstar. Back at Princess the other three of the
new 77k class (Dawn Princess (2), Sea Princess
(2) & Ocean Princess) had arrived by 1999 plus
the even larger Grand Princess (109,000 tons).
Sky Princess was re-named Pacific Sky to join
P&O Holidays.
Further acquisitions meant
CM-KR Arcadia
that by 1999 the P&O Steam Navigation Co
Ltd owned or part owned six cruise ship operating companies namely P&O Cruises Ltd, Aida Cruises, Seatours
International, P&O Holidays, Swan Hellenic and Princess Cruises. That year saw the departure of Island Princess which
now belongs to the British company Voyages of Discovery and unsurprisingly is called Discovery.
Royal Princess (1984)
In 2000 P&O demerged its cruise business as P&O Princess Cruises plc operating the Arcadia (2), Oriana (2) & Victoria;
for P&O Holidays: Fair Princess & Pacific Sky (ex Sky Princess), plus for Princess Cruises the same ships as in 1998.
Aurora joined in the Spring of 2000 and two years later Victoria departed (to become Mona Lisa and more recently Oceanic
II for Spanish owners) being replaced by Oceana (former Ocean Princess). The old Fair Princess departed by the end of
2000 becoming the ‘China Sea Discovery’; in 2005 she was photographed at Alang, India, aground and about be scrapped –
a picture can be seen at www.maritimematters.com . Back in 2001 the Pacific Princess, last of the original Princess trio,
moved on and she now has Spanish owners under the shortened name of just Pacific where she has been re-united with
Oceanic II, the former Sun Princess (1). In the Spring of 2003 the Oceana’s sistership Sea Princess (2) started a two year
stint as P&O’s Adonia, at which point Arcadia (2) was re-branded as Ocean Village. Keeping track briefly of the ex- 13 -
SITMAR Crown Princess, she operated as A’Rosa Blu then Aida Rosa between 2002 and 2004 before returning as Ocean
Village II in 2007.
In late 2003 P&O Princess Cruises merged with the American Carnival Corporation which already owned 12 cruise lines
including Cunard; P&O Cruises have however firmly retained their British operating identity. P&O Holidays became P&O
Cruises Australia initially with just Pacific Sky. Back in 1983 there was talk of a takeover of P&O by Cunard – one
wonders what that might have brought. Returning to 2005 the Carnival connection brought the benefit in April of a new
Arcadia (3) which had been laid down for ‘Carnival – Cunard’ as Queen Victoria while from Princess Cruises came the
former Royal Princess under her new P&O name of Artemis.
Operating independently under Carnival UK, P&O Cruises currently have Oriana (2), Oceana, Aurora, Artemis (being
replaced in 2011 by a new Adonia ex Royal Princess/Minerva II/R Eight), Arcadia (3), Ventura (completed 2007) and near
sister ship to the last named, Azura (2010). The two Ocean Village ships, namely Ocean Village I (former Arcadia (2)) and
Ocean Village II (ex Crown Princess) are planned to move to Australia as Pacific Pearl and Pacific Jewel. Other changes
will see P&O Holidays re-branded as Carnival Australia with Pacific Dawn (remember Regal Princess back in 1991) plus
two other former Carnival vessels.
Oriana (Skytrex), Canberra (Colonia) and Victoria (LJ)
The tables provide a collecting checklist of
1/1250 models that have appeared over the
years. For completeness the Oronsay, for
which no model exists, and Uganda (which
has several) have been included. Mercator
models (M) with catalogue numbers greater
than 923 are new issues by Skytrex. There is
a model of Royal Viking Sky (Holsatia 15)
which with a repaint could be used to depict
Golden Princess or indeed Boudicca. Len
Oronsay: the ‘un-modelled ship’
Jordan (LJ) models are 1/1200 resin kits so
for example the Victoria kit (LJ-L31) could
be built and painted as either Sea Princess (1) or Victoria, with the latter in either P&O or Union Castle funnel colours as
carried in 1999 – the kit instructions give details. From the USA we have the specialist cruise liner maker Alexander
Scherbak whose first P&O ship is the Ventura. These models are resin castings and fully painted in display cases. For the
full range which includes several modern Princess Line ships check www.scherbakshipmodels.com. Also available from
Alexander Scherbak is the Souvenir Series which omit deck painting and the display case but are much cheaper.
Name(s)
Himalaya
Chusan
Iberia
Arcadia (1)
Ex Orient Line
Orcades
Orsova
Oronsay
Served P&O
1949-74
1950-73
1954-72
1954-79
Built/Served P&O
1948/1960-73
1954/1960-74
1951/1960-75
Model
Skytrex M946, Albatros (AL) 259
AL 125
AL185a
AL185, Len Jordan (LJ) L-42
As In
1949
1950
1954
1954
CM-KR66, AL260 (1948)/260a (1964)
CM-KR62
none
1960
1960
Listed for completeness – no model
List: P&O Orient Line liners built 1949 - 54
- 14 -
Notes
Name(s)
Uganda
Oriana (1)
Built
1952
1960
Canberra
1961
Sea Princess (1) /Victoria
1966
plus, many faces of:
Kungsholm
Kungsholm
Sea Princess
Victoria
Mona Lisa
Oceanic II
Royal Princess/Artemis
Fairsea / Fair Princess
Dawn Princess (1)
Star Princess/Arcadia (2)
Crown Princess
Sun Princess (2)
Oriana (2)
Dawn Princess (2)
Sea Princess (2) / Adonia
Grand Princess
Aurora
Arcadia (3)
Ventura
Azura
Adonia
1966
1984
1956
1957
1989
1990
1995
1995
1997
1998
1998
2000
2005
2008
2010
2001
Model(s)
Albatros (AL) 88, M940
Mercator (M) 927a,
Helvetia
Colonia 39, M930, CMKR67
Degen 399 / LJ L-31
As in
1952
1960
Notes
ALK 81 as a Hospital ship 1982
M927 as in 1965 (white hull)
1961
also Triang & Rovex in 1/1200
1979/1995
2002 – Mona Lisa (CSC 090)
Risawoleska RI-240
RI-240a
RI-245a
RI-245b & c
RI-245d & f
RI-245e
CM-KR 69
Degen 414 / 414a
CM-KR89a, Degen 414c
CM-KR68, M935 / M935a
CM-KR277
M937
Sextant 205, M933
M937a
M937b / M948
M941
M947
CM-KR325
Scherbak
Scherbak (planned)
Scherbak (planned)
1966
1975
1986
1995 & 00
2002 & 08
2007
-1971/1989
1989
1990
1991
1995
1995
1997
1998/2003
1998
2003
2005
2008
2010
2011
Princess colours
P&O & Union Castle funnel colours
listed for years but never released
ex Cunard Carinthia
ex Cunard Sylvania
2003 – Ocean Village I
2007 – Ocean Village II
Sextant re-issue as Optatus OL-SX-23
Adonia Spring 03 – April 05
Scherbak Souvenir (as in 2011)
and Scherbak Souvenir
joined P&O in 2011
List: Models of P&O Princess cruise ships since 1960
Scherbak Ventura
Skytrex Mercator Grand Princess
- 15 -
SEPTEMBER 1994 & JAN/FEB 2011 - UNION CASTLE LINE
This month we re-visit Union Castle for the first time since 1994; back then we had 21 related waterline models and now
there are 30, plus some duplication of popular vessels. The table lists models of ships completed prior to 1939, all are liners
except where annotated as cargo or reefer – refrigerated
cargo ship.
The Union Castle Line was formed in February 1900
with the amalgamation of two established and hitherto
competing companies - the Union Steam Ship Co. Ltd
and the Castle Mail Packets Co. Ltd, both of which had
been particularly involved in routes from Great Britain
to South Africa, including the prestigious mail service.
Creation of the new company virtually coincided with
the outbreak of the Boer War and for two years Union
Navis Gloucester Castle
Castle was heavily involved in the transportation of
men and military supplies, with two old Union vessels Spartan and Trojan converted to hospital ships. Despite the post-war
depression that occurred the Company continued to operate successfully to South Africa and in 1910 opened a new East
Africa service via the Suez Canal. Construction of new and improved tonnage was a continuous process, typical of which
were the 13,300 ton mail steamers Balmoral Castle and sister ship Edinburgh Castle which entered service in 1910. The
former was selected to serve as a royal yacht for the then Prince of Wales for his planned visit to celebrate the new Union of
South Africa in 1910. The ship was transferred to the Royal Navy and repainted with yellow mast and funnels for the
occasion. In the event the Duke of Connaught undertook the visit as the Prince of Wales succeeded to the throne on the
death of King Edward VIII.
In 1911 three new 'Intermediate' ships, including the
Gloucester Castle (as modelled by Navis), joined the
fleet. The intermediate vessels were based in London
and employed mainly on the round Africa routes via
Suez and in effect provided a 'stopping' service in
sharp contrast to the Mail fleet which operated
directly between Southampton and the Cape. In 1912
the Line was taken over by the Royal Mail Steam
Albatros Carnarvon Castle (1926)
Packet and Elder Dempster Companies although the
Union Castle name was of course retained. The first
new ship to be built with the Suez - East African route in mind was the Llandovery Castle and in common with nearly half
the fleet, this vessel was requisitioned for war duty in 1914. Very quickly the company's services were reduced to the Mail
run using Intermediate vessels and some cargo
routes. The fast liners were of particular use to the
war effort serving as troop ships and auxiliary
cruisers with most of the intermediate liners
converted to hospital ships. Nine ships, including the
Llandovery Castle mentioned above, were lost to
enemy action, primarily mine and torpedo.
By the end of the war just five ships remained in
commercial service and it was not until October 1919
that the weekly Mail run was re-established with a further two years before a fortnightly intermediate service could resume.
1921/22 saw the introduction into service of two of the most handsome liners to operate under the Union Castle flag - the
Windsor Castle and Arundel Castle. Both were completed with four funnels (as in AL55) but subsequently modernised in
1937/38 which involved new engines, an increase in waterline length of 15 ft, a more rakish bow and a reduction to two
larger funnels (see AL79). In 1926 the first of the diesel engined 'motor' liners - the Carnarvon Castle (AL177) - entered
service.
CM-KR Edinburgh Castle
The appearance of the motor ship, with much broader squat funnels that had been seen in the past, caused much discussion
amongst the traditionalists but the type was certainly a success in service with two further vessels, the Winchester Castle
and Warwick Castle, ordered in the late 1920s and completing
in 1930/31. Financial difficulties for the Royal Mail Group
caused by the world depression enabled Union Castle to
become an independent company once more in 1929 but it was
not until 1934 that two new liners were ordered. These turned
out to be the Stirling Castle and Athlone Castle and when a
new mail contract was negotiated in 1936 it was only these two
ships which had sufficient speed to meet the required passage
Albatros Windsor Castle (post mod)
time of 14 days. Fortunately this 2 day 15 hour reduction was
only to be implemented from late 1938 but necessitated the modernisation programme mentioned above which was also
extended to the three newer motor liners. All were given much more powerful engines and the motor ships found their twin
- 16 -
funnels reduced to one (see Winchester Castle AL31). Special mention must be made of 1936’s Dunnottar Castle which
was sold by Union Castle in 1958 and with many changes of owner and appearance survived until 2004, a remarkable 68
years.
Name
Served
Depicted
Scot
1891 - 1905
1900
Norman
1894 -1926
1904
Balmoral Castle
1910 -1939
1910
Gloucester Castle
1911 -1942
1911
Cap Polonio
1919
1919
Ripley Castle (cargo)
1919 - 1931
1919
Arundel Castle
1921 -1958
1921
Windsor Castle
1922 -1943
1939
Llandovery Castle
1925 -1953
1925
plus sister ship Llandaff Castle 1926 - 1942
1925
Carnarvon Castle
1926 -1963
1926
Winchester Castle
1930 -1960
1930
Warwick Castle
1931 -1942
1930
Roslin Castle (reefer)
1935 -1967
1935
Stirling Castle
1936 -1966
1936
plus sister ship Athlone Castle 1936 -1965
1936
Dunnottar Castle
1936 -1958
1936
Rochester Castle (reefer)
1937 -1970
1937
plus sister ships Roxburgh, Richmond, & Rowallan Castle(s)
Durban Castle
1938 -1962
1938
& sistership Pretoria Castle (re-named Warwick Castle in
1946)
Capetown Castle
1938 -1967
1938
Make(s)/catalogue numbers
Albatros (AL) 159
Rh G-Liz10, 10b (1914), AL 145 (1894)
Rh G-Liz11, 11a (Royal yacht, 1910), 11b (1914)
NM910
CM 94 GM
Aegir
AL 55
AL 79 (as modernised, two funnels)
LJ L7
(LJ L7)
AL177; AL177a (as in 1952)
AL31; AL31a (as in 1938)
G23; G23a (as in 1938)
AL137
LJ L18, CM 214,
(LJ L18), CMKR 442 (as in 1947)
AL148, Degen/HMW 289 & 290 (1942)
G8, LJ M35
(LJ M35)
Degen/HMW 345, 346 (1940)
(HMW 345)
Nelson 10, Degen 261& Degen/HMW 262 (1939)
CM 213
List: 1/1250 Models of Union Castle Line Ships (Part1)
The Second World War broke out in 1939 and found Union Castle with 30 ships, mostly fast liners and refrigerated cargo
ships, totalling 383,000 gross tons. The Cape run continued for several months but by 1940 the entire fleet had been
requisitioned for Government service. With the exception of those ships used as Armed Merchant Cruisers (AMC), all
were still manned by civilian crews. Many served as troop ships, for example the Stirling Castle which carried over 6000
personnel. All were armed typically with a single 4.7” or 6” gun plus AA weapons. A total of 13 Union Castle ships were
lost during the war – 6 liners and 7 freighters.
Name
Capetown Castle
Stirling Castle
Durban Castle
Windsor Castle
Dunnottar Castle
Carnarvon Castle
Served
troopship
Troopship
troopship
troopship
troopship
AMC
Depicted
1939
1940
1940
1940
1942
1943
Make/cat no
HM 262W CM-P35 (troopship)
CM-P33 (troopship)
HM 346W
ALK 117
HM 290W
ALK 1 21
List: 1/1250 Models of Union Castle Line Ships in wartime service
A new 10 year contract for the Cape mail run came into operation in 1947 and the first new buildings were the Riebeeck
Castle and Rustenburg Castle. Meanwhile some of the older vessels, such as the Arundel Castle, were retained in
Government service and used for transportation of emigrants to South Africa during the period 1947-49. 1948 saw the
delivery of two new 28,705 ton liners, the largest to date, the Pretoria Castle and Edinburgh Castle, the pre-war Pretoria
Castle becoming the Warwick Castle (1946-1962). The 1926 liner Carnarvon Castle, after a very active war, was
modernised in 1949/50 giving another 13 years service. In 1950 the Bloemfontein Castle was commissioned setting two
unrelated firsts - one mast and one class of passenger
accommodation.
By 1954 the mail service was employing eight fast
liners with a further six on the intermediate/round
Africa fleet. Amongst the latter was the nearly twenty
year old Dunnottar Castle. Completing the Union
Castle fleet at this time were twelve fast cargo liners,
including seven R class refrigerated fruit carriers the
LJ Stirling Castle
first of which was the Roslin Castle. The remaining
five general cargo ships - three ex-Empire class purchased from the Government in 1946 plus two new vessels were
repainted in 1954 with a black hull (and white stripe) rather than the traditional lavender grey.
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In 1956 the British & Commonwealth Shipping Company Ltd was established which comprised Union Castle, the Clan
Line and Bullard King; this sensible re-organisation retained the original trading identities but eliminated competition and
allowed shared use of vessels. New construction in the period 1957/61 included a trio of large liners, namely the Pendennis
Castle, a third Windsor Castle and the Transvaal Castle , whilst in 1964 management was assumed of the Reina del Mar
with the ship being given company colours; she was bought in 1973. Two identical fast cargo liners - Southampton and
Good Hope Castle were commissioned in 1965 and these ships served until 1978 when they were bought by the Italian
Costa Line and re-named Paola C and Franca C. 1966 witnessed another reduction in the time for contracted mail run with
the new requirement being 111/2 days as opposed to 131/2. This same year saw the magnificent Transvaal Castle, the
company's largest liner, transferred to the South African Marine Corp (UK) Ltd (Safmarine) and re-named the Vaal,
although she was still British-flagged and operated by Union Castle. The Vaal undertook the final Southampton to the Cape
mail run in September 1977 before being sold and refitted as the cruise liner 'Festivale'.
By 1979 the fleet was down to just four ships, four
reefers of the Balmoral Castle type, all originally
Clan Line vessels built in the 1960s. That same
year all were re-named with the word Castle being
replaced by Universal and three years later the
trading name Union Castle was finally abandoned.
The table includes all the post-war liners, plus for
completeness the Carnarvon Castle which had
been extensively modernised in 1949/50.
CM-KR Transvaal Castle
Name
Edinburgh Castle
Pretoria Castle
Bloemfontein Castle
Rhodesia Castle
Braemar Castle
Carnarvon Castle
Pendennis Castle
Kenya Castle
Windsor Castle
Transvaal Castle
Reina del Mar
Good Hope Castle (reefer)
Southampton Castle (reefer)
Served
1947 -1976
1948 -1966
1950 -1959
1951 -1967
1952 -1966
1926 -1963
1958 -1976
1951 -1967
1960 -1977
1961 -1966
1964 -1975
1965 -1978
1965 -1978
Depicted
1947
1948
1950
1951
1951
1952
1958
1958
1960
1961
1964
1965
1965
Make(s)/cat nos
CM-KR 50
Albatros (AL)151
CM-KR 56
CM-KR 57
(CM-KR 57)
AL 177a
CM-KR 51
CM-KR 440
AL 180, CM-KR 52 (not yet released)
CM-KR 53
CM-KR 441, LJ L30
(CM-KR 54)
CM-KR 54
List: 1/1250 Models of Union Castle Line Ships (Part 2)
The various manufacturers are of course fully described
in my ‘Guide to Waterline Model Ships’ recently
published by Traplet, but briefly include the current
German makes ‘CM-KR’, ‘Albatros’, ‘Navis’ and
‘Rhenania’, the latter who have been re-issuing the
discontinued ‘G’ range.
Nearer to home are A.H.
Models (formerly Wirral Miniature Ships) who in
addition to their own small range carry models in the
former Degen/Hein Muck range such as Dunottar Castle
as a liner (HM289W), troopship plus three cruise ship
CM KR Reina del Mar (1964)
versions (1959, 1975 and 1995) plus the famous Len Jordan range.
Ships
Garth Castle
Dunottar Castle
Gaul
Guelph
Arundel Castle (3)
Avondale Castle
Briton (3)
German
Braemar Castle (1)
Galeka
Kildonan Castle
Kinfauns Castle (2)
Built
1880
1890
1893
1894
1894
1897
1897
1898
1898
1899
1899
1899
Served until
1901
1913
1906
1913
1905
1912
1926
1930
1924
1916
1931
1927
Galician
Saxon
Walmer Castle
Durham Castle
Kenilworth Castle (2)
Grantully Castle (2)
Edinburgh Castle (2)
Llanstephan Castle
Windsor Castle (2)
Llangibby Castle (2)
Dunbar Castle
Dunvegan Castle
Braemar Castle (3)
1900
1900
1902
1904
1904
1910
1910
1914
1915
1929
1930
1938
1952
List: Union Castle Line Ships (not modelled)
- 18 -
1918
1932
1932
1940
1936
1939
1940
1952
1943
1954
1940
1962
1966
CM KR Southampton Castle
AL 31 Winchester Castle
G23a Warwick Castle
References & Further Reading
Recommended but out of print are ‘Passenger Ships of the Orient Line’ by Neil McCart & ‘Origins, Orient & Oriana’ by
C.F. Morris; and in print ‘Orient Line – A Fleet History’ by Peter Newall.
‘White Star Line – A Photographic History’ by Janette McCutcheon and of course Richard De Kerbrech’s title (excellent
book but oh for an index). On the web look at www.red-duster.co.uk. and www.simplonpc.co.uk ; the latter is a major
resource for anyone interested in liners and my thanks for their permission to reproduce images from the site.
Merchant Fleets in Profile 18: Union, Castle and Union Castle Lines by Duncan Haws; The Cape Run by Sawyer &
Mitchell; Ships of the Union Castle Line by Laurence Dunn Union Castle Line – A Fleet History by Peter Newall
‘The Story of P&O’ by David and Stephen Howarth is strongly recommended, whilst for a survey of the ships themselves
try ‘P&O - A Fleet History’ by Stephen Rabson and Kevin O’Donoghue (published by the World Ship Society) or
‘Merchant Fleets # 44 P&O Lines’ by Norman L Middlemiss. Incidentally there are some conflicting statements re the
scope of the acquisition of Orient Line in 1919 so the D&S Howarth account has been accepted. On the web look at
www.poships.co.uk
For a world wide view of cruise ships try the excellent ‘Cruise Ships’ by William Mayes (3rd edition 2009); or of course
the wonderful Ocean Ships series from Ian Allan.
OCTOBER 2009 – 45 YEARS OF ‘OCEAN SHIPS’
Back in the mid-1950s little was readily available in print on merchant shipping apart from Ian
Allan’s ABC series of softback booklets by the noted maritime author H.M. Le Fleming. Titles
included ‘Ocean Liners’, ‘Ocean Freighters’ and ‘Ocean Tankers’ and by the late 1950s/early
1960s these had been sub-divided into ‘British’ and ‘Foreign’ with 10 booklets listed plus 2 on
warships (illustrated in Ocean Tankers, published 1957; featured is San
Fernando, 1953, Eagle Tanker Co Ltd). There was also the ‘Steamer’
series with such titles as ‘Steamers of the Solent’ and ‘Ships of the
Seven Seas’ (illustrated British Railway Steamers, published 1964; the
vessel is the St Patrick 1948, a Western Region ship operating out of
Fishguard).
In 1964 all liner, freighter & tanker material was
consolidated and updated by Bert Moody as the first hardback edition
of ‘Ocean Ships’. In 1966 we had ‘Coastal Ships’ by D. Ridley
Chesterton which again combined the related smaller books and was in print again in 1999
“after more than a decade” as Coastal Ships & Ferries by David Hornsby. For waterline ship
enthusiasts the main Ocean Ships series has become just about as collectable as the models
themselves – the table lists them all with information to help identify each edition. Bert Moody
edited the first six, the last of which introduced the long awaited index of ship names. David
Hornby took over in January 1982. There was a long gap between 1986 and 1994 when the larger format was introduced.
The first for the new millennium had a yellow flash on the front cover declaring ‘12th Edition’ which makes working
backwards to confirm the earlier editions rather more easy. Recently published is the 15th edition which adds (no mean
feat) many brief company histories and web site addresses. My thanks to Ian Allan Publishing for the continuing series and
for their permission to reproduce the cover art.
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Ed / Year
1st / 1964
2nd / 1966
3rd / 1967
4th / 1971
5th / 1974
6th / 1978
7th / 1982
8th / 1986
9th / 1994
10th / 1996
11th / 1998
12th / 2000
13th / 2004
14th / 2006
15th / 2009
16th / 2013
Cover Art
SS France
Northern Star
Queen Elizabeth 2
Oronsay
Royal Viking Star
Remuera Bay
Vistafjord
Royal Princess
Queen Elizabeth 2
Oriana
Fascination
Disney Wonder
Queen Mary II
Navigator of the Seas
Queen Victoria
‘stock library image’
Notes
In 6 parts based on the ABCs; cost 15/- (75p)
All pictures different to the previous; index of Company Names
In 2 parts: 1. Passenger Liners & Cargo Ships and 2. Tankers; 25/- (£1.25)
£2.25 when published; first in ‘new’ money
In 3 parts: 1. Passenger Liners & Cargo Ships, 2. Cruise Ships and 3. Tankers
Introduced a full index of ship’s names – at last; all for £4.50
Slightly larger format/dust jacket; £6.95
First with laminated covers; £9.95
New even larger format; £14.99
In 2 parts: 1. Passenger Liners & Cruise Ships and 2. Cargo Vessels & Tankers
Annotated as ‘New Edition Fully Revised’; £18.99
After all these years, still printed in Surrey
224 pages; £19.99
Introduced colour illustrations, 240 pages; remarkably still £19.99
Colour throughout, adds very brief company histories, 256 pages; £24.99
Compiled by Allan Ryszka-Onions; adds IMO numbers uniquely identifying
each hull, marred by 3 missing illustrations. Back cover says ‘Printed in
??????’. Needs a fresh print run
Above left to right are:
1. British Ocean Liners published 1959 and featuring Union Castle’s Pendennis Castle completed the previous year
2. The very first edition of Ocean Ships chose the CGT liner France for the dust jacket
3. The 6th edition was the first not to have a liner on the DJ; this is the OCL containership Remuera Bay
SOME MODELS
Basing a model collection on the cover art of books is rather
novel but it is a theme of sorts. No need to buy two QEIIs
reflecting pre and post refit though unless you are really
keen (guilty). As readers may know from the recent P&O
article no models are available of the Oronsay and Royal
Princess, nor of the cruise ship Disney Wonder or container
ship Remuera Bay. The latter was one of P & O’s five such
Pendennis Castle by CM-KR
vessels that formed part of the Overseas Containers Ltd as
described back in December 2008. Cunard and P & O Cruises
have both been covered in depth this year so again regular
readers will be aware of the models that have been released of
Queen Elizabeth 2 (such as CM-KR 61), Vistafjord (M915a, in
Norwegian America Cruises colours circa 1973), Queen Mary
II (CM-KR 323), Queen Victoria (CM-KR 323) & Oriana
Shaw Savill liner Northern Star (1966 cover) LJ L3
(M933).
That leaves five passenger ships of which we will deal with the two older liners first. SS France was first issued in 1/1200
by Triang in the 1960s but my example at least omits the prominent funnel ‘wings’, this was followed by a more accurate
1/1250 version from Mercator (catalogue M903); in 1981 she was sold on as the ‘Norway’ and in this guise we have M904
and CM-KR 270. Currently available is CM-KR’s rendition of the ship as completed in 1962 (CM-KR 260). Rather like
the Royal Princess, CM-KR have been listing Shaw Savill’s Northern Star for years without any sign of release; fortunately,
and as can be seen from the picture, Len Jordan has come to the rescue with his 1/1200 version.
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The Royal Viking Star was one of three sisters built for the Norwegian Royal Viking Line in 1972-73; having been
lengthened in the early 1980s, two of these, namely RV Star and Sky, ended up as Fred Olsen’s current Black Watch and
Boudicca while RV Sea is the German owned and operated Albatros. The only models here are Holsatia #5, RV Star as
built, and the equally rare Holsatia #15 RV Sky as lengthened (see pictures). With the venerable Black Prince (Atlantic 10
as a ferry) likely to retire later this year, Fred Olsen’s other two ships, Braemar and Balmoral are both previously owned,
having been built respectively as Crown Dynasty (1993) and Crown Odyssey (1988 – CM-KR 117), with latter also seeing
service as Northern Crown (CM-KR 272). Both were lengthened in 2008. Returning to our Ocean Ship’s theme, the
remaining two contemporary cruise
liners are representatives of the two
largest Cruise Companies and may be
collected by means of their sister ships,
again from the prolific CM-KR make:
Fantasy (CM-KR 331) can double for
Carnival Corporation’s Fascination and
Voyager of the Seas (CM-KR 274) for
Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the
Seas. Voyager of the Seas was the first
Holsatia 15 Royal Viking Sky, sister-ship of 1974’s cover art
of the five strong Eagle class built at
Kvaerner in Finland and on completion in 2000 was, at 137,000 tons, the largest cruise ship in the world. She has since
been eclipsed by the 158,000 ton Freedom of the Seas (CM-KR 276) and her two sister ships, one of which, the
Independence of Seas, sails out of Southampton. Due next at an astonishing 222,900 tons are Oasis and Allure (both ‘of the
Seas’).
Above left to right are:
1. Ocean Ships 7th featured Vistafjord (1973) of Norwegian America Cruises
2. With cruise liners in the ascendance the 12th edition shows the Disney Wonder
3. The 15th edition graced by Cunard’s Queen Victoria
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ‘GUIDE TO WATERLINE MODEL
SHIPS’
The first issue of the guide was compiled in 1990 and was based on a series
of eight articles published in Marine Modelling magazine during 1989. In
producing a booklet it was possible to include much additional detail and to
provide listings for certain manufacturers whose ranges were out of
production and whose models would therefore not be listed in dealers’
catalogues. Issue 1 then contained listings for Eagle*, Ensign, Hornby
Minic/Rovex*, Airfix*, Casadio*, Triang*, Delphin, Hansa, Star and
Wiking. Issue 2 (which appeared in 1996) repeated those asterisked and
added full lists for Len Jordan Models, Pedestal, Fleetline and Nelson. With
UK collectors in mind, all British models produced by a further eighteen
manufacturers were listed in tables.
- 21 -
Issue 3 appeared in 1999, followed five years later by Issue 4 which was available on CD only but added a digital photo
library. Issue 5 in 2008/09 heralded the pdf download version with many new images. With all issues most entries are
reviewed and of course new manufacturers added.
Courtesy of Marine Modelling International (see www.traplet.com, then 'Online shop', then 'Marine Modelling', then
'Books') Issue 6 (2010) is the first for many years to find its way into print. With new models constantly appearing (and
going out of production) it can only be a snapshot at the time of writing so please refer to the monthly MMI-Waterlines
column for all the latest news and that extra level of detail re ships and models. Issue 6 was last amended in January 2010.
- 22 -