The beginning of the end for British shipping?
Artist’s impression of the distinctive ‘Glenlyon’ class 11,000gt cargo liners for the Alfred Holt group, two of the four being built in Govan, and the others in the Netherlands
The Motor Ship, February 1962 issue, reported on a number of recent ship deliveries, while at the same time bemoaning the lack of initiative from British shipping companies in ordering new tonnage.
The editorial suggested this was bad news for British shipbuilding, and the ship reports seemed to bear this out. Only one of the vessels described was truly British a small coastal tanker. An order for a class of distinctive general cargo ships for British owners had two of the class being built on the Clyde, but the other two had been ordered from Dutch yards. The other ships reported upon were built in Denmark, Germany, France and Japan, with one vessel started in Britain but towed across to the Netherlands to have its Sulzer-based machinery fitted, because the UK yard “does not build diesel engines”.
Most of the ships described were highly conventional, but as far as novel vessels went, the month’s prize must surely have gone to the Fritz Heckert, a 7,200gt passenger ship, built by MTW in Germany for the Free German Trade Union. 350 guests, attended by 150 crew, could be accommodated - presumably workers who would not otherwise have a vacation. But the most distinctive feature was the twin-screw propulsion plant, comprising two DMR two-stroke trunk piston engines and two VEB gas turbines, driving through electro-magnetic clutches and reduction gearboxes in what would nowadays be described as a CODAG system – thought to be the first such ‘mixed’ power plant installed in a merchant vessel, though some naval craft used combined steam and gas turbines.
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