| SS Orcades (1948) | |
|---|---|
 Orcades leaving Southampton, Christmas Eve 1967 | |
| Career | |
| Name: |
RMS Orcades SS Orcades |
| Owner: |
Orient Steam Navigation Company (Orient Line) 1948-1966 Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P & O) 1966-1973 |
| Port of registry: |
London,  United Kingdom |
| Route: | UK-Australia-New Zealand |
| Builder: | Vickers Armstrong Ltd, Barrow-in-Furness, England |
| Cost: | £3,418,000 |
| Yard number: | 950 |
| Launched: | 14 Oct 1947 |
| Completed: | 14 Nov 1948 |
| Maiden voyage: | 14 Dec 1948 |
| Out of service: | 13 Oct 1972 |
| Fate: | Broken-up 1973, Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 28,399 (1959 refit) |
| Length: | 216.1 m |
| Beam: | 25.0 m |
| Draught: | 9.4 m |
| Installed power: | 6 x single reduction gear turbine engines |
| Propulsion: | Twin screws |
| Speed: | 24.7 knots (service speed) |
| Capacity: | 1,635 passengers (1964 refit) |
| Notes: | Originally painted yellow; white from 1964 refit |
SS Orcades was an ocean liner serving primarily on the UK – Australia – New Zealand route. She started service as a British Royal Mail Steamer (RMS) carrying first and tourist class passengers. Orcades carried many migrants to Australia and New Zealand [1] and was later used as a cruise ship.
Built at the Barrow yard of Vickers-Armstrongs, Orcades (yard no. 950) had an identical hull and machinery to P&O's Himalaya (yard no. 951), though differing in superstructure and interior layout.
During the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne the Orcades served as an accommodation ship.[2]
The vessel underwent refits in 1959 and 1964. During the 1959 refit the ship obtained a 'stovepipe' fitting to her funnel. Under the 1964 refit Orcades became a single class vessel and her external primary colour scheme changed from yellow ['orient corn'] to white. In 1952 RMS Orcades was fitted with a 'top hat' funnel extension to clear smoke from the after decks.
The vessel's near sister ship's were the Oronsay (1951) and Orsova (1954)
Orcades is an ancient name[3] for the Orkney Islands.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
-_Port_Said_1957.png "SS Orcades (1948)- Port Said 1957.png (3.18 MB)")
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Footnotes[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- Latimer, David W (2002) Passenger ships of the 20th century: an illustrated encyclopedia, p. 259, Colourpoint Books ISBN 1-898392-70-6
- Museum Victoria
- Ocean liner museum
- Photographs and deck plans
- ssMaritime
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