Saturday, August 16, 2014

Souvenir Saturday: Arundel Castle enters Durban ca 1920s


Union Castle Line's Arundel Castle enters Durban ca 1920s; 
artist C J Shrubsole





Laid down at Harland and Wolf's yard, Belfast, in November 1915, the Arundel Castle did not take the water until nearly four years later. Narrowly escaping being completed as a troopship or requisitioned as an armed cruiser, in 1921 this mail steamer made her first visit to the Cape. She eclipsed any previous Cape liner in size, being almost half as large again as the Balmoral Castle. Arundel Castle was the first Union-Castle mail steamer to be fitted with geared turbines, to have a cruiser stern and to have four funnels. Ungainly in appearance, the Arundel Castle provided compensating features in the arrangements of her passenger accommodation, which marked a great advance on that of previous ships. Both she and her sister the Windsor Castle were remarkably smooth-running vessels and very popular with the travelling public.

[Marischal Murray: Ships & South Africa]


www.relevantsearchscotland.co.uk/ships/midsizedships/101arundelcastle/image003.jpg

2 comments:

ANDREW VAN RENSBURG said...

So glad to have you back Mole. Lovely painting of the Arundel Castle. In 1937 during a refurbish her four funnels were reduced to two and hull lengthened to accommodate a more modern, angular bow shape. I guess that's moving with the times. Andrew

Mole said...
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