SS Accrington (1910)

Accrington, by A. J. Jansen, Antwerp 1910
History
Name	SS Accrington
Operator	1910–1923: Great Central Railway 1923–1935: London and North Eastern Railway 1935–1958: Associated Humber Lines
Port of registry
Builder	Earle's Shipbuilding, Hull
Launched	7 June 1910
Fate	Scrapped 3 May 1951
General characteristics
Tonnage	1,629 gross register tons (GRT)
Length	265 feet (81 m)
Beam	36 feet (11 m)
Depth	17.4 feet (5.3 m)
Installed power	Two cylindrical boilers, working pressure of 280 pounds/sq inch.[1]
Propulsion	Triple expansion surface condensing engines with cylinders of 22 inches (56 cm), 35 inches (89 cm), 60 inches (150 cm) with 42 inches (110 cm) stroke.[1]

SS Accrington was a passenger and cargo vessel built for the Great Central Railway in 1910.[2]

History

The ship was built by Earle's Shipbuilding of Hull and launched on 7 June 1910 by Miss C. Fay, daughter of Sir Sam Fay, general manager of the Great Central Railway[3] She was one of an order for four ships, the others being Dewsbury, Blackburn and Bury.

Accrington was a steel, one deck type with poop, long bridge and topgallant forecastle with accommodation for first, second and third class passengers intended for passenger and cargo service between Grimsby and Hamburg.[1] The construction was to Lloyd's 100 A1 class and also Board of Trade rules, German Emigration Laws and Hamburg Harbor Authorities requirements.[1] Steam heating and electric lighting as well as ventilation for passenger spaces was installed.[1] She was built with accommodation for 100 first-class passengers, and 300 third-class passengers.

On 15 June 1922 a wealthy Australian passenger arriving into Grimsby on the Accrington was arrested by customs officials following the discovery of 100 bottles of cocaine, concealed in the false bottom of his trunk, and he also had £100 in notes in his possession.[4]

In 1923 she was acquired by the London and North Eastern Railway and in 1935 by Associated Humber Lines. On 16 December 1937 she was in collision in the River Elbe with the German steamer Falkenfels. She received considerable damage and was delayed for 24 hours.[5]

References

1. "Launches—English". The Marine Engineer and Naval Architect. XXXIII: 26. 1910. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
2. Duckworth, Christian Leslie Dyce; Langmuir, Graham Easton (1968). Railway and other Steamers. Prescot, Lancashire: T. Stephenson and Sons.
3. "Launch of a Great Central Steamer at Hull". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. England. 8 June 1910. Retrieved 10 November 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
4. "Haul of Cocaine". Hull Daily Mail. England. 16 June 1922. Retrieved 10 November 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
5. "Hull Steamer in Collision". Hull Daily Mail. England. 17 December 1937. Retrieved 10 November 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.