Hudsons remembered

[Keelman]

Between 1946 and 1950 the Ailsa Shipbuilding Co.Ltd, Troon, built five steam colliers for the Hudson Steamship Co. Ltd., they replaced tonnage lost by the company during WWII
HUDSON STRAIGHT and HUDSON CAPE completed in 1946 had four hatches, intended for the NE/London coal trade they of course needed no unloading gear
HUSON RIVER and HUDSON FIRTH completed in 1949 were slightly larger vessels, boasting an additional hatch in their well decks
The ever increasing number of colliers available for the coal trade was probably what prompted Hudsons in the early 1950's to have HUDSON FIRTH fitted with derricks, and winches, and her boiler converted for oil firing which increased the ships operational range. She consequently spent much of her time in the West Indies sugar trade
HUDSON SOUND completed in 1950 was equipped with derricks, winches and an oil fired boiler from new, having just four hatches she was smaller than the two vessels which preceded her. Much of her trading took her to Baltic and Mediterranean ports

The five-hatched HUDSON RIVER was sold in 1973 to Sea Channel SA, Panama, her new owners didn't use much imagination when they renamed her IVER.Trading for a further three years she ended her days in the hands of ship breakers at Aviles

The four-hatched HUDSON SOUND was sold for £48,000 in 1967 to the Darien Shipping Co. Inc., Panama, and renamed ROSELLA
In 1970 her registered owner became the Gulf Nav Corp., Panama. who renamed her CATHAY
Following her sale in 1971 to the Old Dominion Maritime Corp., Panama, she was renamed VEDALIN
Spanish ship breakers disposed of the ship at Burriana in 1973

If my record cards are to be believed then I photographed both vessels on May Ist 1965

[creemaster]

As the great playwright, Little Ern, would say 'this is from a book wot I wrote'
HUDSON SOUND was the final steamer built for the company and was designed for the Baltic and Mediterranean trades in summer, and North east coal trade in winter. However remember that the North East coal trade was not just to the power stations. Hudson's parent company, Samuel Williams, owned Dagenham Dock close to the Ford factory which also required coal to generate electricity. In 1957 HUDSON SOUND loaded Siberian timber for Aberdeen, pitch at Port Clarence for Sete, France, esparto grass from Algeria to Granton. China clay from Fowey was a positioning cargo to Canadian ports and then worked on the Canadian east coast on a charter carrying copper concentrates. HUDSON SOUND, along with the STRAIT and FIRTH were sold in 1967. SOUND was handed over on 13.3.1967 and raised £46,000, £3,000 below the asking price. Latterly she had been on a CEGB charter until Christmas Day 1966 until 27.2.1967 and then went back to work for the CEGB until March as the company had agreed the sale while she was laid up.
HUDSON RIVER was a coal fired steamer, HUDSON FIRTH was oil fired as the company had decided to diversify. Along with HUDSON CAPE and HUDSON STRAIT, HUDSON RIVER spent most of her life chartered to John Hudson & Co. Ltd., carrying coal to Dagenham, Cory's Wharf on Galleon Reach or the Plastiboard berth at Erith. In 1971 she was converted to oil firing machinery as there was a lack of suitable bunker coal and engineers. This led to reduced costs as fewer crew were needed. In 1968 the company had wanted to sell her for scrap but obtained profitable work for her for another two years, latterly Polish coal to Hamburg for power stations before laying her up at Blyth and selling her in 1973.
Bloody good pictures though, taken on my mam's 30th birthday!
Regards
Graham

[Hornbeam]

Certainly great photographs of vessels with a propulsion system which was fast going out of date, monitoring systems based on Mk1 Eyeball, Good Hearing and a feeling that something is not quite right, no UMS, No false alarms with faulty sensors, I could go on and on about problems with Diesel Powered vessels, VTE was a reliable method of propulsion, only ever heard of one broken Crankshaft during my time at sea unlike Diesel powered vessels which suffered badly with Crankshaft problems, Scavenge Fires, the list goes on
After all these years I can still remember going through the start up procedure on one of these, it's just a matter of the size of the equipment, make sure all the Steam drains are open and the Condenser bypass v/v is open to Atmosphere before cracking open the Main Steam valves on the Fiddly Tops.
If you wish you can follow me down the Engineroom and we can go through the the start up procedure.

[Keelman]

Both replies are very interesting gentlemen. Thank you

[creemaster]

France Fenwick followed a similar path diverifying from the NE coal trade during the 1950s. They had ROOKWOOD, RUSHWOOD and GRANWOOD built at Readheads, they were similar to Hudon's POINT and DEEP and were engaged in the West Indies sugar trade as well as trading in CAnadian waters during summer months.
During the 1950s CEGB started to convert their power stations to burn oil so there was not the demand for seaborne coal to the Thames so the traditional collier companies looked to other deepsea markets, although Stevie Clarkes went into the coastal oil market
Regards
Graham