The Cambria

 Leaving Holyhead for Dun Laoghaire is the Cambria. © Don Smith Collection / Pictureships.

The second of Holyhead's classic sisters, the Cambria arrived in her home port from Harland & Wolff's Belfast yard on 5^th May 1949. Both ships were fitted with two of the latest Harland & Wolff opposed trunk-piston, two stroke diesel engines. Each engine was an eight cylinder unit of 530mm bore with a main piston stroke of 820mm and an exhaust piston stroke of 360mm, giving a total of 1180mm. Each engine was rated at 5000 bhp at 231 rpm which enabled a service speed of 21 knots.

Fuel consumption averaged approximately 10 tons per round trip on the 57 nautical miles crossing, compared with the 70 tons of coal per round trip consumed by the earlier steamers of the same name. Diesel was chosen over the tried and trusted steam for the new twins as both ships would spend a considerable amount of time in port on their overnight workings. With a steamer, steam had to be maintained while alongside and this was considered a disadvantage as it not only cost more but also reduced time for maintenance work.

Electricity was supplied by three 200 kW generators each driven by an eight cylinder Harlandic 250 mm bore diesel engine fitted with an economiser for improved thermal efficiency. 

The Cambria at Dun Laoghaire. © Nigel Thornton Collection.

The Motor Ship for May 1949 noted that the engine room on the sisters had an unusual arrangement of the control position on the upper platform. Manoeuvring was effected in the normal manner by means of two levers, one of which was for reversing and the other for starting and speed control. There was a gauge board at each control station, with a revolution indicator. But there were also two revolution indicators at the forward end of the engine, visible from most points on the upper grating.

Early in 1965 the Cambria underwent a major refit at the hands of her builders. The extent of the accommodation work is described on the Hibernia's page but both ships also received machinery attention.  In search of maximum reliability the original engine rating of 5000 bhp at 231 rpm was reduced to 180 rpm with a corresponding reduction in speed from 21 knots to 18 knots. This is not to say the ships were unreliable, in fact quite the opposite and the only trouble throughout their careers was in the way of occasional cracked piston or liners; and this normally due to the large number of manoeuvers employed. To meet the requirements of more intensive running a Ruston Paxman 6RPHCZ 200 kW generator was installed. This was placed forward on the port side of the engine room in place of one of the two electrically driven air compressors which was moved into the shaft tunnel.

The Cambria alongside Dun Laoghaire's Mail Arrival berth, 1972. © Justin Merrigan Collection. 

Throughout their careers the Cambria and the Hibernia rarely left the route for which they were designed, although the Cambria did see service on the Heysham - Belfast crossing but it was the Britannia Bridge fire on 23^rd May 1970, that forced a prolonged removal from their usual routine. Robert Stephenson's bridge across the Menai Strait, which had stood for 120 years, was virtually destroyed in a single night, severing Anglesey’s rail link with the mainland. 

Memories! The Cambria crosses Dublin Bay outbound from Dun Laoghaire. © Justin Merrigan Collection. 

With no way of connecting the mailboats it was decided to transfer the mail service from Holyhead to Heysham. With an extended crossing time of 7 ½ hours the Hibernia and the Cambria continued to sail from Heysham to Dun Laoghaire until 31^st January 1972, when they were welcomed back to Holyhead with a fireworks display and what seemed like the whole town lining the quays to witness the event. The Hibernia and the Cambria, despite their years, were still the pride of Holyhead.