Although nowadays it is the norm for bulk cargo carrying vessels to be built with both engines and bridge structure aft, in the 1950s this was the exception rather than the rule. Even in the late 1960s to the early 1980s with the ubiquitous SD14 design, cargo vessels were still being constructed with engines three quarters aft and a hold at the stern.

However, by the mid 1950s bulk carriers with engines aft began to enter service. Hudson Deep (6,198 grt) of the Hudson S.S. Co. Ltd., completed in August 1952 by John Redhead & Sons Ltd., (yard no. 570) was engines aft and bridge amidships entered service. She was to be followed by Hudson Point (7,863 grt) from the same builder (yard no 590) to be delivered in January 1957.

Hudson Deep became Irene’s Hope in 1972 and foundered on the 13th December 1978, 150 miles N.W. of Alexandria on a voyage from Civitavecchia to Damman. (See STY July 2021 page 40).

Hudson Point was sold in 1966 to become East Breeze and the following year San Roberto. In 1974 she was sold to Greek owners under the Cypriot flag and renamed Fodele II before being broken up in Campana, Argentina in November 1979.

In January 1957 Thomasson Shipping Co. Ltd., (Stephens, Sutton Ltd. of Newcastle on Tyne) took delivery of their bulk cargo vessel Riseley (6,424 grt) from Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd., Neptune Yard, Low Walker, on the Tyne (yard no 1930). This vessel had both engines and bridge aft.

1967 saw Riseley being sold to Greek owners and renamed Gerania and in 1973 she became Natcrest. The ship sank 15 miles north east of Ushant after colliding with 10,974 grt Nema on the 16th June 1974 on a voyage from Huelva to Rotterdam with a cargo of ore. Incidentally, the Nema was the former Rievaulx of Bolton SS Co. of Middlesbrough.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Sir R. Ropner & Co. Ltd., inaugurated a liner service from the UK to the US Gulf ports with four especially constructed engined amidships vessels capable of each carrying 12 passengers in excellent accommodation. These were Daleby, Deerpool, Somersby and Swiftpool. However at the end of 1956 due to damaging strikes in the UK docks and competition from foreign companies the liner service became unprofitable and the four ships were “tramped” in the charter market, Daleby being used as the company’s cadet raining ship. The history of the line and ships is given in STY September 2008.

In January 1955 the company bought a cancelled order from J.L. Thompson of Sunderland, being named Troutpool, with engines amidships. Although similar to Somersby she was never intended for the liner service. A further order was placed on the River Wear, but this time with Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd., for two 10,488 gross ton closed shelter deckers with engines aft and bridge amidships, the first of their type to be delivered to the company and somewhat larger than their contemporaries.

However just prior to the closure of the Gulf Line operation a fifth vessel was ordered for the service from Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde, Bordeaux. Bearing no resemblance to the other four vessels in this service, she was 9,060 grt (12,800 dwt) open/closed shelter decked ship with engines aft and bridge amidships. Accommodation was provided for three passengers. Never allocated a Ropner name she was bought by Currie Line of Leith, launched in December 1956 entering service in May 1957.

Named Roland, she was sold to Greek owners in the mid 1960s and renamed Elias Xilas. In 1973 she was renamed Captain D. Gregos and in 1979 she became K.K.S. Muthoo. Her end is somewhat of a mystery but she last reported trading in April 1984 in Bangladesh and broken up at Chittagong between 1985 and 1983.

The two engines aft vessels that were ordered as part of the post war acquisition replacement programme (See STY July/August 2016) came from Laings yard at Sunderland.

These two ships were Romanby (yard no. 808) for the Ropner Shipping Co. Ltd., and Rushpool (yard no. 810) for the Pool Shipping Co. Ltd. Yard no. 809 was the tanker Tiderange built for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and completed on the 30th August 1955. The vessel was re named Tidesurge in 1958 to avoid confusion with her sister Tidereach.

Romanby and Rushpool followed the naming pattern of Ropner Ships, Romanby being named after a village in North Yorkshire ending in “by” and Rushpool for the Pool Shipping Company ending in “pool”. Romanby was the fourth vessel in the fleet to carry the name and Rushpool the second.

Both vessels were identical and had no visible discernable differences.

Gross Tonnage: 10,488. Deadweight: 14,580 tons.

Dimensions: 501 ft. 7 ins. length overall. Breadth: 64 ft 6 ins. Depth: 41 feet. Draft: 30 feet.

Engines: 5 cylinder Hawthorn Doxford Diesel developing 5,500 bhp giving a service speed of 13.5 knots, although Rushpool achieved 15.5 knots on trials in ballast.

Engineers reported that the engines were very easy to maintain and when running sounded like a well-oiled sewing machine. A mechanical heating system ensured a constant temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Handsome ships with a small neat funnel they had a raked stem and cruiser stern and were of mainly welded construction with cathodic underwater protection. Both ships were built as closed shelter deckers, although arrangements had been made which enabled them to operate as open shelter deckers should this be required. The framing of both decks was longitudinal excepting the inside line of opening on the second deck where it was transverse. The tween deck frames had welded sloping plates fitted where they passed through the deck.

The ships were fitted with five large cargo holds and five ‘tween decks. Grain feeders were fitted to all hatches. Serving the holds were five 5 ton and one 3 ton crane. Besides accommodation for the captain and three officers the central bridge house also had two double berth cabins and a study for four apprentices. The remaining accommodation, including dining saloon and smoking room was aft.

Romanby was launched on the 10th September 1956 and completed in January 1957. The vessel was immediately time chartered to Vulcaan of Rotterdam for five years and her maiden voyage was to load coal in Philadelphia for Rotterdam.

The vessel was very successful during her career with Ropners and was fully employed during the various slumps in the markets..

Rushpool was launched in May 1957 and delivered in September of the same year. Like her sister, Rushpool was also a successful profit making ship for the company. The final five years with Ropners she was time chartered to The Peoples Republic of China at a high charter rate.

Rushpool traded mainly between Australia and China with occasional forays from China to North Vietnam. At the time, of course, the Vietnam War was in full swing, with Australia being fully involved alongside their US allies.

It was not unheard of for US forces to attack even friendly ships. On the 17th June 1968 US Air Force aircraft attacked the Australian destroyer HMAS Hobart (D39) along with the US cruiser USS Boston (CA69). Three missiles hit HMAS Hobart causing casualties amongst her crew.

Fortunately Rushpool did not suffer any damage, although coincidently the vessel was sailing off the coast of Vietnam at the same time as the company’s tanker, Thirlby was in port in South Vietnam. Thirlby was on long-term charter to Shell and was delivering aviation fuel to US forces.

The deck and engine crew ratings of Rushpool were Somalis, and one of their number jumped ship in Shanghai. Apparently Red Guards came aboard and distributed the English translation of Chairman Mao’s “Little Red Book”. An able seaman was so impressed he decided to make a life in China and deserted, never to be heard of again.

Enquiries with his crewmates suggest that he had “leanings to the far left” and he had taken all his gear, so there were no apparent suspicious circumstances.

When the head office in Darlington arranged for a replacement to fly out a telephone call was made to the agent in Shanghai. This was done without any difficulty the connection being immediate and the person at the other end spoke perfect English. The new crewmember was met at the airport and taken to the ship, the procedure being carried out especially quickly and efficiently.

Towards the end of the 1960s it was decided that the company would look to employ their vessels on longer-term charters as well as entering into association with the Norwegian Bulk Carrier Consortium and managing vessels on behalf of British Steel.

Neither Romanby nor Rushpool fitted in with the criteria and were subsequently put up for sale in 1969. As it happened with a rise in freight rates in the early 1970s their sale was perhaps somewhat premature, although both ships, Rushpool in particular, had been worked very hard.

Romanby and Rushpool were the first of the engines aft bulk carrier to join the fleet, and apart from the amidships engined Willowpool of 1960 all subsequent vessels were engines and bridges aft. Willowpool was a “one off special offer” from a Swedish Shipyard and never fully fitted in with the fleet and was sold in 1967 to Liberian owners being renamed Emmanuel Marcou. The ship was scrapped in 1983