RELIEVING THE CROSS-MERSEY CONGESTION.
Page 9
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
New Ferries Built by Thornycrofts Help to Meet a Difficult Situation.
WE have referred, time and again, to the congestion that occurs almost daily at Liverpool, Birkenhead, and 'Wallasey in the vehicular traffic • laRrOAS the Mersey. The volume of traffic is 'extraordinary and its nature extrenae/y mixed—motor lorries and steam wagons, vehicles with and without trailers, horsed vans, loaded vehicles and empty vehicle S ; it is a wonderful example of the multiplicity of methods employed to handle goods transport in a great river port In the summer months passenger vehicle traffic swells outrageously in volume and often the queues of vehicles on the landing stages and floating bridges, and in the streets adjacent thereto, will stretch many hundreds of yards.
Various proposals have been made iii the past two generations for an amelioration of the conditions, but the enterprise which has produced the tormels below the Thames, joining the Middlesex and Surrey shores, has not found its counterpart on Merseyside. The width across the Mersey is, of course, much greater, and the gradient of the approach on. the Liverpool side would 'probably be steeper than is the case with any of the Metropolitan tunnel approaches.
The present method of meeting the
needs of the case is the provision of ferry steamers, and it is interesting to know that two new boats have been built and are being supplied to the order of the Wallasey Corporation by J. I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd. They were designed by Thornycrofts in collaboration with the Wallasey Ferries Department and built at the Southampton works of the company, and the first. of them, the "Liscard," commenced service on the Mersey in the last week of October and has proved a great acquisition. The Second ferry, the "Poulton" is now being completed for early delivery
When Thornvcrofts were consulted by the Wallasey 66rpom.tion and their designers studied the problem that confronted them, it was recognized that special designs were required to enable the boats to cope expeditiously with the heavy traffic and the difficult tidal conditions of the Mersey. The length of the 'boats was necessarily limited by the stage room available at Liverpool and at Seacombe, whilst the draught had to be kept within such limits that the boats could be used as relief vessels on the New Brighton service. To secure the utmost possible deck accommodation a beam of 50 ft. was given, with an overall len,-th Of 150 ft., the moditled depth
being 15 ft. 6 ins, and the draught, loaded, 10 ft. 41 ins. Each vessel is designed to Convey 170 tons of vehicular traffic, in addition to 45 tons of coal, etc.
It is driven by two sets of triple. expansion surface-condensing steamengines, capable of developing 1,205 h.p, The hull in each case is subdivided into 17 separate and independent compartments, any three of which may be flooded to the deck without jeopardizing the safety of the vessel. The deck is quite clear, except for the funnel and the bridge supports, as can clearly be seen from one, of our photographs. Special arrangements far ventilation –below the main deck have been made, powerful fans drawing air from cowls and louvres in the wings of the vessel and exhausting up the funnel casing.
On completion of the " Liscard " the vessel attained a speed of nearly ilk knots 911 the measured mile, and in the trials the vessel proved to be capable of easy handling and control. Four hinged platforms, operated by separate machinery, am fixed to the vessel's sides, two immediately forward of the bridge and two on the quarters. The decks of the boats are paved with Oa i Oak blocks, 5 ins. deep, laid n tar and mine&