Empress of Britain (1906)

Later names
Montroyal (1924)


Owner:
Canadian Pacific Railway Co.
London, England

Builder:
Fairfield Shipbuilding &
Engineering Co. Ltd.
Govan, Scotland
Ordered:
1905
Keel Laid:
N/A
Year Built:
1906
Launched:
November 11, 1905
Sister Ships:
Empress of Ireland
Maiden Voyage:
May 5, 1906
Fate:
Scrapped in 1930 by the Stavanger Shipbreaking Co. Stavanger, Norway.


Dimensions, machinery and performance

Length:
570'
Engines:
2 quadruple expansion
Beam:
65' 6"
Boilers:
N/A (coal fired)
Draft:
36' 7" (depth)
Shafts:
2
Gross Tons:
14,189
HP:
18,500
Displacement:
N/A
Speed:
18 knots
Crew:
400
Funnels:
2
Passengers:
1,580 (a)
Masts:
2

Construction notes:
(a):
1,400 after 1924.


History:
May 5, 1906
Maiden voyage Liverpool - Quebec.
1906-1914:
Quebec - Liverpool route.
July 22, 1912:
Collided with and sank the SS Helvetia off Cape Magdaleine, Canada.
1914:
Requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted into an armed merchant cruiser.
May 1915:
Converted into a troopship.
Dec. 12, 1915:
Collided with and sank an unknown Greek steamer in the Straits of Gibraltar.
March 1919:
One round trip Liverpool - St. Johns, New Brunswick.
Aug. 1919:
Refit at Fairfield, converted to oil burning.
Sept. 1, 1920:
Returned to commercial service on Quebec - Liverpool route.
Oct. 1922:
Southampton - Cherbourg - Quebec route.
1924:
Refit to carry 600 cabin and 800 tourist class passengers. Renamed Montroyal.
Apr. 19, 1924:
Returned to Southampton - Quebec route.
1926:
Refit to carry to cabin, tourist and 3rd class passengers. Tonnage increased to 15,646 GRT.
1927:
Antwerp - Southampton - Cherbourg - Quebec route.
Sept. 9, 1927:
Final Antwerp - Southampton - Cherbourg - Quebec voyage.
Sept. 1927:
Withdrawn from service and laid up
June 17, 1930:
Sold to Stavanger Shipbreaking Co. Stavanger, Norway and scrapped.


Notes:
Made 190 transatlantic crossings.
Fittings from the lounge were bought by the Sola Strand Hotel in Stavanger and rebuilt it as the Montroyal Ballroom in the hotel. The building now houses the Norwegian School for
Hotel Management.


Page revised Aug. 7, 2007