With this installment of the merchant ship series I am departing from my established format in that the article is not dealing with a specific ship nor is there a noteworthy historical event to tie things together. The two vessels featured had no great moments on center stage. They are examples of working vessels that performed their tasks year after year, without notice or fanfare, earning revenue for their owners. Both are interesting in their design features as they are examples of a ship type that has disappeared from the shipping fleets of today.

In the early years of this century the most common bulk carrier was the tanker. Oil was initially carried in barrels on sailing ships, until the first specialized tanker, (the GLUKHOF), was built. This revolutionary ship was very successful, and the tanker quickly evolved into the form familiar today, growing ever larger with each new generation. As oil became readily available and tankers carried supplies wherever they were needed, ship and industrial powerplants were converted over, thus abandoning the other fossil fuel that had initially fueled the industrial revolution; coal. Colliers were once almost as common as tankers on the world's oceans and were an essential part of the shipping business. In their blue water versions they evolved along similar lines to the tankers. In silhouette, many are very similar to tankers except for the absence of catwalks and the addition of hatches lining their decks instead of piping. Colliers were built in large numbers before the First World War but gradually faded away between the wars as oil became the preferred fuel. Colliers continued to be built in England because coal was available in abundance and, prior to the discovery of the rich oil deposits in the North Sea, all oil had to be imported. Coal thus remained an important resource, particularly in civilian industry, and colliers were common in British waters long after they disappeared from American coasts.

The plans featured here are both American ships, and represent the two types of collier built in this country in the early years of this century. The SS HAMPDEN is one of a class of 21 ships built in 1912-1914 by the New York Shipbuilding Company of Camden, New Jersey. She is in many ways typical of her type. Her profile looked like an oceangoing tanker at first glance, but the detail differences showed clearly. The hatches that line the deck are one piece solid units, hinged and arranged in pairs, with two lifting masts between each set. Winches via cables and pulleys, raised the hatches vertical position for loading and unloading. The foremast has a derrick for handling smaller quantities. The high funnel shows her to have been a coal burner, as is appropriate for her trade. According to the company history of New York Shipbuilding Co.. (published in 1941), all or most of these vessels were still in service at that time. This is an interesting statement, as they do not appear in any recognition manuals, such as Talbot-Booth's Merchant Ships.

The other plan is also a collier, (intended for carrying coal or sulphur), designed about the same time period, (1923). by George Simpson, New York, and built by Newburgh Shipyards Inc.. Newburgh, NY. This represents the alternate layout common for American colliers of this period, resembling a conventional freighter outline, but with hatch arrangements similar to those found on HAMPDEN. This vessel, the SS HERMAN FRASCH, also has the hatches arranged in pairs, but with "stops" in place for the hatches to rest against when opened. Raising the hatches was accomplished by using the derricks, which were arranged as in a conventional break-cargo freighter. An unusual feature is the shape of the fore and aft pair of hatches. I have no idea why this was done.

Both vessels were about the same size, but the internal arrangement of the HAMPDEN allowed for five cargo holds, (as opposed to four in the FRASCH), as the machinery and crew spaces on the HAMPDEN took up less room. Probably the HAMPDEN was the more practical design, but much depended on how the ship was to be employed. Both are interesting designs and would be great modelling subjects.

In my collection I have only located a single photo of each ship, so I have no detailed information as to their colors. Both appear to have black hulls and white upper works but beyond that, the following is only a guess. The hull on HAMPDEN has a white boot topping, with red at the waterline and below. Funnels were very dark on both ships, I would assume black. (On HAMPDEN's funnel there is a band as shown on the drawing in a medium color, (red?), while FRASCH has no color or marking devices evident.) The cowl ventilators would probably be white, (FRASCH), or buff, (HAMPDEN), with red interiors, a typical practice on most ships. Boats appear to be white with dark, (brown?), canvas covers, (FRASCH), white canvas covers, (HAMPDEN). Masts and lift posts would be buff. (Clearly the same color was used for both the ventilators and masts on HAMPDEN). Cargo deck surface color would most likely have been black, to help disguise the problem of the coal dust. Most merchant vessels of this time period used either black or red oxide for the deck color on painted steel surfaces. Upper bridge and boat decks would most likely be unpainted bare wood. Pilot house and upper level dodgers appear to be varnished wood on FRASCH, painted white on HAMPDEN. If anyone has more specific information on either ship that either expands upon or refutes this scheme, please pass it on.

I would like to extend a special thanks to John Snyder who supplied copies of the builder's plans for these two ships that were used as a basis for this feature.

1/700 Scale Drawings