Goodbye S.S France (Norway)

[kcmh]

This is a great personal loss to myself, for far to many reason to list here

goodbye ole' girl thanks for the memories



Historic liner heads to scrap yard
Plans to send cruise ship to India alarms environmentalists

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/05/09/ghost.ship.ap/index.html

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- The SS France was of the last great liners in the heyday of trans-Atlantic cruise ships, carrying artist Salvador Dali and his pet ocelot, and taking the Mona Lisa to an exhibition in the United States.

Today it's headed to a scrap yard at Alang in western India, raising protests from Greenpeace and other NGOs which contend it contains more than 1,000 tons of asbestos and other toxic materials.

[a78jumper]

Interesting though I do not agree that it was the last of the liners from the heyday. By the time she entered service in 1962 that era was over, having occured prior to 1957 when airline pax=ship pax for the first time across the pond; she lost huge amounts of money and was only kept in french service as long as she was because of government subsidies. Maybe Alain can expand...... 44 years is a long life for a ship and in any event likely does not have the ammenities that today's cruise passengers want. Old boilers are prone to explode, and modern diesel engines can give almost the same speed with a lot less hassle, more economically. Believe the QE2 was reengined this was about ten years back.

[uy707]

When flying the french flag on behalf of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, she NEVER, EVER made a profit. The ship was then stored at Le Havre from 1974 until 1979 when sold first to Akram Ojjeh, a Saudi businessman who wanted to use her as a show case of french craftmanship. The project did not materialize and then Noway Carribean Lines purshased the ship which became a moneymaker
Alain

Yes the QE2 was re-engined when undergoing a major facelift at Bremenhaven.
Alain