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Photograph from the Author’s private collection
Page One
A Brief Introduction to
… The “Big 3”
Once the ships were completed passengers would generally sail one-way by sea, and return home by rail! Although these ships, known as The “Big 3” proved to be very popular, but due to various circumstances and problems, sadly their direction changed too early in 1937 when changed to the ships were made, and again in 1938 having been rebuilt with just one funnel, a changed passenger loading, and a new South American service and each ship was given a new name as we will discover on Page Two, where their story continues!
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Ship Construction Details:
The identical trio of ships were built by the
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company at
1 …
The launching of the
3 … Pennsylvania was launched on July 10, 1929, delivered early December and made her maiden voyage December 10, 1929.
The
SS Virginia is seen at her Fit-Out Berth
Photograph
from the Author’s private collection
Ship Specifications:
SS California Yard no 315: Length: 601ft - 183.2m. Breadth: 80ft - 24.5m. Tonnage: 20, 325 GRT, 32,450 Displacement. Power: Turbine - Electric; Screws: Twin. Speed: 17 knots, Max 19.95 knots. Passengers: First Class 384, Tourist Class 363. Crew: 350.
SS Virginia Yard no 326: Length: 613ft - 186.8m. Breadth: 80ft - 24.5m. Tonnage: 20,773 GRT, 32,816 Displacement. Power: Turbine - Electric; Screws: Twin. Speed: 17 knots, Max 18.5 knots. Passengers: First Class 385, Tourist Class 365. Crew: 350.
SS Pennsylvania Yard no 329: Length: 613ft - 186.8m. Breadth: 80.4ft - 24.5m. Tonnage: 20,526 GRT, 32,816 Displacement. Power: Turbine – Electric. Screws: Twin. Speed: 17 knots, Max 18.5 knots. Passengers: First Class 385, Tourist Class 365. Crew: 350.
Note: All three
ships were registered in
Upon completion the three sisters entered the fleet of American Lines’ subsidiary, “Panama Pacific Lines.”
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These three fine ships were hailed by Panama Pacific Lines as their The “Big 3” and their “New Fast all American Built Electric Ships.” There was no doubt at all, they were indeed beautifully designed with sleek lines and a long flowing Promenade Deck, being well balanced with their two funnels and two tall masts.
At the time the ships were being promoted as being 33,000 tons, however that was a Displacement tonnage, for their Gross Registered Tonnage averaged at 20,450 GRT, which was a very good indeed. However, at the time, they were the world’s largest ships that had electric propulsion. Thus they were able to sail without noise and any vibration, making ocean travel in those days such a joy!
All three steamships had oil-fired furnaces
heating their boilers to power two steam turbo generators that ran at a
constant 2,800 RPM. These supplied current to their 18-foot (5m)-high electric
propulsion motors, which had a combined rating of 2,833 NHP or 17,000 SHP. The
turbo-generators and propulsion motors were built by General Electric, which
was the world’s pioneer of turbo-electric propulsion, having supplied the
turbo-generators and electric motors for USS New Mexico, the World’s
first turbo-electric ship, a decade earlier.
The SS California was equipped with submarine signalling apparatus and wireless direction finding equipment, and from about 1934, she was also equipped with a gyrocompass.
All First Class accommodations were air-conditioned in addition some of the First Class superior cabins had Private Facilities, with a full bath.
At first the ship’s two funnels were going to have a red base and a blue top with a white dividing band. But, this was simplified to an all black funnel with a white band located up higher.
Part
of an advertisement of The “BIG 3”
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Departing:
In addition to passengers and general cargo, The
“Big 3” were also subsidised to
carry mail for the “United States Postal Service.”
The
Photograph
from an unknown source - Please see the photo notes at the bottom of the page
The
historic SS Yale is seen at sea, sailing from
Photograph
from the Author’s private collection
Once the Panama Pacific Liners arrived in
Each of the three ships had its own ramp for passenger cars to enter the ships garage
Photograph from the Panama Pacific Line brochure
Then there were those passengers who simply loved shipboard life so much that they preferred to opt on taking the full return voyage, regardless of the port they joined the ship. These people simply enjoyed a life of sheer luxury aboard these amazing liners, for these fine ships did offer luxury cruising at its very best in the 1920s and 1930s!
The Onboard Facilities:
There is no doubt that the two classes onboard were both well catered for, as each had excellent facilities, such as Main Lounges and Dance facilities, Smoking Rooms, Veranda Café, Library’s, Reading and Writing Rooms, as well as elegant and spacious Dining Rooms that offered the very best cuisine possible. Whilst outdoors there were spacious Promenade and Sports Decks and there were also two built in Swimming Pools, one for each class on each ship, and that was very rare for those days!
On the California Class ships, all “Rooms” as Panama Pacific Line preferred to call them (or cabins) were located outside, for there were no inside rooms at all! Thus every Room had either one or two portholes, alternatively a window.
First Class Rooms and Suites were beautifully appointed, whilst deluxe Rooms and Suites had Private Facilities, although being a First Class passengers did provide the additional luxuries of shipboard life, especially those superior Rooms with a bathroom. However, if a passenger did not occupy a cabin with a private bath, they could apply to the “Bath Steward” and he would arrange for a set time each day for the Guest to use a nearby, specially prepared bath.
In Tourist Class there was a choice of Three berth, Twin bedded, Two berth, or Single Rooms, all featuring hotel style beds and if applicable an upper Pullman for the two berth or a third berth, a wardrobe. Each Room would have a dresser with a chair, wardrobes, a china basin, a mirrored cabinet for toiletries, and an electric fan. Nearby there would be spotless facilities!
Fares
commenced for a One Way voyage from
For passenger outdoor comfort, deck chairs and steamer rugs could be hired for just US$1.50 each for the entire voyage, whist chair cushions could be hired for $1 each for the voyage.
The
SS California is seen transiting the
In regard the Photo Gallery below, all images have been sourced from an original 1929 Panama Pacific Line brochure, which is part of my private collection, and sadly the quality in some cases are not as good as I would wish them to be. However, I am sure that you will be happy to view the interior of these three fine ships! Other images that are not from the brochure on this page will be noted below the image as can be seen above.
Photo Gallery:
The
original 1929 brochure cover
First
Class
The
Main Lounge & Ball Room
Looking
forward on the portside through the Writing Room towards the Main Lounge
The
Smoking Room
The
popular Veranda Café
The
Library
The
magnificent multi level Dining Saloon
When
there was a Buffet, the Carvery was very popular!
Tradition
that is forgotten these days, Bouillon is served at 11am out on Deck
A Deluxe
twin Room with a sofa, a full bath and WC
A
spacious twin bedded room, with a sofa that can be used as a third bed
Playing
Deck Tennis up on Sports Deck aft
Here
we see one of the ships two built in pools
Relaxing
on Promenade Deck aft
A
game of shuffleboard anyone?
A
1928 postcard of the SS California
The back of the above postcard
Postcard
from the Author’s private collection
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Tourist Class
The Main Lounge was well appointed and also had a piano as well as a “phonograph” (record player)
The
Smoking Room
The
Dining Saloon spreads right across the ship and is a pleasant venue and offered
the very finest of cuisine
A
single bed cabin with a porthole and all the standard facilities
This cabin could be sold as a single, or a two berth as the sofa on the left wall could
be made up as a bed, also as a three
berth cabin, as there was an upper
Here
we see the SS California ready to depart
Photograph
from an unknown source - Please see the photo notes at the bottom of the page
A fine postcard of the SS Pennsylvania
Postcard
from the Author’s private collection
*****************************
For convenience and registration costs, the
three ships were reregistered under a different American Gross Registered
tonnage. The first being the
-
Left: Here we see the SS California in the Panama Pedro Miguel Locks
Right: This is the SS Pennsylvania passing through the Miraflores Locks
Photographs from the Panama Pacific Line brochure
Panama Pacific Line's “Big
3”, the California, Virginia, and
Pennsylvania were very successful for the company’s New York to San
Francisco service, however, by the mid 1930s sadly the depression had began and
passenger loadings were beginning to suffer. Then to make things worse, in
March 1936 an unofficial strike aboard the
The crew refused to set sail even after their captain had ordered them to let go of the mooring lines. Among the crewmembers included a good number of Communist Party leaders, including a Joe Curran who later became a maritime labour leader. Thus, this strike had a massive effect in the maritime industry for the future to this very day! The dispute itself was all about wages and overtime, and although the strike only lasted for three days, but sadly Panama Pacific Line somehow never recovered from it.
In June 1937 the United States Congress
withdrew all maritime mail subsidies, which by then included a total loss of
$450,000 per year for Panama Pacific's three liners. Then to make things worse
still it was announced in 1937 that at the beginning of March 1938 that
Because of these cost increases and ongoing
labour difficulties management of Panama Pacific Line with regret decided to
discontinue their
The still beautiful SS California seen in 1937 just prior to her final voyage
Photograph from the Panama Pacific Line brochure
Although the SS California was the first ship
to enter service, she was the last ship of the trio to conclude her duties with
Panama Pacific Line, and she joined her sisters the SS Virginia and
A little earlier, whilst President Roosevelt
was on a voyage to
The American Line sold The “Big 3” to the “United States Maritime Commission” in 1937 and they commenced a new and a fruitful life with new names for well over twenty years, including service during World War 2.
Concluding Thoughts:
As we have read above, the Panama Pacific Line
operated a wonderful and popular service, which was obviously greatly loved by
the American public as well as those who came to the
The sad truth is timing. Had these fine ships
not been manned by an American crew and if the ship was registered in a foreign
port, these ships could have gone on for many more years! But sadly amongst
crew there were some Communists, who caused a great deal of trouble, for they
led the strikes onboard the SS California. This, combined with the American
Congress who withdrew all “maritime mail subsidies” which certainly
did not assist their American shipping industries, therefore, it was both
Communism and the US Congress who in the end destroyed this fine and well run
“Panama Pacific Line” and their amazing
Go to Page Two, for the continuing story of these three fine American liners, covering their pre War service and their time as Troopships,, known as “USAT’s” or “United States Army Troopship”! Page Three covers their time after the conclusion of their WW2 service and they were given a comprehensive refit and all three ships return to service, until they are finally laid up and sold to be broken up. They were replaced just four years later by two ultra modern far more efficient liners, being the sleek and glamorous SS Brasil & Argentina in 1958.
Page One … SS California,
Virginia &
Page
Two … SS
Uruguay,
Page
Three … SS
Uruguay,
Also Visit … SS Brasil & Argentina of 1968
“Blue Water Liners sailing to the distant shores.
I watched them come, I watched them go and I watched
them die.”