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Description
Royal Mail Steamer Alexandria, 52,000 Tons, Neptune Line
(Image by ~Steamer442 )
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When she was launched in 1910, the RMS Alexandria became the largest and most luxurious ocean liner in the world. Her maiden voyage was scheduled to be on the 30th May 1912 but after the Titanic disaster, she was put back into dry dock until the investigation into the disaster was over and a resolution found.

In the end, the Alexandria had four extra boats added along with twelve collapsibles and finally set sail on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York on July 21st, 1912.

The ship proved an immediate success. Passengers loved her grand interiors and her excellent crew service. On her fourth Voyage she sailed with not a single bunk empty.

The American Hale Line, previous monopoly holders of the Transatlantic trade, were not at all impressed by the Alexandria. The new British ship was eating into their passengers and their profits. The heads of the Hale Line devised a way of removing the competition in the form of a bomb, to be placed into the Alexandria's no.8 boiler room by impostor crew members.

Unfortunately for Hale, one of these impostors deserted and reported the bomb to the Captain. Although unable to stop the bomb from detonating, the fore-warning meant that the crew were ready and the watertight doors closed. Only boiler room 8 and Cargo hold 9 were flooded and the ship limped into port where her passengers were offloaded and she put into dry dock for repairs.

Apart from this incident, the ship had no other major incidents. She served during the Great War as a troop ship and post war spent much of her time on her usual trade. After the Second World War however, she was showing her age and the Neptune Line did not take her back. She was sold to an Italian shipping line who planned to use her as a Migrant ship to Australia but these plans fell through due to lack of funds and the necessary paperwork.

She spent much of the 50's and 60's laid up rusting as her owners debated her fate. Protesters tried to buy the ship and have her converted into a museum but these plans fell through when not enough funds were raised and the ship was sold to ship breakers.

She arrived at Alang, India under her own power in 1983and was driven up onto the beach at near top speed to allow the break up to begin. Over the next four years she slowly disappeared and now only some of her surviving fittings and the memories of passengers who sailed on her remind those of the magnificent Alexandria who was once the swiftest ship on the seas.

Description
Royal Mail Steamer Alexandria, 52,000 Tons, Neptune Line
(Image by ~Steamer442 )
---

When she was launched in 1910, the RMS Alexandria became the largest and most luxurious ocean liner in the world. Her maiden voyage was scheduled to be on the 30th May 1912 but after the Titanic disaster, she was put back into dry dock until the investigation into the disaster was over and a resolution found.

In the end, the Alexandria had four extra boats added along with twelve collapsibles and finally set sail on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York on July 21st, 1912.

The ship proved an immediate success. Passengers loved her grand interiors and her excellent crew service. On her fourth Voyage she sailed with not a single bunk empty.

The American Hale Line, previous monopoly holders of the Transatlantic trade, were not at all impressed by the Alexandria. The new British ship was eating into their passengers and their profits. The heads of the Hale Line devised a way of removing the competition in the form of a bomb, to be placed into the Alexandria's no.8 boiler room by impostor crew members.

Unfortunately for Hale, one of these impostors deserted and reported the bomb to the Captain. Although unable to stop the bomb from detonating, the fore-warning meant that the crew were ready and the watertight doors closed. Only boiler room 8 and Cargo hold 9 were flooded and the ship limped into port where her passengers were offloaded and she put into dry dock for repairs.

Apart from this incident, the ship had no other major incidents. She served during the Great War as a troop ship and post war spent much of her time on her usual trade. After the Second World War however, she was showing her age and the Neptune Line did not take her back. She was sold to an Italian shipping line who planned to use her as a Migrant ship to Australia but these plans fell through due to lack of funds and the necessary paperwork.

She spent much of the 50's and 60's laid up rusting as her owners debated her fate. Protesters tried to buy the ship and have her converted into a museum but these plans fell through when not enough funds were raised and the ship was sold to ship breakers.

She arrived at Alang, India under her own power in 1983and was driven up onto the beach at near top speed to allow the break up to begin. Over the next four years she slowly disappeared and now only some of her surviving fittings and the memories of passengers who sailed on her remind those of the magnificent Alexandria who was once the swiftest ship on the seas.