SS Europa (228AP)

Meritéan Express

S.S. Europa in 323 AP. Four-screw turbine express steamer S.S. Europa in the 250's. Meritéan Express (ME) is the state shipping company of the Autonomous City and Emirate of Ulnovabad. It was founded in 302 AP as a successor to the former Lloyd Meritéen, a major shipping company of Merité. Its area of operations comprise the waters around the north-western corner of Eras and relations to Cruisana and Longerath. Among the latter are a line to Fenizabad, Feniz, the new motherland, and a historic route to Prurient City, Draconia.

Career
Flags: Merité 230-298 AP
Wesmerité/Eichensehria 299-301 AP (out of service)
Cimera 302 AP
Ulnovabad (Feniz) since 302 AP

Owners: Lloyd Meritéen (Europa)
Compagnie Générale Transfuturonique (Liberté)
Meritéan Express (Eras)

Built: Blohm & Voss shipyard, Ulnovabad

Launched: 1 August 228 AP

Maiden voyage: 19 March 230 AP

Meritéan Express' flagship, the steamship Eras built 228 AP

Career
Flags:	Merité 230-298 AP Wesmerité/Eichensehria 299-301 AP (out of service) Cimera 302 AP Ulnovabad (Feniz) since 302 AP
Owners:	Lloyd Meritéen (Europa) Compagnie Générale Transfuturonique (Liberté) Meritéan Express (Eras)
Built:	Blohm & Voss shipyard, Ulnovabad
Launched:	1 August 228 AP
Maiden voyage:	19 March 230 AP

The SS Eras (built Europa,later Liberté)[[This page is using text images and figures from Wikipedia the free online encyclopedia, English and German versions.]] is one of a pair of fast ocean liners built in the late 220's for the transfuturonic passenger service of the Lloyd Meritéen shipping line. Her sister ship was the Tara (scrapped 262 AP), and the two were very alike, though not identical (the Tara was slightly larger, among other differences). Europa and her sister were designed to have a cruising speed of 27.5 knots, allowing a crossing time of 3 days from Ulnovabad to Prurient City. This speed enabled Lloyd Meritéen to run regular weekly crossings with two ships, a feat that back then normally required three. With these ships, Lloyd Meritéen wanted to return to the top class in transfuturonian travel.

General Characteristics
Tonnage: 49,746 gross tons

Length: 936.7 ft (282.77 m)

Beam: 101.7 feet (30.65 m)

Power: Four triple-expansion steam turbines generating 105,000 shp (130,000 PS, 78 MW)

Boilers: 24

Burners: Oil burners

Propulsion: Quadruple screws

Speed: 27.5 knots

Passenger Capacity:
1,493
549
562
382
total
first class
cabin class
tourist class

Crew:
965
total

The sisters were supposed to be completed at the same time, but the Europa suffered a serious fire during her fitting-out, and sank to the bottom. She was repaired and refloated, but the incident delayed her completion by several months.

General Characteristics
Tonnage:	49,746 gross tons
Length:	936.7 ft (282.77 m)
Beam:	101.7 feet (30.65 m)
Power:	Four triple-expansion steam turbines generating 105,000 shp (130,000 PS, 78 MW)
Boilers:	24
Burners:	Oil burners
Propulsion:	Quadruple screws
Speed:	27.5 knots
Passenger Capacity:	1,493 549 562 382	total first class cabin class tourist class
Crew:	965	total

During Meritéan War II (239-245) she was largely inactive. There were plans to use her as a transport in Operation Sealion, the intended invasion of Cruisana, and later to convert her into an aircraft carrier. None of these plans came to pass when she snapped her moorings during a storm, ran into the wreck of the Port Angela, and sank. She was requisitioned and raised by Cruisana in 246, and used as a troopship. However, after it was discovered that the ship had infrastructural problems from years of neglect (defective wiring and hull cracks), she was pulled from this service.

Only in 301, when turned over to Cimera, a refit for passenger service under the name Liberté was begun. In 302 AP, after independence, she became the flagship of the Meritéan Express shipping company under the name Eras, and finally completed in 306, made her second maiden voyage to Prurient City.

Timetables

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