Other ships and lines.

In addition to the more famous and luxurious Empress ships there were a number of other ships both new and old that served Canadian Pacific on its various ocean routes. Besides acquiring entire shipping lines such as Elder Dempsey and its Beaver Line and the famous Allan Line, the CPR also acquired a number of second-hand ships including two acquired in 1897, the Athenian and the Tartar from the Union Line which had been using them in their service between Southampton, England and Capetown, South Africa. Built in 1882 and 1883 they were of similar size to the three Empresses, but less luxurious and intended for coastal running to the Klondike because of the famous Gold Rush. This didn't come about due to the completion of the White Pass & Yukon. Instead, they were used in miscellaneous Pacific work and eventually sold off for scrap.

The Monteagle was another ship used on the Pacific after the CPR took over the Beaver Line on April 6, 1903. Built in 1899, at 6,163 gross tons, she was not as large or luxurious as the Empresses, having accommodations for only 97 cabin passengers, plus hundreds in steerage and about 3,000 tons of freight. Its transfer from the Atlantic allowed retirement of the Athenian and the Tartar.

Canadian Australasian Line

It had always been the CPR's intention to serve Australia and New Zealand however, the mail contract was given to another company and the CPR merely co-ordinated its traffic with theirs. Seeking more opportunities during the Depression the CPR acquired in July 1931, a half interest in the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand service between Sydney, Australia, Auckland, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii and Vancouver. The Canadian Australasian Line, Limited was incorporated in Canada. This new company owned two ships acquired from the Union Steamship Company, the Niagara, a liner built in 1913 and a more modern motor ship, the Aorangi, built in 1924 she was the second ship to carry that name.

The Niagara was 524.7 feet long with a gross tonnage of 13,415 accommodating 281 first-class, 223 second-class and 191 third-class passengers, along with room for plenty of cargo. She was the first British passenger ship to burn oil. It was lost off New Zealand to an enemy (German) mine in June 1940. Gold valued at £2 1/2 million was on board being shipped by the Bank of England to the USA in payment for war supplies. Although sunk in 400 feet of water, $7,500,00 in gold bullion was recovered and a further $450,000 many years later.

Leonard Frank/Vancouver Public Library

The Aorangi was a modern ship powered by four Sulzer-design two-cycle diesel engines which were also built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co.Ltd. in Govan, Scotland. Fuel consumption was drastically reduced (50-66%). At 580.1 feet and 17,491 gross tons she was the largest motor ship in the world and made 18 knots during trial in December 1924. She accommodated 947 passengers in very acceptable surroundings.

Serving the Admiralty during the war (2/40 to 4/46) then, after a lengthy and expensive refit she returned to Pacific service beginning 8/48. It was not to be successful. Times had changed. Too few passengers wanted what Canadian Pacific had to offer. The Empresses had been lost to the War in one way or another. Asia by enemy action, Russia by a dockyard fire during refit in 1945 and Scotland/Japan was just plain worn out. Thus, the last CPR ship on the Pacific, the Aorangi, made its last voyage leaving Vancouver on May 14, 1953, she arrived in Sydney on June 8th. and wrote finish to the story of CPR travel on the Pacific Ocean.

Atlantic service