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Queen mary

Overall Length: 1,019.5 ft. (310.74 m.)
Gross Tonnage: 81,237 gross tons (230,039 cu. m.)
Transatlantic Crossings: 1,001
Constructed by: John Brown & Co., Ltd., Clydebank, Scotland Commissioned by: Cunard Steamship Co., Ltd.
Keel Laid: December 1, 1930
Date Launched: September 26, 1934
Maiden Voyage: May 27, 1936
Portholes: Over 2,000
Rivets: Over 10 million
Hull Plates: 8 ft. (2.44 m) to 30 ft. (9.14 m.) in length; up to 1.25 in. (3.2 cm.) thick
Moulded Breadth: 118 ft. (35.97 m.)
Height from Keel to Forward Smokestack Top: 181 ft. (55.17 m.)
Height from Keel to Promenade Deck: 92.5 ft. (28.19 m.)
Height from Keel to Top of Foremast: 237 ft. (72.24 m.)
Number of Decks: 12
Passenger Capacity: 1,957
Officers and Crew: 1,174
Horsepower: 160,000
Cruising Speed: 28.5 knots (55.17 km./hr.)
Rudder: 140 tons
Whistles: 3 - Steam type. Two on forward funnel, one on middle funnel. Each over 6 ft,. (1.83 m.) long,weighing 2,205 lb. (1,002 kg.)
Lifeboat Capacity: 145 persons
Smokestacks: 3 - Elliptical in shape; 36 ft. (10.97 m.) fore and aft, 23.3 ft. (7.1 m.) wide
Smokestack Height: Forward: 70.5 ft. (21.49 m.)
Middle: 67.5 ft. (20.57 m.) Aft: 62.25 ft. (18.97 m.)
Boilers: 27
Fuel Consumption: 13 ft./gal (1 m./l.)
Draft: 39 ft. 4-9/16 in. (12.00 m.)
Bow Anchors: 2 @ 16 tons (16,291 kg.)
Anchor Height: 18 ft. (5.48 m.)
Length of Promenade Deck: 724 ft. (220.68 m.)
Length of Anchor Chain: 990 ft.
Weight of Anchor Chain: 45 tons (45.818 kg.)

Anchor Chain Link: 2 ft. (61 cm.) long, weighing 224 lb. (101.8 kg.)
Born amidst the uncertainties of a world-wide depression and the whisperings of another world war, the story of RMS. Queen Mary is an enduring tale of man's ability to rise above adversity and achieve a level of creativity that captivates the imagination. The jubilant and triumphant launch of RMS. Queen Mary on 26 September 1934 by Her Majesty Queen Mary signified the end of the depression that had gripped the world and the British Empire, and provided a firm re-assertion that Britannia had the finest merchant fleet in the world. From then on the Queen Mary would rule the Atlantic for three decades, surviving the perils of a world war, ultimately creating a legacy that led to her being called the stateliest liner afloat. In the end, RMS. Queen Mary remained the final say in transatlantic luxury and class, proving she was indeed, ‘a noble tribute to the imagination of man.’

Throughout her illustrious career - whether it was wrestling with the splendid Normandie for the coveted ‘Blue Riband’ or eluding wily Nazi U-boat captains whilst transporting thousands of essential allied military personnel during the second world war - RMS. Queen Mary captivated the imagination and hearts of those who sailed aboard her. Elegantly capturing the artistic flair of the Art Deco period, RMS. Queen Mary had a subtle grace and charm that exuded an aura of sophistication and class that would never again be duplicated. From her triumphant launch to her retirement in Long Beach, California as Hotel Queen Mary, RMS. Queen Mary remains one of the most fascinating ocean liners to ever take to sea.

A festoon of signal flags waves high above the bow of the historic Queen Mary.