M 711 - RMS Carinthia

This is the Tri-ang Minic Ships model of RMS Carinthia one of Cunard's four (4) vessel "Saxonia" Class which were designed and built by John Brown & Company to service the St Lawrence Route to Quebec and Montreal replacing all of Cunard's old pre-Second World War vessels such as Scythia, Samaria, and Ascania.

These ships were large passenger / cargo vessels rather than pure passenger ships and were designed with only two classes of accommodation, a small First Class and a large much improved Tourist Class. This design reflected the perceived changes in demand for sea travel with first class trade increasingly travelling by air but tourist class trade appearing to have a promising future.

The maximum dimensions of these vessels was governed by the restrictions of the St Lawrence Seaway which they had to traverse for nearly 1000 miles to reach their final port of Montreal.

During summer months RMS Carinthia and RMS Sylvania sailed on the Liverpool, Greenock, Quebec, Montreal route while in the winter, when the St Lawrence Seaway is ice bound, they would sail on the Liverpool, Greenock, Halifax, New York route.

General passenger and cargo services on the North Atlantic routes had become financially unviable by the late 1960's and in 1968 Cunard sold RMS Carinthia and RMS Sylvania to the Sitmar Line who converted them into the cruise ships Fairsea and Fairwind respectively.

Tri-ang Minic produced identical models of the four "Saxonia" Class ships RMS Saxonia, RMS Ivernia, RMS Sylvania and RMS Carinthia which are distinguished only by the model number and name marked on the underside.

Specifications