SS Brazil (1928)

Artist's impression of SS Brazil, 1938–41 or 1948–58
History
United States
Name:	SS Virginia (1928–38) SS Brazil (1938–64)
Namesake:	Virginia Brazil
Owner:	American Line Steamship Corp (1928–38) US Maritime Commission (1938–64)
Operator:	Panama Pacific Line (1928–38) American Republics Line (1938–42) War Shipping Administration agents (1942–46) Moore-McCormack Line (1947–58)
Port of registry:	New York
Route:	New York – Havana – Panama Canal – Los Angeles – San Francisco (1928–37) New York – Barbados (outbound)/Trinidad (return) – Rio de Janeiro – Santos – Montevideo – Buenos Aires (1938–41, 1948–58)
Builder:	Newport News Shipbuilding
Completed:	1928
Maiden voyage:	8 December 1928
In service:	1928
Out of service:	laid up 1958
Identification:	US official number 227983 code letters MHBN (until 1933) call sign WSBW (from 1934)
Fate:	scrapped 1964
General characteristics
Tonnage:	as Virginia: 18,298 GRT, 9,781 NRT as Brazil: 20,614 GRT, 11,319 NRT
Length:	586.4 ft (178.7 m)p/p
Beam:	80.3 ft (24.5 m)
Depth:	20.5 ft (6.2 m)
Installed power:	2,833 NHP
Propulsion:	turbo-electric transmission, twin screw
Speed:	18 knots (33 km/h); record 18.96 knots (35.11 km/h)
Capacity:	as built: 184 first class & 365 tourist class passengers; after 1938 re-fit: 470 passengers; after 1946–48 re-fit: 359 first class and 160 cabin class cargo: 450,000 pounds (200 tonnes), with 95,000 pounds (43 tonnes) refrigerated
Crew:	as built: 350; after 1938 re-fit: 380
Sensors and processing systems:	direction finding equipment; gyrocompass (from 1934); fathometer (from 1938)
Notes:	sister ships: SS California, SS Pennsylvania

SS Brazil was a US turbo-electric ocean liner. She was completed in 1928 as SS Virginia, and refitted and renamed as SS Brazil in 1938. From 1942 to 1946 she was the War Shipping Administration operated troopship Brazil. She was laid up in 1958 and scrapped in 1964.

Virginia was the second of three sister ships built by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Newport News, Virginia for the American Line Steamship Corporation, which at the time was part of J. P. Morgan's International Mercantile Marine Co. She joined SS California (launched in 1927) in the fleet of American Lines' Panama Pacific Lines subsidiary. A third sister, SS Pennsylvania, was launched in 1929.

Virginia was a steamship, with oil-fired furnaces heating her boilers to power two General Electric steam turbo generators with a combined rating of 2,833 NHP supplying current for her electric propulsion motors.

Virginia was equipped with submarine signalling apparatus and wireless direction finding equipment, and from about 1934 she was equipped with a gyrocompass.

As built, Virginia had accommodeation for 184 first class and 365 tourist class passengers. 52 of her first class cabins were state rooms. Some of her first class cabins had en suite bathrooms.