RMS Queen Mary was laid down in 1930 by John Brown & Co., but work was suspended late in 1931 because of the economic depression and resumed in April 1934. On 27 May 1936, she entered service on the Southampton-New York run. In August 1938, she became the undisputed holder of the Blue Riband with crossings averaging 30.99 knots westbound and 31.69 knots eastbound, a record that stood until SS United States broke it in 1952. Laid up at New York at the outbreak of war, she was converted to a troopship at Sydney, Australia, in 1940. On 2 October 1942, she collided with the escorting cruiser HMS Curacao, which sank with the loss of 329 lives. She resumed passenger service in July 1947 and was later sold to the City of Long Beach, California, for conversion to a floating museum and hotel. Her years were 1936-67, her gross tonnage was 81,237, her size was 1,020 ft. by 118 ft., her propulsion was quadruple screw turbines, and her cruising speed was 29 knots.