"Kalakala" had a heavy shaking vibration that ran throughout the vessel when in operation. This was probably due to poor alignment of the engine during the 1930s rebuild. When the propeller was replaced with a new 5-bladed version in 1956, the vibration was reduced by 40%. Although the PSNC wished "Kalakala" to be known as the "Silver Swan", she soon attracted other, less complimentary nicknames, including "Silver Slug", "Silver Beetle", "Galloping Ghost of the Pacific Coast", and, among Seattle's Scandinavian community, "Kackerlacka", which means "cockroach".