Nomadic, Titanic & other historic vessels

[Renegadenemo]

They've made a bit of a mess of that, haven't they. But then what else could they do? I could imagine the owner facing all kinds of liability even if he sold the thing and its new owners weren't up to the job of looking after their newly purchased paddle steamer. And the scrap man won't want to mess about either - he'll want it chopped into bits and carted off to the smelter quick-as. Nor was it any good expecting to get the engines out. In today's litigious society it would only take a broken eyelash to bring the lawyers crawling from under their rocks. Nope - it all seems to have reached an inevitable conclusion. Still a little saddening though to think that there's insufficient get up and go to save a little iron ship.

[klingon]

Probability is they smashed her up quick to get all the asbestos out and disposed of smartish-did the same up here with the old Renfrew Ferry-owned by a pal of mine and planned as a visitor centre for Clydebuilt-(was never a "ship" as such-chain driven from bank to bank)-he went on a working contract to the USA-while he was gone a pipe fractured and the boat sank at it's moorings in an old dock-which was due to be re-developed for housing-instead of sending down a diver to do a quick plate over and pump out,the Clyde Port Authority deemed it a "Hazard to Navigation"-and sent in a hydraulic hammer on a pontoon to smash it up and send 300 tons of scrap to our Chinese cousins.Jim returned to a £350,000 bill and the loss of a Heritage boat.

[Pullman99]

Probability is they smashed her up quick to get all the asbestos...Jim returned to a £350,000 bill and the loss of a Heritage boat.

Not sure about the asbestos. Think it had already been removed before conversion to a bar / restaurant. A deeper story here, maybe, as there seems to have been a hidden agenda within the local authority as well as the strange and strained relationship between the owner and the ship's would-be rescuers. They certainly tried but a different outcome may have resulted from them having begun their campaign a few months earlier.

Your friend's experience with the chain ferry must have been devastating. I remember seeing this when photographing a Leyland Atlantean a few years ago at Silver Fox Coaches next door in Ferry Road.

[klingon]

yeah-I had the onerous job of telling him-met him just as he arrived at Glasgow airport-he didn't believe me till I showed him picture on my phone of the bow swinging from a crane-never seen someones face turn that shade of purple before!

[Pullman99]

Following the scrapping of the paddle-steamer Lincoln Castle at Grimsby last year, another historic steamship is currently facing an uncertain future.

The SS Shieldhall - built in the 1950s for Glasgow Corporation and later in use by Southern Watrer - has been preserved in Southampton since the late 1980s. It is the largest operable preserved steam-powered vessel in the UK and its plight is of course not unique. Funding through local government is partly at the root of this, of course, and I would suggest that during the next few years this issue will remain paramount. Against this background, however, it is worthwhile being reminded that Southampton City Council is currently spending £12Million on its new maritime museum - based in the Civic Centre - that will have the Titanic story as its core theme and some £2Million (presumably funded by "arts" sources) on its giant Spitfire sculpture.

Potential rant time methinks...

More details from the BBC here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-12112086

SS Shieldhall site here:

http://www.ss-shieldhall.co.uk/Shieldhall/Welcome.html

[klingon]

Was actually on the SS Shieldhall in Glasgow as a kid-only in Glasgow would the Corporation offer daily cruises on what was essentially a S**t tanker!-her daily job was to dump sewage effluent from Shieldhall works in the Clyde estuary off Arran-and our well meaning city fathers offered days out on board to local groups and schools!-actually the ship was sparkling clean,with absolutely no odd smells or the like-but as I said-only in Glasgow----

[Mike Bull]

Interesting report on the rebuilding of the Cutty Sark-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-12756046

[Renegadenemo]

Can't believe they were using a warty, old stick welding set on her. Tut tut...

[klingon]

EH? all that work and they won't even get the bloody thing back in the water?-what's all that about then?-why not just build a whackin great glass bottle and stick her in that?

[Excelsior2007]

Good news I have it Boss

Found the bloody thing after twos hrs of looking Only kidding I knew where it was all the time I think another polish is in order though as it has been gathering dust whilst sitting in a cupboard. I had forgotten to tell you some of the serial numbers are clear to read. However the original colour of the linkages is that Aircraft GREEN although well faded it was Green like the other linkage in pic of the day recently. Will have it back up to you a.s.a.p.
I love how the chrome parts have come up really shiney even that bend with the heat treatment they had put in has come up really well. Except for the steel bits which are heavily rusted! May need to be lightly shot blasted and treated by your man at bettablast?
Otherwise chuffed to bits with it on the whole.

Novie

Told you I'll Be Back

Green? don't you mean turqiose?