Top Liner 1948...RMS Queen Elizabeth

[Garry Russell]

Turn round in the pre Jet Age

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN3jVlNB ... r_embedded#!

[dodger]

Hi Garry,

Lovely film, she like her sister ship Mary were great ships, its a shame she ended the way she did in Hong Kong Harbour,

It was also nice to see the old coal fired Tugs, they seemed to have a character all their own not like the ones today!

Thanks for posting it, 20 minutes of pure nostalgia.

Roger.

[Garry Russell]

I could watch that sort of thing all night.

When I grew up, the Mary and Elizabeth were the iconic liners, the stuff of legends and if seen sort of sent a tingle down the spine.

It's shocking to think that their replacement, QE 2 has been retired a few years back after being one of the longest serving liners ever

QE2 had it's own magic but it was never a patch on the two 'real' Queens. The modern trio are no doubt so efficient they can't be compared, but they just don't do it for me

As for the end of the QE, those news films of her burning were awful and the inevitable consequence of pouring water into a ship happened, but not before the heat was so intense it melted or at least softened the structure enough to distort and collapse.

QE never really had the fame she deserved. A little bigger than the Mary she was a cleaned up version with the intervening years causing a major change of the basic concept. Sadly many felt her more 'clinical' and stripped of the character of the Mary and despite the fact she was the far better ship always seemed to live in the Mary's shadow.

[FlyTexas]

That was a great video Garry. Thanks for the link. A lovely ship.

Brian

[DaveB]

Lovely I always preferred the 2 stack layout of the Lizzie rather than the 3 on the Mary. Saw them both a few times as a kid down the Solent while on holiday on the IoW. Happy Days

ATB
DaveB

[speedbird591]

Lovely I always preferred the 2 stack layout of the Lizzie rather than the 3 on the Mary. Saw them both a few times as a kid down the Solent while on holiday on the IoW. Happy Days

Me too! There's a b&w photo somewhere of me as a toddler on the IoW and the QE in the background! Sadly, I saw her in Hong Kong harbour a few times as a wreck because she was very close to the approach to the checkerboard. She just got rustier and rustier and it was a relief when she was finally put out of her misery

Ian

[DaveB]

Yes.. I was gobsmacked when I saw the pics of her on fire on the box I can't recall seeing her in Honky Fidd harbour although she must have been there Christmas 74/75. Possibly out of our field of view at the then RN base Glad I didn't see or and/or can't remember anyway

You used to be able to go on boat trips up the Solent to see the 'liners' in port in Southampton.. perhaps you still can but you won't see many liners these days. We went on one one year

ATB
DaveB

[Garry Russell]

The wreck of the QE was used in a James bond movie as a den for the baddies....Man With The Golden Gun???

[speedbird591]

Possibly out of our field of view at the then RN base

Ooh. The China Fleet Club in Wan Chai! Were you allowed in there? We were honorary members and it was the best silver service meal at a bargain price anywhere in the world. I know it was for RN and was next to the base but perhaps it was officers only or something. Anyway it was conveniently next to the red light district

Ian

[Garry Russell]

I saw the QE once...only the top of it

The hull was over the horizon but the masts boat deck and up with the funnels was sailing along in formation in the distance haze of a warm summer afternoon.