Ships and Harbours
Passenger vessel calling itself Queen Mary 2 ???Photo of what seams to be a steam driven passenger ship. The name across the bow seens to read Queen Mary 2, though I am certain it is not the big and famous one we all know :)
Locality and date unknown.
Anyone any suggestions?
Picture added on 27 January 2008
Peter (above) is absolutely right, the vessel QM II served with the Caledonian Steamship Company on the River Clyde, I saw her most days when I served in the "Cowal" of said company.
Added by Robert Hogarth on 01 February 2008.
Added by Robert Hogarth on 01 February 2008.
Queen mary ii, fondly referred to within the company as queen mary aye aye had a single squat funnel and looked nothing like that in the photograph above
Added by Robert Hogarth on 09 March 2009.
Added by Robert Hogarth on 09 March 2009.
Robert: You're right, it did - for a while. It now has two funnels again, like in the photo.
Added by Ryan Thompson on 10 March 2009.
Added by Ryan Thompson on 10 March 2009.
Ryan, Thanks for the update, do you know to what purpose she serves now in London. your info much appreciated. thanks, Robert Hogarth
Added by Robert Hogarth on 10 March 2009.
Added by Robert Hogarth on 10 March 2009.
According to wikipedia ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TS_Queen_Mary ) ...
Waverley survived and prospered, but with the shift to diesel car ferries and cost pressures the TS Queen Mary was retired after a last evening showboat cruise from Largs to Rothesay on 27 September 1977. She was then laid up in the East India Harbour, Greenock. At some time in the 1980s the ship was bought by Bass Leisure Retail and taken south to London to become a floating pub/restaurant. She underwent a £2.5m refurbishment in 1997 and is currently moored at Victoria Embankment. Facilities include two bars and two function rooms. The top deck of the ship is used as an open air venue with bar facilities.
The future of the TS Queen Mary is unknown as of December 2007. The owners, Mitchells and Butlers are considering their options. The ship may undergo a complete refurbishment in 2008, and according to staff on board, may be floated to a dry dock in France, for the work to be carried out. There has been no date set, as yet, for this work.
Added by Ryan Thompson on 12 March 2009.
Waverley survived and prospered, but with the shift to diesel car ferries and cost pressures the TS Queen Mary was retired after a last evening showboat cruise from Largs to Rothesay on 27 September 1977. She was then laid up in the East India Harbour, Greenock. At some time in the 1980s the ship was bought by Bass Leisure Retail and taken south to London to become a floating pub/restaurant. She underwent a £2.5m refurbishment in 1997 and is currently moored at Victoria Embankment. Facilities include two bars and two function rooms. The top deck of the ship is used as an open air venue with bar facilities.
The future of the TS Queen Mary is unknown as of December 2007. The owners, Mitchells and Butlers are considering their options. The ship may undergo a complete refurbishment in 2008, and according to staff on board, may be floated to a dry dock in France, for the work to be carried out. There has been no date set, as yet, for this work.
Added by Ryan Thompson on 12 March 2009.
To all concerned, the ship is now disused and is up for sale at a cost of an asking price of £154,00. There seems to be a party that is interested to see if they can get the money together, and possibly get her back on the Clyde, but it is looking doubtful. The interested party is looking for donations, and if you "Google" T.S. Queen Mary, then you will come across the name of the interested party, and also the name of the broker who is dealing with the sale, including many photos of how she looks inside and out, at present. Bill Shearer.
Added by Bill Shearer on 02 May 2009.
Added by Bill Shearer on 02 May 2009.
I hope it doesn't degenerate into an SS United States type situation. :|
Added by Ryan Thompson on 03 May 2009.
Added by Ryan Thompson on 03 May 2009.
Also, It would be great to see her converted back to passenger service, but it probably wouldn't happen until after the economy recovers, i.e. at least another couple years. She still has her cabins, right? They didn't gut everything to create convention/business meeting rooms, did they?
Added by Ryan Thompson on 04 May 2009.
Added by Ryan Thompson on 04 May 2009.
The location looks very much like Gourock. This is a fairly early photograph of her before she gained the after mast
Added by Paul Strathdee on 03 December 2009.
Added by Paul Strathdee on 03 December 2009.
Hi there, further to my earlier comment regarding the queen mary. She has now been sold to a French company who is planning to refurbish her and turn her into a hotel/restaurant. She was cut from her moorings on the Thames a few weeks ago, and was towed to Tilbury, from there she will go to La Rochelle in France where the refurb will take place. There are some fantastic photos on line of the boat being towed through London, past some of the famous landmarks, especially tower bridge, as it had to be raised. Unfortunately she had her funnels removed and so looked quite sad. Will be interesting to see how she eventually ends up.
Added by Bill Shearer on 04 December 2009.
Added by Bill Shearer on 04 December 2009.
Denny, Dumbarton, UK
Added by Peter Langsdale on 27 January 2008.