QE2 - A Stairway

[Michael Gallagher]

A total of 123 steps on A Stairway.

When being designed as a three-class vessel this staircase was for Tourist Class passengers and was designed to take passengers from the main Tourist Class deck (Boat) down to Tourist Class accommodation on A (Three), B (Four) and C (Five) Decks with no exit at all at the First Class decks: Promenade (Quarter) and Main (One).

Perhaps even the design of the staircase – continuous single spiral suggested that this was the main stairway for the lowest passenger class.

When QE2 was in two-class operation, A Stairway was the main Tourist Class staircase.

BOAT DECK

[Michael Gallagher]

UPPER DECK

[Michael Gallagher]

UPPER DOWN TO QUARTER

[Michael Gallagher]

QUARTER DECK

[Michael Gallagher]

QUARTER DOWN TO ONE

[Michael Gallagher]

ONE DECK

[Michael Gallagher]

ONE DOWN TO TWO

[Michael Gallagher]

TWO DECK

[Michael Gallagher]

THREE DECK

[Michael Gallagher]

FOUR DECK

[Michael Gallagher]

FIVE DECK

[cunardqueen]

A stairs on Boat deck in BLUE !!!
Commodore Ridley and l think perhaps Lorna Dallas?
April 1987

[Michael Gallagher]

I thought I had lost these pictures but just found them. Returning to what I have said: the hidden (behind the bulkhead) Lift 4 at Five Deck leve retained the original 1969 blue colour - picture taken in April 2008. While the visible-to-passengers Lfts 5 and 6 had been painted in the purple in 1994.

[Bob C.]

The doors are back to the original color but the controls are the updated ones.  Originally the controls were "touch sensitive" illuminating squares exactly as seen in this youtube video.

Enjoy

[Rob Lightbody]

While on board QE2 last week, a lot of things became clear to me.

One is the A stairway - with the creation of the Queens Grill, a no-go zone to the vast majority of passengers, this became a frustrating vertical dead end for many people.  Even if you were a grills passenger, it wouldn't be appropriate to walk through the restaurant if it was during a service time.  The fact that the stairs don't stop at upper (unless you want to walk through another restaurant), quarter or one deck (access to the crew mess only) makes it even worse.

On board last week, of course, i was free to go through QG if it was the most appropriate route, and my goodness how it opens up the top of the ship.  To be able to walk freely from the top of A stairway through to D and on to the shops or whatever. 

I'm told the officers used to go through the QG galley, and i did find that route - there's a door in the corner of QG with a netcurtain on it, that suddenly takes you from a luxurious restaurant into the behind the scenes crew area.

It gave me a taste of what the original QE2's design must have been like, and I wish I could go back in time to try it for myself. 

[Louis De Sousa]

Rob off topic i saw the video off you in the Boardroom did you make the route from here directly into the QG galley? at the far end in the Boardroom theres a door that leads into the QG galley.For a top Grill Room onboard didnt you think the galley is to small? or did you expected it bigger?

[Rob Lightbody]

Rob off topic i saw the video off you in the Boardroom did you make the route from here directly into the QG galley? at the far end in the Boardroom theres a door that leads into the QG galley.For a top Grill Room onboard didnt you think the galley is to small? or did you expected it bigger?

Yes I did - from the galley side - and was surprised to find where it came out.

[Louis De Sousa]

I use to sneak late at night in the galley to get food take that route into the Boardroom have a seat and eat it lol, glad you found that route too.

[Bob C.]

Absolutely easier as originally designed.  The dead end from fore to aft was the 736 club but it's much easier to cut through a club than a restaurant. From aft to fore, one would have walked throughout the Juke Box en route to the Coffee Shop which is now the QG galley.  Much more open space and much better traffic flow from A, D and E stairways.

[Rob Lightbody]

Heres is the deck plan of 1969 how it looked

Hmm, interesting.  The radio room is now 8200, which I was able to look around (beautiful).  The tiny corridor and door out to the deck is at the forward side of that room now, not where its shown on that plan.  All these changes.