TS Duchess of Hamilton: Clyde steamer trip to QE2 launch

[Waverley]

A nice wee story about the QE2 launch.

[Lynda Bradford]

Robert this indeed is a nice story with links to the  SS Duchess of Hamilton, the QE2 and the story was published by the People's Friend, my Gran's favourite magazine. 

[Waverley]

Here is a memory of the turbine steamer visit to view the launch of the QE2. The T.S. Duchess of Hamilton carried passengers from Rothesay on the Isle of Bute all the way up the river Clyde to the shipyard.
This story was published in the magazine ‘the People’s Friend’ years ago but I liked the story so I cut it out and kept it safe.

[Rob Lightbody]

Here is a memory of the turbine steamer visit to view the launch of the QE2. The T.S. Duchess of Hamilton carried passengers from Rothesay on the Isle of Bute all the way up the river Clyde to the shipyard.
This story was published in the magazine ‘the People’s Friend’ years ago but I liked the story so I cut it out and kept it safe.

Thank you!  That's fantastic.  I've seen her in the photos and videos sitting there for the launch, but it's great to connect it up to the onboard experience like that.

Also interesting to see them getting the new liner's name wrong at that time... Although it is what they heard her majesty say that day of course...!

[Waverley]

This photo has just been posted on the Scottish Shipbuilding Facebook page.
Showing the Duchess and QE2 together.
Pic - Picture This Scotland. From the Glasgow Chronicles

[Lynda Bradford]

Thanks for posting Waverley and what a fantastic experience for those on the boat to be so close to the launch of QE2.

The colour photo has captured  a bit of Clydeside history.  Just love how the picture has captured the boat tilting to one side as people gathered to see the launch. 

I have moved the topic to the Design Concept and Build topic board along with other launch topics

[Clydebuilt1971]

I recall seeing a few photos of ps Caledonia moored at the entrance to Rothesay Dock with a severe list as everyone crowded to one side to view the launch.
The only one I can find is on Flickr here: ps Caledonia QE2 Launch

Gav

[Waverley]

Another one

[Lynda Bradford]

The Black and White photos capture the scene so well.

The Caledonia in the picture - would she be docked in the fitting out basis?  I am trying to think where else the boat could tie up!

[Peter Mugridge]

Is that heavy list caused by a large number of passengers crowding the starboard side to have a look at QE2, I wonder...?

[Waverley]

Yes, I would think that is the case. No one on the port side 🙂

[Clydebuilt1971]

Is that heavy list caused by a large number of passengers crowding the starboard side to have a look at QE2, I wonder...?

Yes definitely Peter - Waverley does this at times when people crowd to one side to view something. This prompts an announcement from the bridge for some people to go to the other side of the ship to restore stability and also to reduce the stress on the wheels - more so the wheel on the side she is listing too as it becomes overly submerged which causes increased drag and stress on the structure of the wheel. Also the lighter loaded wheel on the other side causes uneven stresses on the main engine crank which isnt good either.

Gav

[Pete Hamill]

When I was reading the latest additions to this topic, it came to mind that I had seen footage of the launch which showed Duchess of Hamilton and Waverly on the day - and to say Waverly had a list is a bit of an understatement!

The footage was contained in a railway video I have that covered the Glasgow - Gourock line, the Kilmacolm line to Princes Pier and a few others (apologies to those members who have no idea where I am talking about) - but half way through it chose to show some of the shipyards around Greenock and Glasgow and included footage of QE2's launch.

I didn't want to risk any copyright infringements by trying to copy parts of the video, but I found a reproduction of the whole thing on our favourite video hosting website.

The following link will take you to the video.

For those of you that have no interest in seeing the state of Britain's railways in the mid sixties around Glasgow, Greenock etc you can jump to the interesting bits at 38:00 which shows Queen Elizabeth at Inchgreen Drydock at Greenock and 39:48 for the launch and other views showing her being docked at Greenock after the initial engine problems - including her first collision with the dockside.

[Lynda Bradford]

Pete, what a trip down memory lane, thank-you so much for posting this video.  I was absolutely mezmerised and could not stop watching the whole video.  I remember travelling from Glasgow to Gourock then taking the ferry to Dunoon when I was young, so seeing all the stations that the train passed brought back many memories, as did the film shots of the old St Enoch's Station and the buses and trams in Glasgow.  Anyone who is a train/rail enthusiast would enjoy this video. 

The view of the Waverley captured with one paddle out of the water is brilliant.  The film footage of QE2's launch showing the full length of the ship as she slips into the Clyde is one of the best shots I have seen and the film also captures the cheering of the crowd at the shipyard.  I noticed that the commentator got the date of QE2's launch wrong, as he said the ship was launched on 18 February 1968.  Then when the ship left the shipyard in November he said it was 9 months after the launch - obviously as the commentator was calculating from the February date he quoted. 

This is one to watch time and time again and as it is a fantastic piece of Clydeside history.

[Pete Hamill]

Thanks Lynda. For those of us from the area, there are a quite a few commentary errors to be noted, but the footage speaks for itself.
As a young child, I lived in Shaw place which overlooked the cutting between the tunnels at Wellpark and Sir Michael street and it was fascinating to watch the steam trains emerging from one and diving in to the other.
I also recall the elctrification work going on which was so evident in the footage.
There was also a great view over the river and I remember Victoria harbour being full of tugs rafted three abreast because there was so much traffic needing assistance.
The Empress liners were regular visitors and also the SS Uganda doing the school cruises.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

For those of you that have no interest in seeing the state of Britain's railways in the mid sixties around Glasgow, Greenock etc you can jump to the interesting bits at 38:00 which shows Queen Elizabeth at Inchgreen Drydock at Greenock and 39:48 for the launch and other views showing her being docked at Greenock after the initial engine problems - including her first collision with the dockside.

Excellent footage, and the long-distance view of the launch is so well positioned! As are the Waverley and the Duchess of Hamilton .

[Rob Lightbody]

Thank you so much Pete!

That video is truly wonderful, and I'd never seen it before.

I just just muttering and ranting to myself about how shocking it was that they closed all those railway lines... when Queen Elizabeth pops up looking utterly magnificent.  What a ship she was, and then the lovely piece about QE2's launch, fitting out and the trip down the Clyde.  You're right, the list on the Waverley is quite shocking and gets a mention on the piece.

Thanks again - well worth a watch everybody!