QE2 Carrying Cars

[Louis De Sousa]

More seriously, was QE2's garage part of a deck officer's responsibility? There could have been a significant fire risk...

A so called Junior Second Officer is traditionally delegated as Cargo Officer and drives the cars inside the ship.

Someone will probably post that cars were only permitted on transatlantic voyages. If so - what a shame!)

I think only in New York, Southampton and Cherbourg had the ramps for it.

Louis

[Stowaway2k]

The German film "Eine Stadt auf dem Meer" accessable at rmsqueenelizabeth2.com, shows cars being driven into the hold, plus a VW van and a caravan (camper trailer) being loaded by crane into the hold

[Stowaway2k]

I'd be interested to find out how it was arranged, what were the fares like, did you snap any shots of the garages etc etc..

In 1971....

Rates for transatlantic shipment of automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles with auxiliary motors and other powered vehicles as accompanied baggage.

Weight of vehicle               One way             Roundtrip
Not over 100 lbs                               $ 15.00                            -
From   101 to    200 lbs                     $ 30.00                            -
From   201 to    400 lbs                      $ 80.00                          $130.00
From   401 to    600 lbs                     $110.00                         $160.00
From   601 to    800 lbs                      $150.00                         $200.00
From   801 to 1,000 lbs                      $190.00                         $240.00
From 1,001 to 1,500 lbs                     $250.00                         $300.00
From 1,501 to 2,500 lbs                     $300.00                         $350.00
From 2,501 to 3,500 lbs                     $350.00                         $400.00
From 3,501 to 4,500 lbs                     $425.00                         $475.00
From 4,501 to 5,500 lbs                     $475.00                         $525.00
From 5,501 lbs. and above rates on application

Vehicles over 6'6" in height will be acccepted in limited numbers for shipment but passengers are advised that there is likely to be a delay in unloading at Southampton and New York.  Therefore, these vehicles may not be immediately available to owners at time of disembarking.

Automobiles are to be delivered to Pier 92, New York the day prior to sailing between 9 AM and 4 PM
On occasion autos will be accepted the day of sailing.  In these instances, however, advance clearance must be obtained.
For wesbound sailings autos are to be delivered to Southampton 9 AM - Noon  the day before departure and Havre
2 PM - 4 PM the day of sailing.

                        

[Michael Gallagher]

I seem to recall that the petrol tank had to be emptied and underneath the car had to be steam cleaned.

Peter: We kept EVERY letter received and a copy of every response sent from the Department from 1983 until 1999 when we finally decided it was a ridiculous and space consuming thing to do  and then shredded the whole lot!! Sorry! I started to write to Eric in 1986 and continued to do so until he gave me my job in 1994. We married up every letter I had sent and every one one of his responses to me and have kept them in a box here!

[Peter Mugridge]

Ah well...

Still, I could at least scan in his reply to me for your files if you like; I still have it and I know exactly where it is... 

[Michael Gallagher]

Peter: please do! That would be interesting to see.

[Peter Mugridge]

I've just sent myself an e-mail home to remind myself to do so!

I think I've got about 4 or 5 letters from Cunard in total; I'll have a look tonight - but it'll be late night because I'll be watching that BBC2 thing with the crystal cave in it first...

[cunardqueen]

We kept EVERY letter received and a copy of every response sent from the Department from 1983 until 1999 when we finally decided it was a ridiculous and space consuming thing to do  and then shredded the whole lot!! Sorry! I started to write to Eric in 1986 and continued to do so until he gave me my job in 1994. We married up every letter I had sent and every one one of his responses to me and have kept them in a box here!

Gosh that was the same year l started writing to him before l sailed on QE2,and even more so after l returned, and if it wasnt him then it was Diana Mamato(?) in Pall Mall that got my crazy ramblings of letters. Each and every letter was replied to, (thankyou!!) one l wont forget was when the QE2 was due to be "relaunched" after her refit in 1986/87 and as a 17 year old who had secured a berth on this unique voyage l couldnt get my head round this fact and that to be relaunched wouldnt all the items onboard fall over as she went down the slip way, l did stop short of asking if HM The Queen was renaming her, jees how stupid was l And all credit to him, back came the reply on that well known headed paper with the response that "the relaunch was more of a PR exercise than an actual relaunch" and when l read that in his reply  you have no idea how stupid l felt. Those PR folk really do have  a lot to answer for If l can find the reply (lord knows where it is) l will try and post it here.
 Im sure both Eric and Diana must have thought who is this crazy idiot in the Orkneys ....and is he safe to be let loose onboard.
 
 Did you ever pick out a handful of letters and just see what folk had written, then again if you started that where on earth would you stop, which does beg the question, who are more crazy, the QE2 passengers or the PR department
I rather fear its a  v e r y  fine line between us
       

[Dave Lowing]

Back around 1976-78, QE2 carried the North American Racing Team's Ferraris for the Le Mans 24hr race. They were loaded in New York and placed in the forward hold. Not sure if Luigi Chinetti was a passenger. The cars were unloaded in Cherbourg and transported to Le Mans. I have photos somewhere in my basement of the cars in the hold and on the quayside.

[holynougat]

Yes – deck officers did have the pleasure of looking after cars, although the shore based staff had to drive them into the ship.

Keys were kept on the bridge, and in rough weather they were inspected regularly.

Towards the end only the aft lift was used for cars, they stopped the service once the QM2 took over the regular transatlantic run.

I don't rember any requirment for low levels of fuel to be carried, I think it was much the same regulations as you would find on a car ferry.

[Michael Gallagher]

Cars boarded on Five Deck and were stored on Seven Deck. This lift was just aft of G Stairway.

[Michael Gallagher]

Entry for cars on Four or Five Decks and storage on Eight Deck. Lift between A and B Stairways.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Thank you for these, flagship, as for all the other views you have been uploading! You have done a huge service by capturing all these areas and views over the years...

Were these fore and aft car lifts serving two entirely separate car parking areas, or was there a link between them?

I recall reading about a rotating platform to face the cars in the right direction -- was there one (or more) at each of these two entry points?

[QE2lover]

Yes. We carried a car from Southampton to New York in the 1980s.

[Rob Lightbody]

I would be interested to know when the last car was carried, and whose it was!