An interesting piece of filmed transport history.

[Ceptic]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37eizC7zW7s&t=4s

[Arun Sharma]

A Bristol Superfreighter aircraft as seen in "Goldfinger". I recall they flew out of Southend Airport once upon a time.

Didn't Airfix do a kit of one once?

Edited December 8, 2017 by ted675

[Coppercap]

A Bristol Superfreighter aircraft as seen in "Goldfinger". I recall they flew out of Southend Airport once upon a time.

Didn't Airfix do a kit of one once?

There was a Superfreighter in one shot, but the featured aircraft was an Aviation Traders Carvair (conversion from Douglas DC4). Edited December 10, 2017 by Coppercap

[BernardTPM]

Didn't Airfix do a kit of one once?

Yes.

[Grampus]

Great footage. I also liked the DUKWs driving into the water at speed in the opening frames. Looked like fun.

[rab]

Great footage. I also liked the DUKWs driving into the water at speed in the opening frames. Looked like fun.

A real bit of nostalgia, all those Ford Anglias and Minis.

Particularly liked the idea for the roll on,roll off ferry,

turn the whole deck 180 deg,

[cctransuk]

Great footage. I also liked the DUKWs driving into the water at speed in the opening frames. Looked like fun.

 

Talking of DUKWs, the monks on Caldy Island had one in the 1950s / 60s, for ferrying provisions to and from Tenby, Pembrokeshire.

 

We used to have our holiday accommodation overlooking Tenby harbour, and the sight of a DUKW emerging from sea within the harbour, and a couple of monks in their habits disembarking, was a surreal sight.

 

Shades of 'The Prisoner' !!

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[Pacific231G]

Wonderful stuff. I was trying to count how many of these services I've actually travelled on.

 

Certainly not the Air Ferry but I do remember us using the Balachulish ferry as well as the Queensferry crossing of the Forth on family holidays to Scotland. We did just once run to using the overnight Motorail to Perth from I think Sutton Coldfield but in another year money must have been tighter as we took the non-sleeper super cheap Starlight Special from London to Edinburgh-very little sleep on that train - and apart from a few days in Edinburgh for the Tattoo had a hire car in Scotland- .

 

There was one car ferry we used in Scotland that had a turntable built into the deck near the side loading ramp but it was much smaller than the one shown here; a ferry boat rather than a ferry ship.

 

On a primary school trip to Blankenberge in Belgium in about 1961I did get to go on a DUKW that ran trips from the seafriont down the beach and into the sea for a short run before returnng up the beach. I saw that DUKW again fairly recently at the start of the 1962 Movie Les Petits Matins (Eng. lang version Hitch Hike or Girl on the Road) a comedy "road movie" about eighteen year old Agathe fed up with the summer rain in her native Blankenberge  so headng for the Cote d'Azur. The DUKW entered the water rather more sedately than those in Look at Life.

Edited December 8, 2017 by Pacific231G

[Scottish Modeller]

Wonderful stuff. There was one car ferry we used in Scotland that had a turntable built into the deck near the side loading but it was much smaller than the one shown here; a ferry boat rather than a ferry ship. 

Hi Pacific,

 

If that's the one I am thinking of it's the Glenelg ferry over to Skye.

 

The turntable ferry is still in use - it's the last in the UK.

 

I've lost count of the number of times I/we used it.

 

It always seemed to have at least one vehicle each trip with a puncture from either getting on or off it.

 

Thanks

[BernardTPM]

Also at the start, the old and new Woolwich ferries in use alongside each other. I remember them both - just about. We usually went downstairs on the old ferry to see the steam engines working.The new ferries here are using the old loading facilities hence the side loading doors provided for it that were later welded shut. I believe that are soon to be replaced by foreign built boats - BOOOH.

[Ray M]

And a little bit of DP2 in action at 4-10

[ejstubbs]

Nice little film.  Was that a Bugatti queueing for the cross-channel ferry at about 6:24?

 

There was one car ferry we used in Scotland that had a turntable built into the deck near the side loading ramp but it was much smaller than the one shown here; a ferry boat rather than a ferry ship.

 

The ferry in the film was the Ballachulish ferry, and the narrator did say that it only carried six cars.  The Glenelg ferry is called Glenachulish and was originally built for the Ballachuilish service in 1969, so is of a rather later date than the film.  When the Ballachulish bridge opened in 1975 the Glenachulish apparently acted as a relief vessel for some other highland ferry services*, before ending up on the Kylerhea-Glenelg run.  I think it's basically the same design as the one in the film, though, and only takes six cars at a time.  Plus the dog, which sometimes does a rather better job of organising the cars and passengers then the human crew!  Kylereah and Glenelg are good locations for spotting dolphins, seals and sea eagles, primarily when the tide is running (which it does quite strongly, especially on spring tides).  There's also an otter sanctuary at Kylerhea, with a viewing hide (though all we saw last time we were there was seals!)

 

* Including the Kylesku ferry, which at one time only had capacity for two cars before it was upgraded in 1967 - perhaps that's the one you were thinking of?

[Pacific231G]

Nice little film.  Was that a Bugatti queueing for the cross-channel ferry at about 6:24?

 

 

The ferry in the film was the Ballachulish ferry, and the narrator did say that it only carried six cars.  The Glenelg ferry is called Glenachulish and was originally built for the Ballachuilish service in 1969, so is of a rather later date than the film.  When the Ballachulish bridge opened in 1975 the Glenachulish apparently acted as a relief vessel for some other highland ferry services*, before ending up on the Kylerhea-Glenelg run.  I think it's basically the same design as the one in the film, though, and only takes six cars at a time.  Plus the dog, which sometimes does a rather better job of organising the cars and passengers then the human crew!  Kylereah and Glenelg are good locations for spotting dolphins, seals and sea eagles, primarily when the tide is running (which it does quite strongly, especially on spring tides).  There's also an otter sanctuary at Kylerhea, with a viewing hide (though all we saw last time we were there was seals!)

 

* Including the Kylesku ferry, which at one time only had capacity for two cars before it was upgraded in 1967 - perhaps that's the one you were thinking of?

We did use the Balachulish ferry possibly more than once as well as the Gleneig Ferry to get to Skye and I certainly remember the whole car deck swinging round but it was another rather larger one which had a turning plate built into the deck that I was trying to locate. If memory serves you drove onto the ferry's deck via a side ramp and were then turned (manually I think) on the turning plate to access the "parking" area, similar to what you find in some very small office car parks in London. I think the side loading ferrry in Look at Life is one of the hoist loading ships that didn't need a conventional RoRo link span but, unless my memory is palying tricks, the one I remember was a lot smaller than these though larger than the Ballachulish or Gleneig boats. 

[pH]

We did use the Balachulish ferry possibly more than once as well as the Gleneig Ferry to get to Skye and I certainly remember the whole car deck swinging round but it was another rather larger one which had a turning plate built into the deck that I was trying to locate. If memory serves you drove onto the ferry's deck via a side ramp and were then turned (manually I think) on the turning plate to access the "parking" area, similar to what you find in some very small office car parks in London. I think the side loading ferrry in Look at Life is one of the hoist loading ships that didn't need a conventional RoRo link span but, unless my memory is palying tricks, the one I remember was a lot smaller than these though larger than the Ballachulish or Gleneig boats.

 

Perhaps the "ABC" ferries on the Clyde? Here's a description of the 'Arran' - 'Bute' and 'Cowal' were the same: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Arran

[Lady_Ava_Hay]

There is one Bristol Superfreighter left in Canada I believe. It was a taildragger and was very slow with a very poor climb rate when loaded. Indeed the ones from Lympne rarely gained much height on the way to Le Touquet. They were restricted in airframe hours by the number of landing they made as irreparable damage to the main spar was their Achilles Hell.

 

No Carvairs survive but I do recall them at Southend on the very early 60's.

[kevinlms]

A Bristol Superfreighter aircraft as seen in "Goldfinger". I recall they flew out of Southend Airport once upon a time.

Didn't Airfix do a kit of one once?

The shot of cars being loaded via the scissor hoist, has 'South' painted on the RHS of the view, so presumably is Southend.

 

The hoist operator is very smart with the controls for lowering & raising. A slight error in timing and could result in damage to the cars or planes.

[Edwin_m]

Talking of DUKWs, the monks on Caldy Island had one in the 1950s / 60s, for ferrying provisions to and from Tenby, Pembrokeshire.

 

We used to have our holiday accommodation overlooking Tenby harbour, and the sight of a DUKW emerging from sea within the harbour, and a couple of monks in their habits disembarking, was a surreal sight.

 

Shades of 'The Prisoner' !!

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

Visited Caldy in 2013 and there was a DUKW in use to transfer the visitors between the jetty and the ferry at low tide.  It appeared to be only operating in wheeled mode, not deep enough to float off. 

[Joseph_Pestell]

Super bit of film. Lots of interesting cars.

[duncan]

David, you might be thinking of the Columba or sister ship.  Well remember her on the outer isles run from Oban, reversing on to the cross-ship hoist, with only a rope to stop you falling off the hoist if you failed to follow the crews' instructions.     http://www.shipsofcalmac.co.uk/h_columba.asp

[Pacific231G]

David, you might be thinking of the Columba or sister ship.  Well remember her on the outer isles run from Oban, reversing on to the cross-ship hoist, with only a rope to stop you falling off the hoist if you failed to follow the crews' instructions.     http://www.shipsofcalmac.co.uk/h_columba.asp

Thanks Duncan. It's possible my memory is playing tricks and it wasn't in Scotland at all but the turntable built into the deck did make a strong impression on me and a different one than than the entire deck rotating which I very clearly remember from Ballaculish and Gleneig. I think a hoist-loading ferry would have made an even stronger impression and I don't remember ever seeing one, at least not with the hoist in action, but did any of them actually have such a turning plate to access the garaging area?

The Corran ferry is about the right size. Though the current ferries have fairly long angled side loading ramps with enough room for vehicles to steer onto main deck  I wonder what sort of vessels were operating this service in the late fifties or early sixties 

Edited December 10, 2017 by Pacific231G

[Bon Accord]

Thanks Duncan. It's possible my memory is playing tricks and it wasn't in Scotland at all but the turntable built into the deck did make a strong impression on me and a different one than than the entire deck rotating which I very clearly remember from Ballaculish and Gleneig. I think a hoist-loading ferry would have made an even stronger impression and I don't remember ever seeing one, at least not with the hoist in action, but did any of them actually have such a turning plate to access the garaging area?

The Corran ferry is about the right size. Though the current ferries have fairly long angled side loading ramps with enough room for vehicles to steer onto main deck  I wonder what sort of vessels were operating this service in the late fifties or early sixties 

 

All the hoist loading MacBrayne's ships had turntables built into the decks, indeed there are still two in the current Calmac fleet still fitted with hoists and have those same turntables - LORD OF THE ISLES and HEBRIDEAN ISLES. They haven't been used in over two decades as the two ships concerned have bow/stern ramps but when they were built some of the piers they called at didn't have a linkspan, hence the installation of hoists.

As mentioned earlier, there were three ships built in the early 60s which had side ramps/hoists and turntable - CLANSMAN, COLUMBA and HEBRIDES. only COLUMBA is still with us, having been converted on withdrawal from Calmac service into a luxury cruise ship which still plies the west coast of Scotland in the summer months.

Two Youtube videos may be of interest, both of the HEBRIDES (built 1964). The first concerns her entry into service and the other her very last sailing in 1985 - she was a victim of her own success and she had to make way for the larger HEBRIDEAN ISLES. Both well worth a watch.

 

1964:

1985:

 

The latter film is in the mother tongue (Gaelic), but the footage is worth a look all the same.

[pH]

Thanks Duncan. It's possible my memory is playing tricks and it wasn't in Scotland at all but the turntable built into the deck did make a strong impression on me and a different one than than the entire deck rotating which I very clearly remember from Ballaculish and Gleneig. I think a hoist-loading ferry would have made an even stronger impression and I don't remember ever seeing one, at least not with the hoist in action, but did any of them actually have such a turning plate to access the garaging area?

 

I'd suggest again the 'ABC' ferries on the Clyde that I referred to in post#14 above. They were put into service in the 1950s as hoist ferries with turntables in the decks to get vehicles into the garage areas. The only video I can find is about 5 seconds around 9:40 in this - https://youtu.be/oHii66fOzNQ (The rest of the video is IMO very interesting as well - just mute the commentary and don't try to make any sense of the routes being sailed.) Edited December 11, 2017 by pH

[duncan]

Lovely Bon Accord, I had forgotten the joys of sharing the hoist with sheep (about 2.40)   

Edited December 11, 2017 by duncan

[Pacific231G]

I'd suggest again the 'ABC' ferries on the Clyde that I referred to in post#14 above. They were put into service in the 1950s as hoist ferries with turntables in the decks to get vehicles into the garage areas. The only video I can find is about 5 seconds around 9:40 in this - https://youtu.be/oHii66fOzNQ (The rest of the video is IMO very interesting as well - just mute the commentary and don't try to make any sense of the routes being sailed.)

Thanks PH and some lovely shots especially in the Bernard Braden film. I can get just as nostalgic about steamships as steam  railways, (anyone else remember the P&A Campbell paddlers in the Bristol Channel)  

I'm not sure if it was one of those ferries but it may have been and in any case it does show that such things existed so I'm not losing my marbles.It'll probably turn out to be some completely unexpected ferry. 

Edited December 11, 2017 by Pacific231G

[Ceptic]

Talking of DUKWs, the monks on Caldy Island had one in the 1950s / 60s, for ferrying provisions to and from Tenby, Pembrokeshire.

 

We used to have our holiday accommodation overlooking Tenby harbour, and the sight of a DUKW emerging from sea within the harbour, and a couple of monks in their habits disembarking, was a surreal sight.

 

Shades of 'The Prisoner' !!

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

 

My Pa often talked of the DUKW being the 'chosen' transport ashore, during D-Day, as opposed to landing craft of various types, even the D-D Type Sherman.