[Blackal]

Originally Posted by Angus Murray

Google Port Talbot Swansea docks,which should give access to some nostalgic pics of the old PT docks and Margam wharf. Shows Morar,Gleddoch and Orelia discharging. Also various other vessels at lay-bys. Try Home page in site, thence Slide Show - Margam wharf (PDF file).
Maybe someone has already posted this one, if so-apologies!

Angus

I still remember, when sailing with my father on the Gleddoch - transferring from launch to the ship in Narvik - via a rigid wooden ladder, held away from the hull at the bottom - by an empty 45gal oil-drum lashed to the ladder.
I didn't climb the ladder (I was 8 yrs old and had the build of a porridge-spirtle) - the bosun gave me a piggy-back!

I can still remember the vision of the Lofoten Islands from then (1965)

Happy days!

Al

[shieldrow]

Pepel, The phoenix rises from the ashes.

For many of us that visited Pepel Sierra Leonne in the fifties, sixties and earlier might be interested in this post!

After visiting Pepel on numerous occasions on Huntings River Afton and Dalhanna, plus one trip on the Lindisfarne I was interested to find out the old port has re-opened for business.

A little history first. The Iron ore deposits at Marampa in Sierra Leone were first mined in 1933 with shipments starting in September of that year by a company called Delco, this company was later to be controlled by William Baird Mining and others.
To ship the product the company built a port on the Rokel River (upstream from Freetown) at Pepel.
The first loading point at Pepel was a jetty with a fixed conveyor (old jetty) later in the early sixties a new loading jetty was constructed by Taylor Woodrow consisting of two loading conveyors with luffing and slewing capabilities. To connect the port to the mine a 74km 3ft 6in railway was constructed.
However by early 1975 Delco was in trouble, leading to the mine closing.
A brief attempt to restart was tried in 1983 but failed.
When I visited Marampa in 1980 while working in SL I found the mine a mess with most of the plant vandalised and never thought I would see the day it was re-opened.
Now however a company called African Minerals has developed a new orebody at Tonkolili about a further 126km east of Marampa. This new company has reinstated the old 74km Pepel-Marampa railway and constructed a further 126km of new track.
At Pepel the shiploader has been refurbished and the first shipment of ore (about 40kt) has been shipped to China.
The phase one plan is to load transhipment vessels/barges at Pepel and transload into Capesize vessels in Freetown Harbour.
The company on their website have a video showing the operation and the loading of the first vessel at Pepel.

[Erimus]

Originally Posted by Blackal

I still remember, when sailing with my father on the Gleddoch - transferring from launch to the ship in Narvik - via a rigid wooden ladder, held away from the hull at the bottom - by an empty 45gal oil-drum lashed to the ladder.
I didn't climb the ladder (I was 8 yrs old and had the build of a porridge-spirtle) - the bosun gave me a piggy-back!

I can still remember the vision of the Lofoten Islands from then (1965)

Happy days!

Al

Well this thread brings back memories.......Narvik.

As the then Ship Scheduling Controller for British Steel I spent my first wedding anniversary(1972) on the Livanita ( JJ Ugland) from Tyne to Narvik, in the owners suite, force 5 to start then up to 9 until the Lofoten Islands.... we were both somewhat unwell at time and arranged to go ashore on the Sunday morning in Narvik.....My wife went down the ladder first and neither of us realised that there was about 12ft between the bottom and a very small smelly boat...anyway we jumped and the smell was awful...landing in Narvik we went for a wander and all the shops,bus stations etc were closed.

As Livanita wasn't berthing till afternoon I went on the scrounge and called onboard another of 'my' ships, the Dalhanna (was Mungo Campbell by then Huntings)...spying a scruffy man on deck I asked for the Captains cabin.....'who wants him?'...so I told him...... Ah he said I have been waiting to meet the man that only sends us to Seven Islands or Murmansk and never down the African Coast!!

That was the Captain and on a promise of a warm trip next time we were given a Roast Chicken dinner..

geoff

[chadburn]

You missed a treat at Narvik namely their War Museum (in aid of the Red Cross), the equipment on show in those days was not "nailed down" or behind glass and you were not banned from touching it (with or without gloves) as long as you put it back!!
Market tomorrow, Barkers for tea and fancies.

[Erimus]

Originally Posted by chadburn

You missed a treat at Narvik namely their War Museum (in aid of the Red Cross), the equipment on show in those days was not "nailed down" or behind glass and you were not banned from touching it (with or without gloves) as long as you put it back!!
Market tomorrow, Barkers for tea and fancies.

...and I mean nowhere was open..not even the churches! We did get to admire lots of window boxes with begonias in...How did they get so large we asked 'Midnight Sun' was the reply...

Barkers for tea & fancies..not my scene.....Garthway Sandwich Bar for bacon butties.

geoff

[Erimus]

Originally Posted by shieldrow

Pepel, The phoenix rises from the ashes.

For many of us that visited Pepel Sierra Leonne in the fifties, sixties and earlier might be interested in this post!

After visiting Pepel on numerous occasions on Huntings River Afton and Dalhanna, plus one trip on the Lindisfarne I was interested to find out the old port has re-opened for business.

A little history first. The Iron ore deposits at Marampa in Sierra Leone were first mined in 1933 with shipments starting in September of that year by a company called Delco, this company was later to be controlled by William Baird Mining and others.
To ship the product the company built a port on the Rokel River (upstream from Freetown) at Pepel.
The first loading point at Pepel was a jetty with a fixed conveyor (old jetty) later in the early sixties a new loading jetty was constructed by Taylor Woodrow consisting of two loading conveyors with luffing and slewing capabilities. To connect the port to the mine a 74km 3ft 6in railway was constructed.
However by early 1975 Delco was in trouble, leading to the mine closing.
A brief attempt to restart was tried in 1983 but failed.
When I visited Marampa in 1980 while working in SL I found the mine a mess with most of the plant vandalised and never thought I would see the day it was re-opened.
Now however a company called African Minerals has developed a new orebody at Tonkolili about a further 126km east of Marampa. This new company has reinstated the old 74km Pepel-Marampa railway and constructed a further 126km of new track.
At Pepel the shiploader has been refurbished and the first shipment of ore (about 40kt) has been shipped to China.
The phase one plan is to load transhipment vessels/barges at Pepel and transload into Capesize vessels in Freetown Harbour.
The company on their website have a video showing the operation and the loading of the first vessel at Pepel.

Thanks for this...always wondered what happened to Pepel as in my early days we loaded there for Gjers Mills Ayresome Wharf in Middlesbrough and almost nowhere else later for mainly South Wales. The London Agents for Wm Baird were Fergusson Wild in St.Helens Place, off Bishopsgate, which was a couple of doors from our BISC(ore)Ltd offices...

Although the port was in warmer climes it was not popular with the ships as there was generally a 'no shore leave' ban......we did have some Chinese crew who did 'go ashore' and who had to repatriated on arrival in the Tees....and the only photos I ever saw of the place were of huge trenches to take away the rainfall.....

geoff

p.s. Can you remember who the Master was on Lindisfarne please?.

[John Cassels]

Loaded at Pepel end '63 on the Crinan for Middlesborough , but thought it
was Cargo fleet ? . or has the memory finally gone >

[Erimus]

Originally Posted by John Cassels

Loaded at Pepel end '63 on the Crinan for Middlesborough , but thought it
was Cargo fleet ? . or has the memory finally gone >

In 1963 you were possibly correct as they could make more money out of sl&g at that time than steel.....Gjers Mills closed in 1966....

geoff

[chadburn]

Your cargo would be for Cargo Fleet Iron and Steelwork's, the Jetty was just up river from Smith's on the same side, they also exported sl&g usually in smaller vessel's like the Gertrude and Otrude Mueller. Lackenby Wharf which most will remember was just downriver from Smiths.

[Erimus]

Originally Posted by chadburn

Your cargo would be for Cargo Fleet Iron and Steelwork's, the Jetty was just up river from Smith's on the same side, they also exported sl&g usually in smaller vessel's like the Gertrude and Otrude Mueller. Lackenby Wharf which most will remember was just downriver from Smiths.

Yes the Ottomueller vessels kept the Tees almost as their home port for years.....when I was with Constantines we had them running potash from Wismar & Antwerp all the time ( we handled 700 ships a year through that office).......Lackenby Wharf eventually turned into Lackenby Dock where the first vessels to use it were Silvercrag and, I think, Sheaf Field where we had them in partial lay-up during the depression about 1962/63 ...Lackenby Dock became,as you will know, Tees Dock...
geoff

[chadburn]

The Mueller's, the Tholstrups and the Breore's were very popular with one particular Tug, it's Skipper and his Mate who was a sly old Fox. Do you remember the incident? it was around 1958.

[shieldrow]

Erimus

Regarding the Lindisfarne the Master was Dodson or possible Robson and the Chief Engineer was Bill Collins, we brought a couple of cargoes into the Tees, one from Port Etienne for Cargo Fleet, then in ballast to the Tyne for drydock (middle dock) and later in early August 1968 Seven Islands to Eston jetty on the Tees where I payed off prior to shore leave with intent to join the Sheaf Mount for trading between Australia and Japan. But personal problems changed these plans and went to Africa instead.

[Erimus]

Originally Posted by chadburn

The Mueller's, the Tholstrups and the Breore's were very popular with one particular Tug, it's Skipper and his Mate who was a sly old Fox. Do you remember the incident? it was around 1958.

No, remind me please........? I did start on the Tees in 1958 but we saw plenty of the Ortrud & Gretchen Mueller but we didn't handle Gbr.Breore vessels.....Tholstrups I remember well but didn't do much with them till a lot later...

geoff

[Erimus]

Originally Posted by shieldrow

Erimus

Regarding the Lindisfarne the Master was Dodson or possible Robson and the Chief Engineer was Bill Collins, we brought a couple of cargoes into the Tees, one from Port Etienne for Cargo Fleet, then in ballast to the Tyne for drydock (middle dock) and later in early August 1968 Seven Islands to Eston jetty on the Tees where I payed off prior to shore leave with intent to join the Sheaf Mount for trading between Australia and Japan. But personal problems changed these plans and went to Africa instead.

There was a Captain Robson at one time...George I think....


geoff

[chadburn]

Originally Posted by Erimus

No, remind me please........? I did start on the Tees in 1958 but we saw plenty of the Ortrud & Gretchen Mueller but we didn't handle Gbr.Breore vessels.....Tholstrups I remember well but didn't do much with them till a lot later...

geoff

As the subject is off Piste a little and "to protect the innocent" (where have I heard that before) I will pm you. Regard's

[Erimus]

Originally Posted by chadburn

As the subject is off Piste a little and "to protect the innocent" (where have I heard that before) I will pm you. Regard's

NO PM recewived yet???

geoff

[chadburn]

Originally Posted by Erimus

NO PM recewived yet???

geoff

It is now

[Spurling Pipe]

Nouhadibou (Port Etienne) ring any bells. Charming place.

[Shipbuilder]

Yes - Port Etienne - I had my 21st birthday there aboard Sagamore Ship next to us was Silversand and R/O there was having his 21st as well!
Bob

[Erimus]

I was in the,then, Port Etienne in 1968 in a sandstorm as part of a steel industry party visiting what was then the Miferma Mines...later called Tazadit & F'derik...I thought the town itself quite fascinating but then I had not been to any Arab towns at the time....

En route we were told to buy a couple of bottles of Scotch ( JW Black Label) as gifts for the European Mining engineers..mainly French & Russian....when customs checked our bags at Fort Gourard they carefully removed one bottle each!

geoff

[Spurling Pipe]

Interesting! I was in Silversand. What date Bob?

Tazadit.....memories

[trotterdotpom]

Geoff, that sand storm was still going in 1970 when I was on Dunkyle. I suspect it still is.

John T

[Erimus]

Originally Posted by trotterdotpom

Geoff, that sand storm was still going in 1970 when I was on Dunkyle. I suspect it still is.

John T

We were there a week and apart from the day we landed it apparently was clear...we were flown over the coast and shown the moving sand dunes which could jump about 50yds a night....

geoff

[John Cassels]

Originally Posted by trotterdotpom

Geoff, that sand storm was still going in 1970 when I was on Dunkyle. I suspect it still is.

John T

Ah John , the Dunkyle , tears fill my eyes , thankfully was never
at NoddieDoddy on her.

[Erimus]

Originally Posted by John Cassels

Ah John , the Dunkyle , tears fill my eyes , thankfully was never
at NoddieDoddy on her.

One of the first full pay-offs I did was on the Dunkyle at Ichaboe Buoys on the Tees....started well as the ferry boat broke down and we went past the buoys for half a mile...not unusual with that boat..

Because of the timing of the pay-off we missed lunch but were told that we would have a special Scottish Afternoon Tea.......Smoked Haddock...great we all ordered it..Just as the man from The Federation was taking a bite another ship was anchored alongside, thump,causing the haddock to hit deck.....did it flake No. did it collapse again No...did it get eaten...No again...it was still in one piece as all of ours were....So the man from the Union went to the Galley and 15minutes later a splendid curry appeared...we didn't get anything to wash it down with...not until we called at the Baltic on the way home!

geoff