Empress of Canada III
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Empress of Canda 111
Good Day Guys,
Yes" The Empress of Canada" was by far the nicest looking ship in the CPR liner group. She had that higher deck which gave her a more balanced look. The" England " was too low in profile and could have done with that exra deck to give her the same balance.
Neil Mac.
Good Day Guys,
Yes" The Empress of Canada" was by far the nicest looking ship in the CPR liner group. She had that higher deck which gave her a more balanced look. The" England " was too low in profile and could have done with that exra deck to give her the same balance.
Neil Mac.
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Howard Dean.
I served on the Canada at the same time as your good self, can you recall the name of the third mate, I believe first name Georgew but my memory can not go any further. We became friends even though it was Oil and Water.
Howard. Snr Fifth Eng.
Hi Andy,
I served on the Canada at the same time as your good self, can you recall the name of the third mate, I believe first name Georgew but my memory can not go any further. We became friends even though it was Oil and Water.
Howard. Snr Fifth Eng.
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14,250 Posts
The bosun on her was Martin Quinn, who kept her smart and shipshape, but took no prisoners.
Pat(Smoke)
Pat(Smoke)
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I didn't ever get to know the bosun but as the ship was always immaculate I can believe all you say.
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14,250 Posts
He was very well known in Liverpool, and handy with his fists. I sailed with him on the Empress of Britain. Most of the deck crowd preferred not to be noticed by Martin.
Pat(Thumb)
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3,065 Posts
We used to see her on her regular run to the New World along with the Empress of Britain, Empress of England, Cunard's Carinthia and Saxonia departing Tail of the Bank and sailing down the Clyde against the magical backdrop of Arran. We also watched the two Kungsholms, Centaur (predecessor to QE2 on the John Brown slipway) the QE2 and the Canberra doing trials. All majestic, beautiful sea going ships. Happy days.
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14,250 Posts
Terry,
I never had a problem with Martin, but if you did cross him, life wasn't worth living.
Did you hear the story about him and the boxer, Wally Thom?
regards,
Pat(Thumb)
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258 Posts
Come on Pat, appetite well wetted Martin Quinn V Wally Thom. John Richards.
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14,250 Posts
Well, the story goes, and I must stress it is only hearsay, but heard many times over the years, that Wally Thom when he retired from the ring after being British and European welterweight champion, was hired by CPR to work on the Empress of Canada as a gym instructer.
It seems that he and the bosun did not get on, and eventually, Martin challenged Wally to a bout in the ring. The fight took place in the gym, with gloves etc and Wally won.
However, Martin Quinn was not someone to take defeat lying down, and the story has it that he ambushed Wally Thom on the railroad tracks in Montreal and beat him up badly with a pickaxe handle.
It is, as I say, only a story, but I've heard it from many different people over the years. Sometimes the boxer involved is Les MacAteer, another Birkenhead boxing champion.
Who knows? but its a good story, and very believable to anyone who knew Martin Quinn.
Pat(Thumb)
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1,123 Posts
Empress of Canada
Way back in the 50's I remeber as a school boy seeing the Empress of Canada lying on her side in Gladsone Dock as we rode on the Mersey Overhead Electric Railway, afeer she had caught fire, and they then had pumped too much water in her tops sides to extiguish the fire in the accommodation, so she became unstable, and tipped over.
Way back in the 50's I remeber as a school boy seeing the Empress of Canada lying on her side in Gladsone Dock as we rode on the Mersey Overhead Electric Railway, afeer she had caught fire, and they then had pumped too much water in her tops sides to extiguish the fire in the accommodation, so she became unstable, and tipped over.
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21 Posts
You are of course quite correct, the Empress of Canada did fall over in Gladstone dock following a fire which started in a linen cupboard I believe. The Empress of Canada this link refers to is the third (and best) ship to carry the name. I too was not much more than ten years old when the E of C number two was destroyed in Liverpool.
Wasn't the overhead railway wonderful, I traveled on it regularly for a year when I was employed in the offices of Grayson Rollo and Clover Docks Ltd, from the offices I went into the engine shop and then into the yard working on ships from tug boats to tankers.
Wasn't the overhead railway wonderful, I traveled on it regularly for a year when I was employed in the offices of Grayson Rollo and Clover Docks Ltd, from the offices I went into the engine shop and then into the yard working on ships from tug boats to tankers.
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14,250 Posts
You will no doubt remember the 50ton crane at No 1 dock in Clovers Howard. I was the driver of it in the 1970's,(it was Western Shiprepairers by then) right up until the yard closed in 1979. Best job I ever had. Also, my brother Jimmy was a chargehand fitter there at the same time, he was an ex Blue Flue engineer.
regards,
Pat (Thumb)
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21 Posts
"Empress of Canada !!!"
Andy,
Do you remember the Staff Captain who served aboard in the early 60's? I was working as refrigeration engineer and part of my duties were to visit cabins if complaints were made about air conditioning.
I was once in a cabin when the Staff Captain burst in and said I was not allowed there, he told the young lady who was occupying the cabin that she was no better than she should be. I left and was called to the bridge to give me version of the event, it would seem the lady in question was the daughter of a Senator and she was attempting to have a radiogram sent to her father. In the end we smoothed things out but I'll bet it was the last time the Staff Captain made that mistake.
Andy,
Do you remember the Staff Captain who served aboard in the early 60's? I was working as refrigeration engineer and part of my duties were to visit cabins if complaints were made about air conditioning.
I was once in a cabin when the Staff Captain burst in and said I was not allowed there, he told the young lady who was occupying the cabin that she was no better than she should be. I left and was called to the bridge to give me version of the event, it would seem the lady in question was the daughter of a Senator and she was attempting to have a radiogram sent to her father. In the end we smoothed things out but I'll bet it was the last time the Staff Captain made that mistake.
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2,927 Posts
I understand that after the Empress of Canada was declared a CTL by the insurers, and the vessel's removal, the Mersey Harbour Board quickly changed the byelaw which had declared all wrecks in the district were their property. As after finding out the high costs of removing the wreck the vessel's insurers simply quoted the byelaw and informed MHB the wreck was their property. The costs of removal being greater than the scrap value.
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358 Posts
Didn't she end up being either the CARNIVALE or MARDI GRAS when Carnival Cruise Line started up??
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