TS Queen Mary laid up in harbour at Greenock in 1981.

The two funnel Clyde steamer TS Queen Mary was built at the William Denny shipyard at Dumbarton for Williamson-Buchanan. The 871 gross tons steamer was powered by three direct drive steam turbines, and carried 2086 passengers making her the largest (though not the longest) excursion turbine on the River Clyde. TS Queen Mary laid up in harbour at Greenock in 1981, photograph taken by User:Dave souza File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... TS Queen Mary laid up in harbour at Greenock in 1981, photograph taken by User:Dave souza File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... For other uses see Greenock (disambiguation). ... Henry Bells PS Comet started a rapid expansion of steam services on the Firth of Clyde, and within four years a steamer service was in operation on the inland Loch Lomond, a forerunner of the lake steamers that still grace the Swiss lakes. ... William H. P. Denny (born circa 1811) was an American newspaper editor and publisher and politician in Ohio. ... Small shipyard in Klaksvík (Faroe Islands), reparing fishing vessels Dockyards and shipyards are places which repair and build ships. ... Dumbarton (Dùn Breatainn in Scottish Gaelic) is a burgh in Scotland, lying on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. ... Paddle steamers — Lucerne, Switzerland. ... Rituraj-rituraj 07:07, 7 January 2007 (UTC) A rotor of a modern steam turbine, used in a power plant A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into useful mechanical work. ... The River Clyde, looking eastwards upstream, as it passes beneath the Kingston Bridge in Central Glasgow. ...

In service

In 1933 she joined the Williamson-Buchanan fleet, taking over from the first Clyde turbine steamer, the 1901 TS King Edward on the run from Glasgow down the River and Firth of Clyde to Rothesay, Millport and Arran. In 1935 the fleet including Queen Mary passed to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company, and her registered owners became Williamson-Buchanan (1936) Ltd. Also in 1935, Williamson-Buchanan were contacted by the Cunard Company which was getting ready to have its new liner launched by Her Majesty Queen Mary – so Cunard reached agreement with Williamson-Buchanan that the turbine steamer would become TS Queen Mary II, and presented a portrait of Her Majesty to hang in the forward lounge of the Clyde steamer, while their liner became the RMS Queen Mary. Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... Map of the Firth of Clyde and area The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. ... Location within the British Isles The town of Rothesay is the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. ... This article is about the town in Scotland. ... Arran shown within Clyde Coast The Isle of Arran (Scots Gaelic: Eilean Arainn) is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde (430 km²). It is in the unitary council area of North Ayrshire. ... The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS1) was a British railway company. ... Cunard may refer to: Samuel Cunard (1787–1865), British shipping magnate. ... A postcard of SS United States. ... RMS Queen Mary was a Cunard Line (then Cunard White Star Line) ocean liner that sailed the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967. ...

TS Queen Mary II was a roomy and comfortable ship, well suited to the large numbers of passengers on the route, with passenger capacity making up for a modest speed of 19.7 knots on trial. She was a two class ship, with cabin passengers housed forward and the top deck extending aft giving steerage passengers a share of it as well as sheltered space below. Though the rest of the fleet was painted in the LMS livery with yellow funnels, she retained her white funnels and Williamson-Buchanan house-flag until the war.

Wartime and post-war

During WW II she worked on maintaining Clyde services while many other steamers became minesweepers or anti-aircraft vessels. After the war she returned to service in LMS livery with yellow funnels, then post war 1948 nationalisation of the railways brought the steamers under the Caledonian Steam Packet Company (CSP) with the same livery. As traffic increased in the 1950s modifications were made. Over the winter of 1956-1957 the TS Queen Mary II was changed from coal to oil burning, the two funnels were replaced by a single well proportioned funnel and a new mainmast was added so that she now had two masts to meet changed regulations for ship's lights, with her tonnage increasing to 1014. Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom France Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Charles de Gaulle Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... MV Juno (Iùno in Scottish Gaelic) arriving at Gourock on the Dunoon service The Caledonian MacBrayne headquarters building at Gourock pierhead and a visit from MV Caledonian Isles and MV Isle of Mull. ... // Recovering from World War II and its aftermath, the economic miracle emerged in West Germany and Italy. ...

In the 1960s a gradual change in holiday habits and a succession of summers with poor weather led to a decline in Clyde sailings. While other ships were retired, the Queen Mary II was refitted and put on cruises from Gourock to Inveraray, Brodick and Campbeltown. The CSP had been gradually merging with the west highland ferry company MacBraynes, and in 1973 the company became Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd. After a disappointing first season they decided to reduce their fleet, with the paddle steamer PS Waverley being handed to a preservation society, and its routes taken over by the Queen Mary (which lost the "II" as the Cunard liner had now been retired). The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Gourock (Guireag in Scottish Gaelic which means pimple shaped or rounded hill in reference to the many hills surrounding the area,) is a burgh in Inverclyde, Scotland. ... Inveraray is a burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, located on the western shore of Loch Fyne near its head, and on the A83 road. ... Brodick (meaning Broad Bay, the name is derived from Norse roots) is the main village on the Isle of Arran, in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. ... The Royal Burgh of Campbeltown is a burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, located by Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre peninsula. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Caledonian MacBrayne (usually shortened to Cal-Mac) is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries between the mainland of Scotland and all major islands on Scotlands West coast. ... PS Waverley steaming down the Firth of Clyde - additional views at Image:PS Waverley off Brodick castle 1989. ...

Retirement

Waverley survived and prospered, but with the shift to diesel car ferries and cost pressures the TS Queen Mary was retired after a last evening showboa cruise from Largs to Rothesay on 27 September 1978. She was then laid up in the East India Harbour, Greenock. At some time in the 1980s the ship was bought by Bass Leisure Retail and taken south to London to become a floating pub/restaurant. She underwent a £2.5m refurbishment in 1997 and is currently moored at Victoria Embankment. Facilities include a bar, a nightclub, a function room and a larger conference room which can be used for parties or receptions. The top deck of the ship is used as an open air venue with bar facilities. September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... For other uses see Greenock (disambiguation). ... The 1980s refers to the years of 1980 to 1989. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

References

• Clyde Pleasure Steamers - Ian McCrorie, Orr, Pollock & Co. Ltd., Greenock, ISBN 1-869850-00-9
• Queen Mary II information and photographs
• Welcome to T.S. Queen Mary Website