Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
As shown on another thread, I done a number of trips down to Southampton working with car trains in the docks. It`s a great pity that Dover did not retain it`s rail connection, instead of the folly of having to get a bus, or walking from the station to the ferries. It`s an awful joke, typical of the appalling lack of foresight by planner`s either deliberate or otherwise. Regarding the privatisation of the port, I`m not into the politics of all that, but what I will say is from my own personal viewing of the past year. The former Marine station is an absolute disgusting eyesore, which has been left to rust and rot away, typical of many things in this country. It stinks down there, (pee), and this is the 21st century, the future as far as we`re concerned. I put a thread on here showing the pleasantness of much of it, under the title of the Admiralty pier, but left this part alone. I don`t know if the Marine station is in any of the current plans for restoration, but I`m pretty sure there won`t be a rail link. Southampton has a rail link for the car trains, and the occasional Orient Express train goes down there with passengers for the cruise ships, but not ordinary trains as the lines in the dock aren`t electrified. Most passenger`s come down in taxi`s or have a nice long walk, (yes down there as well), to the liners. I did pop some pics on here of that. Anyway, I`ll pop just a few pics on here that I took in 2008, and hopefully show how useful a rail link would be, and a bit of freight. I really could have spent all week on the quayside just photographing the large amount of shipping plying back and forth.
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Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
What a pity this beauty didn`t make it here for a trip. The QE2.
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Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
Cruise liner, exports and rail tourism. The Orient Express is middle left.
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Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
The tugboat `CALSHOT` being restored. Not accessible to the public, but why can`t we look for something to place in the Wellington dock?
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Colin, I think DHB plan to put a coulpe of thousand metres of concrete in the Wellington Dock. Will that do?
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
The VSOE at Southampton terminal. Look hard, no rocket science here, a simple platform, customs clearance building, and the cruise liner the other side. Just a spur line off the mainline at Archcliffe in Dover could bring passengers direct to the ships from all over the country. I often wonder if certain people up top are just frightened that it`s going to be too popular!
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Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
Why don`t they just concrete the lot Sid and I`ll just post picture`s of the former Wellington dock.
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Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
Maybe Dover should be renamed DODOVER, after my new avatar.
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Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
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The preserved CALSHOT again, and behind is another ship unloading and loading imports and exports, cars and other vehicles, a hive of activity.
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Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
Just down from the previous picture, the above shows the quayside where the TITANIC departed from on her fateful voyage in 1912.
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Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
The two tugs set off again for another large ship leaving port.
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Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
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Plenty of container traffic.
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Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
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A car train being emptied at Southampton. Getting carried away here with these pics. Anyway, that`s how I`d like to see the port of Dover, busy, with both lorry and a passenger rail link, together with the chance of some railfreight.
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Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
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Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,036
Colin, you are the expert. How do I post photos on this topic.? I have tried and no luck so far.
Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
Alec
Your photos will need to be on your PC in JPEG format. If they are, click on "Add a photo to this post" in the top right corner of the 'Post A Reply' box and then click on the 'browse' option box. Find the photo you want from your library and then click on 'upload'. You'll get a message saying 'upload succesful' and then all you need to do is copy the code given you and cut and paste into the 'Post A Reply' box. A little long winded, but easy once you get used to it.
True friends stab you in the front.
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
Hi Alec, never the expert, I got PaulB to show me how to do it. Took a little grasping, but got there in the end. Try what Andy says above, but don`t hesitate to come back if you still have problems. We`re here to help.
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Alec Sheldon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,036
Thank you Andy and Colin. Will give it a go now.
Alec Sheldon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,036
Hi Colin, here is a photo of the QE 1 that I took in Southampton in 1955. I wasn't on the Queen Elizabeth but on a Blue Funnel ship in the adjacent dock loading for Australia. I was 21 at the time, happy days.
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in 1955.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Colin! In my representation to the Secratary of State for Transport in Feb 2010, which the Cinque Ports advised me to make in order to present alternative plan to Port privatisation, I also mentioned the carbon emmission theme, which DHB's plans seem to override, as the doubling of freight through lorries over the next 30 years, which is the reason why DHB want to expand the Port and privatise it, would mean doubling carbon emmissions, which I believe would infrange existing British laws. And I proposed re-instating the rail-link to Western Docks and also using rail for freight from and to Western Docks! I received a reply from London stating that my representation has been accepted for further investigation and will be presented with other representations to the Secratary of State for Transport!
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