Ghost Ship

TSS The Duke of Lancaster is a railway steamer passenger ship that operated in Europe from 1956 to 1979, during the later periods of her working life she was sadly converted in to a car ferry but prior to this she was one of the finest vessels afloat at the time. She was amongst the last passenger-only steamers built for British Railways (at that time, also a ferry operator)

She is currently beached near Mostyn Docks, on the River Dee, north-east Wales. She arrived at this home at Llanerch-y-Mor, near Mostyn, on 10 August 1979, where she remains to this day, sadly becoming ever more derelict. The rumors are that she is soon to be scrapped.

I’m pretty sure I took this photo in 2011, I have put the photo through post processing to make the most of her natural decay and to get the “Ghost Ship” look I was wanting. Having said that, she really doesn’t look the most inviting vessel without these added dramatics.


Specifications:

Type – Turbine Steam Ship

Tonnage - 4,450 gross tonnage

Length - 114.63 m (376 ft 1 in)

Beam - 17.46 m (57 ft 3 in)

Draught - 4.54 m (14 ft 11 in)

Installed
power - 2 x Parmetrada steam turbines

Speed - 21 knots

Capacity - 1800 passengers

A haunting image for sure, there is something about derelict ships that's very moving, I think it's that they will have touched so many peoples lives and memories.

A fantastic image and subject.