Unseen slides of QE2 being built, fitted out, on trials and early years.

[Trevor Harris]

Her original sixties look was so smart and stylish. Love it so much.

[Thomas Hypher]

Hello QE2 fans.

I've just uploaded one of the last batches of slides from the collection.  The dates are unclear.  In some photos it looks like the middle windows of the lookout bar are plated over BUT is it possible its just the door to the hold in the way?

There is a single (or maybe two) window towards port side that also appears plated over in addition to the middle ones, and on closer inspection it doesn't look like the forward hold's hatch cover is blocking the others - in fact it looks as if the port side crane is lifting up the whole hatch cover for some reason - the starboard side crane doing something in the hold itself. Maybe this was during her layup in Southampton whilst the turbine issues were fixed and she was fully completed? I can't think of why some of the Lookout Bar windows would be plated/covered over at this stage unless perhaps the aluminium was already giving trouble around the window edges (as evident elsewhere today) and they hadn't yet got around to patching the corners of the windows - a bit of a long shot I know?

What room is this?

This area looks like the Chart Room behind the Bridge, and specifically where the PA microphone is in that room if I had to guess.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Wonderful photos! We could have a discussion on each of them, each is fascinating in its own right. For a future zoom chat?

[Rod]

Chart room and radio room.

[Lynda Bradford]

Thanks Rob, Excellent photos of an early QE2.


One of the pictures looks like the QE2 radio room.

If Willum or Roger are logged into the forum they may identify the equipment shown in the picture in relation to the room plan below.



 

[Bob C.]

 Which slides are you referring to on the plated over windows in the Lookout Bar?  I don’t see anything unusual in any of the photos.

[Thomas Hypher]

Which slides are you referring to on the plated over windows in the Lookout Bar?  I don’t see anything unusual in any of the photos.

The first slide, alongside at Ocean Terminal.

[Bob C.]

The hatch is not readily evident from the photo but after saving it to my computer and zooming in, I can just make out the top edge of the hatch which is just above the line of the window tops (see photo).  For comparison, I included a few other photos of the open hatch and deck colors in QE2's 1969 configuration.  I found them on a website I've not seen before. Here is the link if interested. 

http://www.modelships.info/debrisfield/resources/qe2_1969_1972.html

[June Ingram]

Great photos ! Many thanks, Rob, for posting them ! They would indeed make a great Zoom topic. I especially like the engine room and bridge photos ! 

[Thomas Hypher]

The hatch is not readily evident from the photo but after saving it to my computer and zooming in, I can just make out the top edge of the hatch which is just above the line of the window tops (see photo).  For comparison, I included a few other photos of the open hatch and deck colors in QE2's 1969 configuration.  I found them on a website I've not seen before. Here is the link if interested. 

http://www.modelships.info/debrisfield/resources/qe2_1969_1972.html

It seems the inside of the hatch cover was repainted from white by the time of that photo alongside in what seems to be Manhattan? Or maybe the hatch cover was lined with some kind of material, insulation or waterproofing?

[Bob C.]

It could be the way the light is reflecting off of it.

[Lynda Bradford]

I really like this photo from the collection of April 1969 pictures.  I asked Richard Smith who had been on the March - April 1969 cruise if he recognised the officer.  He is almost certain it is Mort Hehir, who was Chief Officer on QE2 at the time. 

[Bob C.]

I have to say that I really enjoyed the uniforms of the deck crew and the pride in wearing those uniforms in the early years of QE2 and other merchant marine.  To me, something was missing when that went away to a generic coverall.   

[Rod]

In  the first "what room is this" picture, I think it's the chartroom behind the bridge.