The QE2's Funnel

[highlander0108]

Let's just say we're all thrifty, wise, and prudent! 

[Malcolm]

Now Ken are you saying that all Scotsmen are tight

Let's just say we're all thrifty, wise, and prudent! 

Is that what  Myles meant by "tight"? I thought it was something to do with kilts on cold winter nights!

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

The old funnel was modified to allow for the 9 diesel exhaust pipes - it is simply a matter of functionality. The funnel they had wasn't wide enough, so they modified it. If you inspected the funnel you could quite easily see what panels were taken from the original.

Once you had observed the funnel by the slanting light of evening, and had a good look at the panels, the wrinkles became much more obvious, at least to me. The side panels were very clearly wrinkled, while the panels in the most conspicuous location, i.e. those see from the Sun Deck, were straight and new. The old panels, being made for the thinner funnel, could not stretch all the way round...

I loved the fact that QE2 still carried her history of the old funnel, even after the re-engining! It seemed like a mark of respect for her life story...

This photo shows the contrast nicely :

https://www.flickr.com/photos/prondis_in_kenya/2866327203/

[highlander0108]

Here's another shot to illustrate the newer center "stretched" portion of the funnel.

[highlander0108]

A night shot taken at sailaway at Newcastle, October 8, 2008.  

[cunardqueen]

Not a bump in sight here

However from this angle

** OLD DEAD LINK REMOVED **

[Twynkle]

Great Funnel!

Please could one of you learned people identify what that funny little thing is?
It's attached to the  funnel's right hand side, top of the red bit,
in the first of Myles 2 grand photos?


And back to the question of the colour of the red paint -
Myles, I wonder -  were those pics taken at roughly the same time?

Orange-ish paint on a blue sky day - and red on a cloudy one.... 

[highlander0108]

I do believe that is a navigation light on the side above the red. 

Ken

[Twynkle]

Thank you!

Yet...would there be one (a nav light) there in every photo, and one on each side?
I wondered whether it could be a cctv lens?
Bit puzzling....

[highlander0108]

I am now puzzled, having gone back and looked at other photos in my vast coillection.    Every stunning picture with running lights on shows just the forward white light on the funnel, with nothing on the sides.  Perhaps this is a special running light.  I even looked at my photos of Queensferry, where she was at anchor, and a forward bow light on the bow horn assembly was lit, but nothing on the funnel.  This might have to be answered by someone more familiar with large ship navigation lights.

[Bob C.]

It looks like a ceramic high voltage insulator.  Does anyone know if there was an HF antenna attached to the funnel after the '87 refit?  It could explain what the object is (there is one on the opposite side as well) as it may have been left in place after the onboard communication technology upgrades no longer required the antenna.

Here is a photo of the HF antennae strung about on the original funnel in 1969.

[cunardqueen]

Yes those pics were taken roughly within a few minutes of each other
It does look like a naivigation light, But then again what is the other bit sticking out at the top on the left hand side of the same photo, Might it be the ropes were attached  here  when it was lifted into place ?

[Malcolm]

I wondered if it was to measure wind speed, wind direction, air pressure, etc.

[Malcolm]

Myles - that second photograph wasn't taken from one of the public areas of the ship was it?

[cunardqueen]

Malcolm. No it wasnt !!! it was taken on the 10th October between cruises on Dog piss deck.
Having made what l thought was the most of the time, l only wish l had known now what l know then, and would have been on and off a few times and making full use of the crew entrance and explored even further.. Hindsight and all that I still kick myself for missing out on the embarkation photos for both crossings.