TS Duke of Lancaster (III)
© British Railways Board (National Railway Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)
Steel twin screw motor vessel built by William Denny & Bros, Ltd., Dumbarton in 1956 (Yard No 1540) for The British Transport Commission originally as a passenger and cargo vessel
Technical Data
- Length: 114.64m (overall) 107.91m (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth of hull: 17.48m (extreme)
- Depth: 5.95m
- Draught: 4.522m (maximum)
- Tonnage: 4,450 gross/1,962 gross/849 deadweight
- Engines: Four Denny Pametrada double reduction geared steam turbines
- Power: 7833 kW/ 10,500 shp
- Speed: 14 knots (service), 21 knots (max)
- Capacity: 600 first-class and 1,200 second-class passengers (1956)/1,200 passengers and 105 cars (max)(1970)
- Call Sign: GVDY
- IMO Number: 5094496
- Official Number: 165014
- Registry: Lancaster/United Kingdom 🇬🇧
History
December 14th 1955: Launched. The Duke of Lancaster was the first of the three Duke’s, the others being DUKE OF ARGYLL and the DUKE OF ROTHESAY.
Launch
Duke of Lancaster – © British Railways Board (National Railway Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)
Trials
© British Railways Board (National Railway Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)
August 1956: The Duke of Lancaster was delivered to The British Transport Commission (Midland Region).
Courtesy of Jim Ashby
Interior
© British Railways Board (National Railway Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)
August 1956: Commenced services between Heysham – Belfast.
© William Macdonald
June 1958: Maiden cruise sailing from Southampton for Amsterdam, Ostend and Rouen.
@ Ostend
July 12th 1958: Collided with PRINCESS MAUD in Heysham Harbour.
September 19th 1959: “First West Highland Cruise”: Left Heysham for inter alia Oban, Skye, Iona (16 day)
June 16th 1961 “First from Harwich”: Left Harwich for Amsterdam, Antwerp, Ostend (6 Day)
January 1st 1963: British Railways Board succeeded British Transport Commission.
© Derek Longly (Southampton)
1964: Vessels painted in the new livery of British Railways, (blue hull and red funnels) and the “Double -Arrow”.
‘til 1966: Various long-distance cruises, to the Western Highlands, Norway, Denmark, Holland and Spain etc.,
1967: Required continuously on the Heysham – Belfast service
🆕 © Ian Collard
November 1969: It was announced that British Rail’s Shipping and International Services Division (S.I.S.D.) had adopted the new brand name Sealink and as a consequence all vessels were painted in the new house colours.
Courtesy of Jim Ashby
January 3rd 1970: Last passenger sailing before entering Harland & Wolff for conversion to car ferry.
Courtesy of Jim Ashby
April 25th 1970: Resumed commercial service between Heysham – Belfast.
🆕 © Kenneth Whyte
1973: Sealink trading name painted on hulls
Courtesy of Jim Ashby
April 5th 1975: Service closed and made last sailing from Belfast – Heysham.
April 1975: Laid up in Barrow.
June 19th 1975: Relief on Fishguard – Rosslare service.
July 15th 1975: Support vessel on Holyhead – Dun Laoghaire services.
© Chris Howell (06/1977)(Left) (07/1977)(Right)
November 9th 1978: Last commercial sailing as relief between Holyhead – Dun Laoghaire, then laid up in Holyhead.
January 1st 1979: Registered to Sealink UK Ltd.
Januaruy 21st 1979: Sold to Empirewise of Liverpool and towed to Barrow.
August 10th 1979: Arrived at a landlocked berth at Llanerch-y-Mor, near Mostyn, North Wales, where she currently lays. Plans to convert her to an entertainments centre have never materialised.
© Malcolm Cranfield (07/05/2005) (Left) © Carsten Dettmer (19/10/2016)(Right)
🆕 © Carsten Dettmer (21/04/2019)
All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions found. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Jim Ashby, Ian Collard, Terry Conybeare, Malcom Cranfield, Carsten Dettmer, Chris Howell, Derek Longly, the National Railway Museum/Science & Society Picture Library, William Macdonald and Kenneth Whyte for their assistance in compiling this feature.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
